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| Matthew 9:23-26 |
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Lesson # Matt. 9:23-26 Study Material - Matt. 9:23-26 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Matt. 9:23-26 23 And when Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He began to say, 'Depart; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.' And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been put out, He entered and took her by the hand; and the girl arose. 26 And this news went out into all that land. 'And the news went out.' How much more proof does anyone need. Christ has healed all manner of disease and handicap. Now He has raised the dead. The senior elder in the Synagogue has had years of exposure to the scriptures. He decides would be read each Saturday, and who would do the reading. He has lived in the area. The area is not defined but we presume that it is Capernaum, but that does not matter. The reputation of Jesus has circulated throughout all of Israel thus far and the elder knows of Him, obviously. He came to get Jesus to help his daughter. The daughter is young. Only 12 years old. The other woman who had the problem of constant bleeding, had had that problem for those same 12 years. It is not unusual that she was introduced at the same time as when the elder came to get Jesus. During that initial conversation, word came that the child had died. We can imagine the anxiousness of the elder when he came to get Christ, and the grief he felt when word came that it was 'too late.' So here comes the woman with her miserable problem. She has had to live with it for 12 years. The elder was present and had to have had some hope in him when he witnessed the healing of the woman. Why? Death had overtaken his daughter. Was there a need to have Jesus come to the house now? Yes. Jesus continued to the home and there witnessed the death ceremonies and confusion. Friends, neighbors, family and whomever you would normally expect, were in the home and nearby to give their condolences for the loss of the child. Many a person has their excuses for not getting with a daily Bible study, but death is an end as far as human capability is concerned. The death, if it happens to you, is your end of opportunity. You cannot bring yourself back to life. You cannot communicate with anyone on earth. You certainly cannot heal yourself. If death happens to someone else, presumably someone you know, then it is just another warning to you that you are indeed helpless for that other person as well as yourself. Physicians could not help that woman. Many medical problems, even in our current day of advanced technologies, are beyond medical science. Some things will be better dealt with as research advances, but many things (death is only one) will always be beyond mans help. The faith of the elder was weaker than that of the woman. We have already discussed his access to doctrine, and hers, but Christ is open to all manner of faith no matter how weak. To man death is an irreversible state. To God, death is just a transition state, a state of sleep, of rest, for those who are in Christ that is. For unbelievers death is the beginning of an eternal nightmare A very real nightmare. For believers, and obviously this elder believed in Christ, thus his daughter too had received her Biblical education, so she was a believer, then she was but sleeping as far as Christ was concerned. Notable passages on sleep and death are Isa. 52:2 and Dan. 12:2. Also mentioned in that Isaiah passage is Gods command over the creation of things out of nothing. So far, Jesus has demonstrated His authority over disease, over infirmities, over sin (that is its forgiveness - forgiveness resulting from the judgment of sin which occurs first), and now He demonstrates his authority over death. By the way, historically the cross occurred second historically, but the forgiveness of sin occurs in eternity past when God issued His divine decrees concerning history. Knowing that the Cross would occur, gives God the right to pass over the sins of those living prior to the Cross, and to therefore issue forgiveness to all who comply with His plan for salvation, the spiritual life, etc. Still there were those who would mock Christ. 'She only sleeps.' They mock therefore were removed from the room. The child was indeed dead as we define death. The burial was about to occur. She was being prepared as bodies were prepared in those days and the mourning and grieving was apparent. How dare someone come into this house which has suffered a disastrous loss of their young child and make statements that she was 'only asleep.' Often times folks get caught up in the rituals of social expectations. We studied fasting, now here we have the mandatory requirement of feeling sad and grieved in the face of the loss of a loved one. Anyone who acts contrary to how we think they should act, is out of line. Or so goes the opinion of the masses. To act in some other manner would be perceived as rude or immature, or disrespectful. Of course we all have our loses and probably many of us have indeed lost loved ones. I have been down that road and it is indeed a difficult time. We do get on with life however. If we have been conscientious in our Bible study, then we know that our loved ones are in a far better place. Why would we wish their return back into this world when they are in heaven. That would be like giving someone an eternal pass, a free pass, everything paid, to Disney World, and then asking them to give that up and come back to the slums and the sewers. Not a fair exchange. This young girl died for a reason. Not to promote her on to Paradise but to announce that Christ was indeed here and had the power over total losses, regardless of what they might be. All who saw the miracle had no excuses now. The Girl rose from a sate of total helplessness. Her illness was gone. Her physical life regained and her opportunities in life (spiritual growth, as well as anything else she might do in life) restored. Where were those that mocked? Where were those who would decide what was possible and what was not? Where were those who would sit in judgment, when they had no right, no authority, no power, to judge anyone, let alone change the universe? How many daily lessons does it take to convince people that this is what they need in their lives? How many close encounters with disaster does it take? How many arguments in the family does it take to cure those who would judge others rather than just concentrating on themselves? 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
