Knowing Christ’s power
“Do not be afraid; only believe” (Luke 8:50).
Peter, James and John were chosen by the Lord to be with Him on three memorable occasions. They witnessed the power of Christ when He raised Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:35-43); the glory of Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36); and the sufferings of the love of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). The Lord allowed Peter, James and John to see what others did not see. These experiences would sustain them in their circumstances, shape their ministry and be used to encourage the flock of God. These themes marked the brief testimony of James, the long life of His brother, John, and the bold witness of their friend, Peter. They are themes we need to be reminded of as we enter into new circumstances. We are about to embark on a journey through another year of our lives. We do not know what lies ahead of us, but we know the Saviour, and we can say with Paul, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
The raising of Jairus’ daughter teaches us about Christ’s power. The way the Lord reveals His power is very instructive. It starts with Jairus coming to Jesus. He went to the Lord at a time of crisis. Crises should never drive us away from God but towards Him. But coming into the Lord’s presence is not restricted to wanting Him to address our needs. Coming to the Saviour fulfils the reason we exist. We were made for fellowship with God. Adam had everything provided for Him in Eden, and God came into the garden to have fellowship with the first man. Through Christ, we have been brought into nearness with God, not only to know His mercy and provision but to know Him.
The Lord did not need to be in Jairus’ house to heal his daughter, but he took Jairus on a journey of faith. What he experienced walking with the Lord to his home would stay with him for the rest of his life. I am sure that at the time Jairus wished that journey would have been as short as possible. But instead, it was slowed down by the need of another person, a diseased woman whose life was also in crisis. The Lord has time for every need, and just because our needs sometimes take longer to be dealt with than we would like, it does not mean the Saviour does not care. The delay brought the news of the death of Jairus’ daughter. Things did not get better, but worse, and the rest of the journey seemed pointless in the eyes of many. But it provided the opportunity for the Lord to say to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
It takes a long time for us to learn the pace at which the Lord moves. I remember being in the hospital for ultrasound treatment on a kidney stone. The doctor explained to me that the ultrasound waves were synchronised with the beat of my heart. God wants to synchronise the pace of our hearts with His. We do this by faith. The walk with Jairus continued until, at last, Jesus took the hand of his child. In John 11, Jesus spoke with a loud voice when He raised Lazarus to life. In the house of Jairus He spoke with gentle words, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” But the result was the same: life.
The world can often be frenzied and confusing and made all the worse when we pass through difficult circumstances. We become anxious and uncertain. The Lord wanted to teach His disciples Peter, James and John how to follow Him in faith and learn to walk with Him at His pace, assured of His gentle power and His peace reigning in their hearts. He wants to teach us the same lessons as we step into a new year.
