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Matthew 9:18-26

Jesus Our Hope

  • Matthew Dodd
  • Sunday Night Messages
  • September 23, 2018

There are times in life when we all need help! The question is, where do you run when life throws you a curveball and suddenly you’re faced with a problem too great for you to handle on your own? We will discover what it means to place our hope in Jesus when life overwhelms us.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Jesus Our Hope

Matthew 9:18-26

ILLUS – A late night visitor

1.There are times in life when we all need help!

2.The question is, where do you run when life throws you a curveball and suddenly you’re faced with a problem too great for you to handle on your own?

3.Tonight, we will discover what it means to place our hope in Jesus when life overwhelms us. 

Matthew 9:18-26

Context

1.In Matthew 8-9, Jesus was in the northern end of the Sea of Galilee by His town of Capernaum.

2.He had just finished His Sermon on the Mount in which He told the people of Israel that to enter the kingdom of heaven, they must be transformed in the inner man, a transformation that happens when a person has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

3.After the Sermon on the Mount, we are told that the crowds were amazed by His teaching because “He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes”. (7:29) 

4.The events that unfolded next, demonstrated Jesus’ power and authority. He had spoken as one having authority, now Jesus revealed His power and authority over all of creation in Matthew 8-9.

5.There are ten miracles recorded in these chapters, each with powerful applications for our lives. We will focus on the seventh and eighth miracles this evening.

I. Bring All Your Burdens to Jesus (18-22)

  • When we come to this section of Matthew 9, it’s important to note that Matthew provided a condensed version of the events described here.
  • Both miracles are also recounted in Mark and Luke, and each of them provided more details to help fill in the blanks. So, I will refer to the other Gospels in our study tonight.         

A. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way

1.According to Mark and Luke, the synagogue official or ruler was named Jairus. (Mark 5:22)

a.As a synagogue ruler, he was in charge of scheduling all events and teachers at the local synagogue.

b.He wasn’t a teacher, but the position came with great honor and recognition.

c.Jairus would have heard about Jesus, His teachings, miracles, and what people thought of Him, including the negative opinions of the scribes and Pharisees.

2.We’re also told that the apple of Jairus’s eye was his twelve-year-old daughter, his only daughter! (Luke 8:42)

a.It appears that she grew up like most girls, without any major medical issues.

b.Then one day, it all changed. The Bible doesn’t state what she came down with, only that she was very sick and on the verge of death.

c.I’m sure, like any parent, he tried everything to make his little girl well, but nothing worked.

3.At this moment of crisis with time running out, Jairus, the honored and respected synagogue ruler, did not think about his status in the community.

a.Nor did he care about the opinions of the scribes and Pharisees and what it might mean if he asked Jesus for help.

b.No pride. No ego. All he cared about was the apple of his eye, his one and only little girl, so he frantically went looking for Jesus!

APPL – When the bottom falls out and your life takes an unexpected turn, don’t let anyone or anything get in the way of running to Jesus. Bring all your burdens to Jesus.

ILUS – A man’s response after the Sunday Night Service

4.Notice Jairus’s posture when he came to Jesus. (18)

a.Jairus not only asked Jesus to come to his home and lay His hand on her so that she would live, he bowed down before Jesus.

b.This wasn’t only a sign of submission, it was a posture of worship, for that was what Jairus, the synagogue official was doing. As he pleaded with Jesus to come with him, he worshipped Jesus.

c.Now the Jews rightly believed and taught that worship is reserved for God alone. Even Jesus taught that only God is worthy of worship.

Matthew 4:10, Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

d.So, Jairus was declaring that Jesus is God and, Jesus being God the Son, rightly received worship from this troubled father.

B. Divine delays are not Divine denials

1.Jairus must have been so relieved when Jesus agreed to go with him. I’m sure he thought that if they made it to his home on time, his daughter would be healed.

2.But there was a problem, Mark 5:24 states, “a great multitude was following Him and pressing in on Him” which slowed down their progress.  

3.The delay opened the door for an unnamed woman who had been “suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years” to enter the story. (20)

4.The account in Mark 5 gives us additional insight into the nature of her affliction.

Mark 5:25-27, A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.

a.This poor woman suffered physically at the hands of physicians and was not healed.

b.She suffered financially, spending all that she had in search of a cure.

c.This poor woman suffered emotionally because in that day it was believed that such afflictions could be the result of sin.

d.She suffered spiritually for twelve years because the nature of her affliction prohibited her from worshipping at the Temple.

5.Then, she heard about Jesus and thought, “If I only touch His garment, I shall get well”, literally, “be saved”. (21)

APPL – Often, we try other things first before we come to Jesus. Don’t make Jesus your last resort. That said, if you need a last resort, please make it Jesus.

a.So, she sneaked up behind Jesus, thinking no one would notice her with so many people crowding around Him.

b.She reached out and touched our Savior, but her touch was different than the touch of those pressing in around Him because her touch was driven by faith!

c.She was healed immediately. (Luke 8:44)

6.Jesus immediately perceived “that power” had gone forth from Him and called out, “Who touched My garments?” (Mark 5:30).

a.All denied touching Him and Peter chimed in as usual and said, “Master, the multitudes are crowding and pressing upon You.” (Luke 8:45)

b.But Jesus would not let it go. So, the unnamed woman, came forward, bowed down (like Jairus) and confessed her reason for touching Jesus. (Luke 8:46-47)

7.Mark tells us she was trembling, fearful of what Jesus would say. (Mark 5:33)

a.He could have ignored her touch because the daughter of someone important, the synagogue official, was about to die.

b.He could have rebuked her because her touch made Him ceremonially unclean.

c.But He didn’t do either one. Rather, He acknowledged her because she needed more than physical healing, her heart needed to be healed too. He reassured her and said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” (22)

d.Here again, we see the heart of our Savior for the hopeless and hurting.

