SUBSCRIBEGIVE NOW

Mark: Chapter 5

Mark

Chapter 5

 

The following commentary is taken from verse-by-verse notes of Chuck Smith, Andrew Womack, Jimmy Swaggart, Tony Evans, and John Wesley. Also used at the notes of The Passion Translation and the New English Translation.

Verses 1-5.

So[a] they came to the other side of the lake (of Galilee), to the region of the Gerasenes.[b] Just as Jesus[c] was getting out of the boat,[d] a man with an unclean spirit[e] came from the tombs and met him.[f] He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles,[g] but[h] he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

  1. 1. The region of the Geraseneswould be in Gentile territory on the (south)eastern side of the Sea of Galilee across from Galilee. Matthew 8:28records this miracle as occurring “in the region of the Gadarenes.” “Irrespective of how one settles this issue, for the [second and] Third Evangelist the chief concern is that Jesus has crossed over into Gentile territory, ‘opposite Galilee’” (J. B. Green, Luke [NICNT], 337). The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore—the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.

TPT notes. V. 1. This was a region where non-Jewish people lived. They raised pigs which was unclean according to Jewish law. The Gerasenes or Gadarenes lived in the region in the region opposite Galilee, on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee. See also Mt. 8: 28-34.

Swaggart. The tombs were unclean for Jews because of the bones/bodies. The “crying” is an “inarticulate cry” or “shriek.” It was an ungodly wail. People in the nearby town could hear him at night.

Wesley. There met him a man with an unclean spirit — St. Matthew mentions two. Probably this, so particularly spoken of here, was the most remarkably fierce and ungovernable.

Womack. V. 1. This is recorded in Matthew (Matthew 8:28), Mark (Mark 5:1-20), and Luke (Luke 8:27). Matthew 8:28 says there were two demoniacs.

The Gadarenes inhabited the land given to the tribe of Gad, east of the river Jordan (Numbers 32:5 and Numbers 32:29-33).

The city of Gadara was one of ten cities of the Decapolis. The historian Josephus described it as a strong and wealthy city inhabited mostly by Greeks. Its elevated location was about five and one-half miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and it allowed a full view of the sea. Gadara was the capital of a district called Gadaritis located east of the Jordan River and extending north to the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Because of the size and importance of this city, those who dwelt on the east side of the Sea of Galilee were called Gadarenes. Matthew referred to “the country of the Gergesenes” (Matthew 8:28). Origen, an early Christian historian, was told that an old town named Gergesa existed on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near a place where the land sloped steeply into the lake. The ruins of a town named Kursi have existed at this site in modern times. The Revised Version uses the name “Gerasenes” in Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26, and 37. This name was probably derived from “Gerasa,” another city in the area. The ruins of Kursi are opposite Magdala and five miles southeast of where the Jordan River enters the Sea of Galilee. Just a short distance south of these ruins is the only place on the eastern coast where steep hills come close enough to the water to meet the conditions of Matthew 8:32, Mark 5:13, and Luke 8:33.

  1. 2. Why was this man demon possessed? First Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan cannot devour everyone. What happened to cause this man to be in such a state? Whatever it was, it didn’t take Jesus long to deal with it and get the demons out.

Certainly, there are reasons that things happen, but the approach that some take, where it takes months or years to get to the root of the problem, is not the way Jesus ministered. This case of demon possession was worse than the ones we deal with. Therefore, if this man’s deliverance came in minutes, we should expect the same.

Matthew (Matthew 8:28-34) and Luke (Luke 8:27-39) also recorded this story.

Matthew’s account records two men who were demon possessed. Some have tried to use this difference to discredit the Gospels as a whole. But if there were two men, then there was one man. Mark and Luke didn’t state that there was only one man; they focused on one. That was their prerogative and does not contradict Matthew’s account. It’s possible that this one man’s deliverance was so notable, it overshadowed the other man’s deliverance.

  1. 3. The demons gave the man superhuman strength. Luke said the man wore no clothes (Luke 8:27).
  2. 4. If this man was strong enough to break chains, it must have been hard to put those chains on him. And this had happened often. People had tried to deal with this problem many times before. But all they could do was bind him unsuccessfully. Jesus didn’t bind him. He loosed him. People’s solutions are ways to bind, while God comes to set the captives free (Luke 4:18-19).
  3. 5. The demons caused the man to cry day and night and cut himself. Satan only steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10). The devil lies to people, saying that it’s bondage to serve the Lord, but the opposite is true. Cutting oneself is a sure sign of demon activity.

Verses 6-7.

And when from a distance he saw Jesus, he ran and fell on his knees before Him in homage,And crying out with a loud voice, he said, What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Highest God? What is there in common between us? I [a]solemnly implore you by God, do not begin to torment me!

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. Then[a] he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone,[b] Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God[c]—do not torment me!”

Swaggart. Legion was #1. An irresistible fighting force in this area (Roman legion), and #2. Many demons meant a stronger force exponentially.

Brewer. The man “ran” to Jesus. Although there were so many demons in this man, yet he was not fully possessed in the sense that his will was controlled. The man wanted to be free.

 

Womack. Demons don’t worship Jesus. This man, as demonized as he was, had enough control to fall at Jesus’ feet and worship Him. He couldn’t get free on his own, but he could worship Jesus. Demonized persons can exert their wills to step toward the Lord for deliverance. Failure to make a faith step towards the Lord will keep a demonized person from getting delivered.

The word “worshipped” is taken from the Greek word “PROSKUNEO,” and it means to “prostrate oneself in homage. That this tormented man ran to Jesus and not away from Him indicates that even “demon-possessed” people have free will and Satan cannot control people without their consent. Also illustrated in this verse is Philippians 2:10-11 (“every knee should bow...And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”) and James 2:19 (“the devils also believe, and tremble”).

