When Everything Seems Lost, Don’t Be Afraid; Only Believe!
Today we’re going to be making a special visit to the home of a synagogue leader named Jairus, and the story is told in Mark 4 and 5.
A. Background
Jewish synagogues developed after the Babylonian Empire destroyed Jerusalem’s great Temple in 587 B.C. The Jewish people were exiled from their land. Many went to Babylon but others migrated far afield. Without their temple or their presence in the Promised Land, the Jewish people needed places to worship. So they developed places of “bringing themselves together,” which is the meaning of the word synagogue. It is a place of assembly.
The Greek word that’s translated church in the New Testament has a very similar meaning—an assembly.
The synagogue didn’t replace the temple. No sacrifices were offered. Synagogues weren’t centered in Jerusalem but were built everywhere there was a community of Jews. The leadership wasn’t restricted to priests or Levites, but open to anyone. People went inside the building, in distinction from Temple worship–only the priests entered the temple. The temple was restricted to Jews. But anyone—even non-Jewish worshippers—were welcomed at the synagogues.
Lee Lavine, who is a leading authority on the development of synagogues, wrote, “Over the course of Late Antiquity, the synagogue came to embrace a wide range of religious activities, including scriptural readings, communal prayers, hymns, targum, sermons, and [Jewish liturgical poems and songs]…. The synagogue placed a premium on public recitation—communal prayers, as well as reading, translation, and exposition of sacred texts.”
Lavine continued, “[T]he primary importance of the synagogue, as a whole, throughout antiquity lay in its role as a community center. By the first century C.E., the synagogue had become the dominant institution on the local Jewish scene in both the Diaspora and Judea…. Within the confines of the synagogue the Jewish community not only worshiped, but also studied, held court, administered punishment, organized sacred meals, collected charitable donations, housed the communal archives and library, and assembled for political and social purposes.”
It seems remarkable to me that there’s no mention of synagogues in the Old Testament, and no mandate from God to develop them. There’s nothing about synagogues in the Law, the Writings, or the Prophets of the Old Testament. Yet when we open the New Testament, synagogues are everywhere, and Jesus of Nazareth is an eager and faithful attender. The God of Israel, in His providence, moved His people to do what was necessary to maintain their Jewish faith even with Jerusalem in rubble.
While Jews gathered in synagogues to study the Law and worship on the Sabbath day, the buildings were also busy through the week, hosting civic functions and community gatherings.
The general form of the Christian worship service—singing, prayer, and Bible teaching—was adapted from the synagogue.
According to Luke 4:16, Jesus went to the synagogue on a habitual basis; and during His ministry He often used synagogues as preaching points. He said in John 18:20, “I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together.”
As excavations in Israel have advanced, we’ve found first-century synagogues across Israel, including at Masada, Herodium, Capernaum, and two in the town of Magdala. These ruins tell us synagogues were formed around a primary rectangular assembly hall with stepped benches lining the walls. Columns supported the ceiling, and the stone walls accentuated the sound. The buildings were smaller in smaller communities and larger in larger ones. Some of the excavated synagogues featured beautiful mosaic floors and colorful frescoes on the walls.
When Jesus moved to Capernaum, He began attending a synagogue built only steps away from Peter’s house. The foundation of this building still exists beneath the ruins of a later synagogue. The sudden presence of this controversial, miracle-working, Gospel-preaching stranger created quite a challenge for the synagogue’s ruler or overseer.
His name was Jairus, and he had a day of trauma and drama he never forgot.
B. The Home of Jairus
Last year I went through the entire Bible, marking every time I came across the words “Don’t be afraid” from Genesis to Revelation. I haven’t yet gone back to count or classify them. But the one thing I noticed is this: Whenever the Lord tells us not to be worried or afraid, He also qualifies it. Usually He gives us a specific reason why we shouldn’t be afraid or anxious. On other occasions, He gives us an alternative, which is what Jesus did for Jairus. He told him, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.”
Five words—don’t be afraid; only believe! When all seems lost, only believe. That’s the axiom we learn under the roof of Jairus, his wife, and his twelve-year-old daughter.
