Jesus Still Acts: Two Miracles from Mark 5

Introduction

In Mark 5, two stories cross paths on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: Jairus, a synagogue leader, comes to beg Jesus for his twelve year old daughter who is dying; and along the way, a woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years approaches from behind to touch the edge of his cloak. Two desperate needs, two acts of faith, two miracles. In his message from June 21, 2026, JM Botteron pauses on this story to remind us of a simple truth: Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he still acts today for anyone who comes to him in faith.

Maybe you're walking through a situation that seems to have no way out: a medical problem that won't go away, a closed door, news that just crushed you. This passage shows you that Jesus' word is still creative, even where people have run out of solutions.

Sermon Outline

1. Jairus' Desperate Situation

Jairus is a synagogue leader. He has a good social standing, he's respected, everything in his life is going well. Until the day his twelve year old daughter, his only daughter according to another gospel, falls seriously ill. Despite treatment, the illness gets worse. Even when you're wealthy, surrounded by people, and well connected, a moment comes when money, friends, and connections can't do anything more.

Jairus understands that his daughter is dying and that only a few hours remain. So even though he's a man in a position of authority, he falls at Jesus' feet. This is the attitude God answers: humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. To receive from Jesus, you first have to admit you can't do anything on your own, and beg him to step in.

2. The Bold Faith of the Woman with the Bleeding Condition

Along the way, a woman who has been sick for twelve years steps in. She has seen several doctors, spent all her money, and her condition has only gotten worse. It would be easy to stop right there, at this long illness that wears you down: over time, sickness becomes part of life and you stop hoping.

But she has heard about Jesus. JM Botteron pauses on an unseen figure in the story: whoever it was who told this woman about him. Without that testimony, she would never have heard of Jesus. Your testimony is worth more than you think: it can change the destiny of a single person.

This woman believes, but she doesn't stop at inward faith: she takes a step of faith. She pushes through the crowd and touches the edge of Jesus' cloak. That's a bold move, because under Old Testament law, a woman in her condition was considered unclean and was supposed to keep her distance. Yet she believes that Jesus is above the law, that he is Lord of lords. It isn't the cloak that has power (a piece of fabric never healed anyone): it's the person of Jesus behind that gesture.

The text highlights something remarkable: Jesus did not pray for her. It was her own faith that set the healing in motion. Jesus senses that power has gone out from him and asks, "Who touched my clothes?" In a crowd pressing in on him, someone touched him with a special kind of faith, an active faith. That is the faith that changes everything.

And this woman receives more than physical healing. She comes to Jesus, trembling, and tells him the whole truth. Jesus answers her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." She leaves with a double healing: her body is restored and her soul is forgiven. That's also what every one of us needs, because the Bible calls "sin" this spiritual sickness that touches every human being and that, without Jesus, leads to eternal death.

3. Jesus' Victory Over Death

While Jesus is still speaking to this woman, servants arrive from Jairus' house: "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" Humanly speaking, you can understand Jairus' shock. He watched Jesus take time for a woman who, unlike his daughter, could have waited. It would have been easy to judge Jesus, like an ER doctor lingering over a headache while someone else is bleeding out nearby.

But Jesus doesn't operate by human logic. He has a different logic: the logic of faith. He wasn't late. He had come for more than a healing, he had come for a resurrection. Jairus doesn't know that yet.

Faced with the negative word that had just been spoken, Jesus doesn't argue. The text says he ignores those words and speaks another word over them instead: "Don't be afraid, only believe." That is the move we need to make when harmful words fall on us ("you'll never make it," "you'll end up alone," "this sickness will kill you"): to place God's word on top of them. "Yes, by faith, I will make it. Yes, God will open a door."

Jesus then surrounds himself with three people of faith, Peter, James, and John. Arriving at Jairus' house, he sends out the loud crowd that was weeping and mocking him: he puts unbelief outside, because you don't pray in faith surrounded by people who are mocking you. Then he takes the child by the hand and says to her, "Talitha koumi," which means "Little girl, get up." Immediately she gets up and starts walking.

Jesus' word is creative. In the beginning, God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. John 1 reminds us that this creative Word is Jesus himself. He creates life where there is death, he creates solutions where there are none. In your situation that seems dead and hopeless, Jesus can speak a word and create new life.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus steps into extreme situations, even the ones we consider hopeless.
• Answered prayer starts with humility: getting down on your knees and admitting you can't do it alone.
• Your testimony could be the spark that leads someone to Jesus, like whoever spoke to the sick woman.
• The faith that changes things isn't a lukewarm faith: it's an active faith, one that takes action.
• When people's words weigh you down, place God's word on top of them: "Don't be afraid, only believe."

Personal Application

• What "hopeless" situation have you stopped praying about? Can you come back today and fall at Jesus' feet like Jairus?
• What negative word is weighing on your life right now, and what word from God can you place over it?
• Is your faith a thinking faith or an acting faith? What concrete step is Jesus asking of you this week?
• Who could you tell about what Jesus has done for you, not knowing what it might set in motion in their life?
• Who do you surround yourself with when you're going through a trial: people who doubt, or people of faith who pray with you?

Verses Referenced

• Mark 5:21-43 · The woman with the bleeding condition and Jairus' daughter.
• Hebrews 13:8 · "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
• Genesis 1:3 · "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
• John 1:1-14 · The creative Word, who is Jesus himself.
• Romans 3:23 · "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Jesus let Jairus' daughter die before he arrived?

Jairus, like us, was reasoning according to human urgency. But Jesus is never late: if he takes time for the sick woman, it's because he's come for more than a healing. He's come for a resurrection. His logic isn't ours, but his plan is perfect.

Can touching an object bring healing, like Jesus' cloak?

No. The cloak is just fabric, it has no power of its own. What worked was the woman's faith in the person of Jesus behind that gesture. It's Jesus we need to draw near to, not an object or a superstition.

How do I get this "active faith" that JM Botteron talks about?

Active faith is a faith that takes a concrete step: coming to Jesus in prayer, drawing near to him, obeying his word despite what human logic says. It starts with humility (admitting you can do nothing) and with trust that Jesus is above every situation.