APPL – At once, the burden was lifted. The words of Jesus brought healing to her soul. She was an outcast no more. She’s family! She’s a daughter of God!

  • Like this woman, there are times when we need Jesus to lift our burden and heal our hearts.
  • We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ and know that those who hope in Him need not despair. 

Psalm 43:5, Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

8.Now, back to Jairus! What do you think was going on in his head?

a.On one level, I’m sure his faith was encouraged. If Jesus healed an unclean woman because she touched the hem of his cloak, there was hope for his daughter!

b.But, if he was anything like me, he was thinking about his little girl, who could die at any moment!

c.Why would Jesus allow this delay?

APPL – God is not interested in letting our circumstances be such that it makes it easier for us to trust Him.

  • He progressively stretches us so that we don’t look at our circumstances or the delays.
  • God wants us to view even delays as opportunities to let our faith shine. Bring all your burdens to Jesus and know that divine delays are not divine denials.

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

II. Jesus Has Authority Over Death (23-26)

  • Mark and Luke tell us that what Jairus feared happened. While he was bringing Jesus to his home, his daughter died! 

Luke 8:49, While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”

  • Before anyone else could say a word, Jesus interrupted and told Jairus what would happen if he believed. 

Luke 8:50, But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.”

A.Don’t fear, keep on believing

1.I’m sure everything unraveled when Jairus heard the words that his daughter had died.

a.He wasn’t there when she had passed.

b.And because of the crowds and the unclean woman, he did not get back to her in time with Jesus.

c.He had failed his daughter. All hope was gone!

2.But Jesus intervened after word reached Jairus. He got into his head, focused his attention, and told him words that we all need to hear when trouble strikes.

a.“Don’t be afraid any longer. Only believe”

b.Why? God is doing something great and beyond our comprehension even through our suffering. Faith is our victory!

1 John 5:4, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

3.It must have seemed like the longest walk back to his home. When they arrived, Jesus kicked out all of the “professional mourners”, for that’s what they were, hired mourners.

4.He declared that the girl was not dead but asleep and the crowd laughed at Him because they knew she was dead for they were professional mourners!

a.And for the record, she was dead. If not, then what transpired next would not have been a miracle.

b.Jesus said what He said because even in death, there is hope. There is life after this life for the spirit of the believer is alive and in the presence of our God.

Philippians 1:21, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

APPL – What is there to gain if after death there is nothing? But through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all who hope in Him have a sure hope because He has secured our victory through His victory over sin and death!

1 Corinthians 15:54-58, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

B. Let Jesus speak into your life

1.Once all the noise was out of the house, Jesus along with the parents and Peter, James, and John entered the room where the little girl’s body was.

2.Jesus took the little girl’s hand and said, “Talitha kum!” which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” (Mark 5:41).

3.Immediately, the girl rose and began to walk

APPL – Through the delays, Jesus revealed that He has authority over death! His words, by the power of the Holy Spirit, actually penetrated the spirit world and reunited the spirit of Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter with her dead body!

  • If Jesus could speak and penetrate the realm of the dead and bring life, just think what can He do with our lives now?
  • Imagine what Jesus can do if we just let Him speak into our hearts? Oh, the hope, the peace, the joy, and salvation! Jesus is our hope! He is our victory! 

ILLUS – The first time I met my wife…

Conclusion

Isaiah 49:23, Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed. (NIV)

b.And because of the crowds and the unclean woman, he did not get back to her in time with Jesus.

c.He had failed his daughter. All hope was gone!

2.But Jesus intervened after word reached Jairus. He got into his head, focused his attention, and told him words that we all need to hear when trouble strikes.

a.“Don’t be afraid any longer. Only believe”

b.Why? God is doing something great and beyond our comprehension even through our suffering. Faith is our victory!

1 John 5:4, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

3.It must have seemed like the longest walk back to his home. When they arrived, Jesus kicked out all of the “professional mourners”, for that’s what they were, hired mourners.

4.He declared that the girl was not dead but asleep and the crowd laughed at Him because they knew she was dead for they were professional mourners!

a.And for the record, she was dead. If not, then what transpired next would not have been a miracle.

b.Jesus said what He said because even in death, there is hope. There is life after this life for the spirit of the believer is alive and in the presence of our God.

Philippians 1:21, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

APPL – What is there to gain if after death there is nothing? But through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all who hope in Him have a sure hope because He has secured our victory through His victory over sin and death!

1 Corinthians 15:54-58, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

B. Let Jesus speak into your life

1.Once all the noise was out of the house, Jesus along with the parents and Peter, James, and John entered the room where the little girl’s body was.

2.Jesus took the little girl’s hand and said, “Talitha kum!” which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” (Mark 5:41).

3.Immediately, the girl rose and began to walk

APPL – Through the delays, Jesus revealed that He has authority over death! His words, by the power of the Holy Spirit, actually penetrated the spirit world and reunited the spirit of Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter with her dead body!

  • If Jesus could speak and penetrate the realm of the dead and bring life, just think what can He do with our lives now?
  • Imagine what Jesus can do if we just let Him speak into our hearts? Oh, the hope, the peace, the joy, and salvation! Jesus is our hope! He is our victory! 

ILLUS – The first time I met my wife…

Conclusion

Isaiah 49:23, Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed. (NIV)

Matthew 9:18-26   NASB

18 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.
20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.
23 When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land.
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