This is one story in the Bible that’s connected with interlocking rings to several stories that precede it. Let’s begin with Mark 4:35, the evening of the preceding day. This is the story of Jesus getting in a boat with His disciples. The sun was setting, and the Lord was exhausted. He lay down in the stern and fell asleep. A storm descended on the lake, and the disciples woke Jesus in alarm. Verse 39 says: “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The point of the entire story is in that last sentence. Even the winds and waves obey Jesus. He has all authority and power over the Creation.
The next story begins in chapter 5: “They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.” This man was a savage demonic, a human beehive of demonic activity. Jesus rebuked the demons and cast them out of the man. Verse 20 says, “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus demonstrated that He possesses all authority, not only in the visible realm of Creation but in the invisible realm of spiritual realities. He is Lord over every principality, power, and dominion, against all the forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Now notice what happens next. “21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
Let me ask you a question. If your sweet daughter was at the point of death, struggling to breathe, suffering pain, would you leave her bedside? The only thing that would have torn Jairus from her bedside was the hope of finding Jesus. He said to his daughter, “Honey, I love you more than anything. You’re the apple of my eye. You hang on. Don’t give up. I’m going to see if I can find the Nazarene!” He glanced at his anxious wife, and she nodded her approval. And out the door he went, straining, looking across the water.
Oh, where is He? Please, Jesus, please. We don’t have much time. My little girl is nearly gone. Is that Him in the boat? That boat doesn’t look like it’s fishing. It’s transporting some men over here. I think it’s Jesus! Oh, dear Lord, help me to get His attention.
As soon as Jesus neared the dock, the crowd pushed toward Him. With adrenaline he hadn’t felt in years, Jairus pushed his way to the front of the crowd and said, “My little girl is dying. My little girl is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live. Please hurry. She’s right at the end….”
Verse 24 says, “So Jesus went with him.”
Jesus does that. He responds to our prayers and pleas. He’s happy to be invited into our homes and into our pain and problems and perplexities.
The problem for Jairus is that as Jesus went with him, so did hundreds of other people, all pressing in on Jesus and threatening to crush Him. Verse 24 says, “So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him.”
That’s when the fatal interruption happened. A woman with a terrible medical problem came up behind Jesus, touched the hem of His garment, and was healed. No one would have known anything about it, except that Jesus stopped. He said, “I just felt power flow out of Me. Who did that? Who touched Me?”
He stopped, looked around, and the disciples looked at Him in amazement. “We’re being pushed and shoved like potatoes on a conveyor belt, and You asked who touched You?”
Verses 32-34 say, “But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’”
And just like that, having demonstrated His power over Creation and over the Invisible Realm, Jesus showed His power over sickness and disease.” Jesus is more powerful than any illness, more powerful than any disease. If you can think of it no other way, think of it like this—one hundred years from now, Jesus will be alive. You will be alive. But your disease or disability will be nowhere to be seen, nor ever will again.
You say, “But that means I’ll die.” Well, that brings us to the next demonstration of God’s power. He has all authority over the weather, over the demons, and over sickness. But He also has all power and authority over death itself.
Verse 35 says, “While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’”
We get the idea they didn’t really want Jesus showing up. But overhearing them, Jesus looked at Jairus and said those five words—don’t be afraid; only believe.
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Four stories in a row—four exhibitions of authority and power over the four great realms of reality—over the visible creation; over the invisible realm; over sickness; and over death.
Jesus is Lord of all!
At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of things over the earth, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The Bible says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).
He is the head over every power and authority” (Colossians 2:10).
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12).
By raising this little girl from death, Jesus was sending us a clear and present signal that He can and will reverse the trajectory of death, raise His people to life, and give His people everlasting glory that will never fade away. One day all who are in the graves will hear His voice and rise, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting destruction.
He is our best hope; He is our only hope; He is our sure and steadfast hope. And whatever we’re going through—whether storms, or demons, or sickness, or death, He says:
Don’t be afraid; only believe.
C. Try This at Home
It doesn’t come naturally for me to do what Jesus expected of Jairus: Don’t be afraid; only believe. But I’m learning. It all depends on where we focus our thoughts at any given moment. We can’t control our emotions if we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts.
