What is the meaning of Luke 8:42? His only daughter “because his only daughter…” (Luke 8:42a) • Luke highlights the uniqueness of Jairus’s child. In biblical narrative, an “only” child emphasizes priceless value and utter dependence on God’s intervention (compare Genesis 22:2; Luke 7:12). • The word draws us to the Father’s heart: God the Father gave His “one and only Son” for us (John 3:16), mirroring Jairus’s desperation. • Faith rises in crisis. Like Jairus, parents today can come boldly to Jesus, knowing He cares for every beloved child (Psalm 103:13; 1 Peter 5:7). About twelve years old “…who was about twelve…” (Luke 8:42a) • Twelve marks the threshold from childhood to young womanhood in Jewish life (see Luke 2:42 where Jesus is twelve). The girl is on the verge of new promise, yet life is slipping away. • Scripture often pairs the number twelve with God’s covenant people—twelve tribes (Genesis 35:22-26), twelve apostles (Luke 6:13). Jesus’s coming miracle signals restoration not only for one family but for Israel as a whole. • God steps into what seems “too early” or “too late.” He redeems interrupted futures (Jeremiah 29:11). Was dying “…was dying.” (Luke 8:42a) • The verb places the situation beyond human remedy. Like Lazarus in John 11:14, the girl’s condition shows the limits of earthly help and the supremacy of Christ’s power over death. • Jesus often allows need to deepen so that His glory becomes unmistakable (John 11:4; 2 Corinthians 1:9). • No circumstance—physical, spiritual, relational—is beyond His resurrection authority (Ephesians 1:19-20). As Jesus went with him “As Jesus went with him…” (Luke 8:42b) • The Lord responds immediately to humble, believing requests (Matthew 7:7-8; James 4:8). • His willingness to “go” shows His incarnate nearness; He is not distant but walks into our homes and crises (Revelation 3:20). • This journey sets the stage for simultaneous ministry—the healing of the woman with the flow of blood occurs en route (Luke 8:43-48; Mark 5:24-34), reminding us He can meet several needs at once without delay. The crowds pressed around Him “…the crowds pressed around Him.” (Luke 8:42b) • Popular expectations could have slowed or discouraged Jairus, yet faith keeps him close to Jesus amid distraction (Hebrews 12:1-2). • The pressing throng illustrates humanity’s universal need for Christ (Matthew 4:24-25) and creates the physical setting for the woman’s secret touch, proving no one is lost in a crowd to the Savior (Psalm 139:1-3). • For disciples, crowded circumstances are opportunities, not obstacles, for ministry (Acts 17:17). summary Luke 8:42 portrays a grieving father, an only child at death’s door, and a Savior who immediately walks into the crisis while multitudes swarm Him. Each detail—only daughter, twelve years old, dying condition, Jesus’s willing journey, and the pressing crowd—underscores both human helplessness and Christ’s sovereign compassion. The verse invites us to trust that the Lord is near, responsive, and fully able to bring life where all hope seems gone. |
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