The demonstration of power was strongly manifested in the life and ministry of Jesus. Everywhere Jesus went while he was on earth, there was massive transformation in the society. Many people came to experience the kingdom of God through the transformative messages of Jesus. Many others received their miracles and even some people had their dead members brought back to life. Jesus traveled with the message of the kingdom of God. One thing we see in Jesus' ministry was the powerful ways He demonstrated authority over the seen and the unseen. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He was strongly opposed by the religious leaders and it was the religious leaders who sent Him to be crucified. However, some of the religious leaders also believed in Jesus' ministry. John chapter 3 shows a powerful conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus (he was a teacher of the law). We encounter in the gospels Joseph of Arimethea who went for Jesus' body from Pilate and buried it in his own tomb. One other religious leader who showed his trust in Jesus was a man named Jairus.
While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” (Matthew 9:18)
According to the gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jairus was a synagogue leader. Jairus had heard of the works of Jesus and he believed that Jesus could restore his daughter to life. Jairus' daughter was sick and at the point of death. She was very weak and the physicians declared her hopeless. However, her father did not give up on her. Jairus knew that Jesus could help his daughter. Matthew and Mark record how Jairus came to Jesus to ask for help.
Matthew 9:19 says this: While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”
Mark 5:22-23 says this: Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 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.”
Jairus's daughter had been declared dead according to Matthew's account, yet Jairus went to Jesus because he knew Jesus has power over life and death. Jesus did not refuse Jairus but Jesus went with Jairus and a large crowd followed and pressed around Jesus (Mark 5:24).
When Jesus went into the house of Jairus, the professional mourners were already playing their pipes and there was a noisy crowd wailing (Matthew 9: 23). When Jesus said "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep”, the crowd laughed at Him (Matthew 9:24). Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John the brother of James and the child's parents and went in where the child was (Mark 5:37, 40). As Jesus came to where the girl was laid, "He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat." (Mark 5:41-43).
Jairus' daughter was back to life. Indeed the dead shall live again. This incident wouldn't have been a secret as the people in the neighbourhood who saw her dead could testify to this phenomenal miracle. Throughout her life, the grown up Jairus' daughter would have been a symbol of the miraculous power of Jesus. Her life would have been a living testimony of the power of God. If she had married and had children, her descendants would have known her significant miracle of divine restoration. Jesus' ministry was for three and half years but living testimonies such as the daughter of Jairus would have been too significant to be ignored.
As we consider the tremendous miracle of divine restoration, I pray that God restore unto you every dead situation. It is time for us to check out the mockers and naysayers. They can hinder our faith and cause us to miss our miracles. Like Jairus, go to Jesus even when all hope is lost and people have given up on you. Jesus will never give up on us.
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