What is the meaning of Mark 5:23? Pleaded with Him urgently - Jairus, a synagogue ruler, falls at Jesus’ feet and “pleads with Him urgently” (Mark 5:22-23). - The posture is one of complete dependence—no bargaining, no entitlement, only desperate begging. Compare: • Mark 1:40 – the leper “begged Him on his knees.” • Mark 7:26 – the Syrophoenician woman “kept asking Him.” - Urgency underscores genuine faith that Christ—and Christ alone—can act in this critical moment (Hebrews 4:16). My little daughter is near death - Jairus identifies the sufferer: “My little daughter.” The affection is tender and personal. - Her condition is dire, “near death,” highlighting the severity of the crisis. • Psalm 103:13 – “As a father has compassion on his children…” • John 4:49 – another parent cries, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” - Sickness and death are not abstractions here; Scripture records real human pain to show the need for a real Savior (Romans 8:22). Please come - Jairus wants Jesus physically present. His faith is directed to the person of Christ, not a formula. • John 11:21 – Martha: “Lord, if You had been here…” • Matthew 8:7 – Jesus’ willingness to go: “I will come and heal him.” - The plea reveals that proximity to Jesus is perceived as life-giving—an intuition Scripture consistently affirms (Psalm 16:11). Place Your hands on her - Touch in the Gospels conveys compassion and authority. Jairus trusts that Jesus’ hands transmit divine power. • Mark 1:41 – Jesus “touched” the leper. • Luke 4:40 – “He laid His hands on each of them and healed them.” - The father does not ask for a word from a distance (as the centurion did) but for personal contact, reflecting the multifaceted ways Christ meets faith. So that she will be healed and live - The goal is twofold: healing (restoration of body) and life (continuation of existence). • Mark 5:34 – “your faith has healed you.” • John 11:25 – Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life.” • Psalm 118:17 – “I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the LORD.” - Jairus believes Jesus’ touch overturns impending death—an early hint of the resurrection power fully revealed later (John 10:10). summary Mark 5:23 captures a father’s urgent, faith-filled request: he begs Jesus, lays out his daughter’s desperate state, invites the Lord’s presence, asks for a healing touch, and expects life to triumph over death. The verse showcases raw dependence on Christ, confidence in His compassionate authority, and an unwavering belief that when Jesus intervenes, the dying can live. |
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