The Bible says, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).
Isaiah 26:3-4 says, as I learned and memorized it in the King James Version: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”
Our minds are to be stayed on Christ. The old definition of stay means to be fixed upon or to rest upon. We don’t have to ignore our problems or put our heads in the sand. We simply accept the fact that we’re facing a problem or a crisis, but we place our primary mental focus on the Lord.
I want to show you two snippets from the book of Hebrews that talk about this.
- Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus… – Hebrews 3:1
- And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith – Hebrews 12:1-2
We’re to fix our thoughts on Him and our eyes on Him, I believe we do that in four ways.
First, we focus on the person of Christ. We visualize the Lord Jesus in all His glory. Someone asked me recently what I have learned about God that I didn’t realize five years ago. The answer that comes to mind is what Jesus looks like. We’re prone to see Him as He was in the first century, with long hair and beard and robe and sandals. If He had come the first time in our own day, He would have shown up in different clothes, maybe slacks and a sport coat; perhaps jeans and a button-down shirt. He may or may not have had long hair and a beard, but He would have looked at home in today’s world.
But Jesus doesn’t look exactly as He did then or as He would now. He is risen, glorified, and reigning in Heaven. He looks more like He did on the Mount of Transfiguration, when His face shone like the sun. Or like John saw Him in the first chapter of Revelation, with His face shining in all its brilliance.
We need to think of our Lord Jesus Christ as sitting at the right hand of the throne of glory, effulgent in light, power radiating from Him, watching over His children and ruling from His throne.
- Mark 16:19 says, …the Lord…was taken up to heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
- Romans 8:34 says, Jesus Christ…was raised to life [and] is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
- Ephesians 1:20 talks about the power God “exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.”
- Colossians 3:1 says, “…set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 says Jesus “has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.”
Spend some time thinking about the resurrected, exalted, glorified person of Christ.
And then think about His power—the power that can calm the storms, control the spiritual forces of evil, heal diseases, and raise the dead. When did you last sit on the porch swing or in the front seat of your truck and contemplate the power of Jesus? Here’s one way of doing it. Just imagine a terrific storm takes aim at your house. We’ve had several of those recently at my house, which sits on the crest of a hill and bears the brunt of storms. The tornado sirens went off; the wind was howling and tugging at the trees; the rain was falling in sheets; and the thunder was jolting.
Imagine Jesus stepped onto your front porch, viewed the storm with a sense of wonder, and then said, “Okay; that’s enough. Hush up. Be still.” Imagine how you would feel if the wind suddenly stopped; the clouds instantly parted; the sun flooded the landscape; and the birds started singing as if it were a springtime holiday.
That’s what the Lord did for the disciples, and He can still control the weather whenever and however He chooses. Though He may not supernaturally intervene in specific storms, He certainly could anytime He wanted. Imagine it. Contemplate it.
Psalm 62:11 says, “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love….”
Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”
One of the reasons I love the classic hymns is that by singing them or listening to them, my mind contemplates the almighty power of Jesus Christ.
I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise;
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule by day.
The moon shines full at His command and all the stars obey.
Third, we need to contemplate not only the person and the power of Jesus, but also His promises. His grace is all our trauma and drama is conveyed to us through His promises. And the promises of Jesus can take many forms. For example, Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.” That was not technically a promise, was it? It was a set of commandments. Jesus was ordering, He was urging, He was commanding Jairus to obey two urgent injunction—(1) do not be afraid; and (2) only believe.
But those commandments contained an implicit promise. Jesus was going to do something. Jesus was going to act. Jesus was going to turn this for good.
And that brings us to the final thing. We have to trust our Lord’s providence—His ability to invalidate the devil’s plan and reverse the tide of circumstances. Jesus can overrule. He can override. He can overturn. He can oversee the trauma and drama of our lives, and He can bring forth the victory we need.
Contemplating on the person, power, promises, and providence of Jesus Christ is the best way I know to obey His words to Jairus—don’t be afraid; only believe.
Can you do that?
Yes, with His help, you can—and so can I.
When all seems lost, don’t be afraid. Only believe.