This man made a step towards God by falling down and worshiping Jesus. But he was so demon possessed that he couldn’t speak independently of the demons that possessed him.

Verses 8-10.

(For Jesus[a] had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”)[b] Jesus[c] asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion,[d] for we are many.” 10 He begged Jesus[e] repeatedly not to send them out of the region.

  1. 9. The name Legionmeans “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.

TPT notes. A Roman legion was made up of 6,000 men. Mark gives 12 accounts of Jesus’ defeating demons. The demons always recognized Jesus as God’s son.

Swaggart. V. 10. Literally, it’s a very strong expression. “I beg of you, please. He persisted in pleading with Him.” Why did they beg Jesus not to make them leave the region? One view: In the pre-Adamic world where the beings preceding the fallen demons lived on the earth before the fall, they lived in this area. #2. Decapolis was an area where non-observant or even apostate Jews and there would have been little restrictions on demonic activity.

Wesley. My name is Legion! for we are many — But all these seem to have been under one commander, who accordingly speaks all along, both for them and himself.

Womack. In Luke’s account of this incident (Luke 8:29), it says, “For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.” So, in Mark 5:7, the demons responded to Jesus’ command. We can see that the demons didn’t leave immediately. They argued with Jesus for a while, seeking some concession.

A Roman legion consisted of 6,000 troops. We suppose that this man had around 6,000 demons (Brewer. Not necessarily. Could be “a great number.”)

In Mark and Luke, Jesus asked the demon his name, but Matthew did not. In 1 John 4:1-3, we are told to try (test, discern, examine) the spirits to see if they are of God. Discerning of spirits is one of the manifestations of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10.

According to Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, Jesus’ command of “come out of the man” was not met with a quick response, as in other cases of deliverance (Mark 1:25-26; Luke 4:33-35, 9:42, and 13:11-13). It appears that finding the “spokesman” for the demons (who identified himself as “Legion”) was important. Once the “strong man” (Matthew 12:29) of the group identified himself at Jesus’ command, the other demons, whose power would have been less than their leader, followed him as he left the man’s body. The demons knew Him and His authority; the demoniac was delivered. Jesus gave that same authority to His disciples (Matthew 10:1, Matthew 10:8; and Luke 10:1-20).

Brewer. Jesus knew the leader’s name and how many demons were in the man. He asked the question to teach His disciples.

Scripture implies that when evil spirits find an individual, a family, or an area in which to dwell, they are unwilling to leave. Examples are iniquities of fathers being passed on to the third and fourth generations (Exodus 34:7 and Deuteronomy 5:9), the spirit gone out of a man seeking to return (Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24-26), and that regional demonic “princes” or “kings” exercise spiritual authority over that area (Ezekiel 28:2-19, 38:2-3, 39:1; Daniel 10:12-13, 20; Ephesians 1:21, 6:12; Colossians 1:16, and 2:15).

Luke said this man had the devils a “long time,” and Mark said they implored Jesus not to send them “out of the country.” They may have hoped that, after Jesus had gone, they could re-enter the demoniac. Matthew and Luke warned of this possibility (Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24-26), and the demons may have reasoned that if Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they would not have to leave the area. People delivered of demons must fill themselves with the presence and power of God to stay free.

Verses 11-13.

 

11 There on the hillside,[a] a great herd of pigs was feeding. 12 And the demonic spirits[b] begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” 13 Jesus[c] gave them permission.[d] So[e] the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about 2,000 were drowned in the lake.

TPT notes. Depending on weight, the current value of 2,000 pigs could be $250,000. The community’s economic loss was significant.

Womack. Swine were unclean to the Jews (Leviticus 11:7-8 and Deuteronomy 14:8). So, if these swine belonged to Jews, they were raised in violation of God’s commands. However, the majority of the inhabitants of Gadara were Greeks.

Verse 14-17.

14 Now[a] the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had the “Legion”—and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also talked about the pigs. 17 Then[b] they began to beg Jesus[c] to leave their region.

TPT note. “The people preferred swine to the Son of God. There is no indication that Jesus ever went back to their land.”

Swaggart. The herdsmen were terrified at the loss of their herd and over what had happened. The herdsmen told the story in detail to many so that they would not be held accountable for the loss.

Smith. Here, this man that they couldn't bind with chain and fetters. Here, this man that was out there screaming, crying, cutting himself with rocks and could not be tamed, naked, tragic, horrible spectacle. And now he's seated there, clothed and in his right mind.

Wesley. And they were afraid — It is not improbable they might otherwise have offered some rudeness, if not violence.

Womack. It took time for the messengers to run into all these areas and tell the people what had happened. When they arrived where Jesus and the recently delivered man were, it was at least an hour or two after the fact. During this time, Jesus’ disciples clothed the man, and it’s reasonable to believe that Jesus was giving him instructions on how to stay free.

There was an instant change in this man’s actions and mental state. It was not a renewing of his mind. Some people experience massive changes instantly because they call out to the Lord and get deliverance. When the devil leaves, they are instantly changed. But other people are dealing with the flesh and an unrenewed mind. In those cases, change comes progressively as they renew the way they think and believe.

Notice that Jesus and His disciples didn’t publicize the miracle. Others did that for them. The really great miracles of God stir this kind of response. Lord, help me to release Your power to the degree that even unbelievers talk about it.

Jesus had done a wonderful thing, and yet they wanted him to leave. This is amazing! But it is often the case that a real manifestation of God’s power causes fear in those who observe it. It brings to light their own weaknesses and unbelief and disturbs their paradigm. Rather than change, they want to escape back to their old way of doing things, even though it isn’t getting the same miraculous results.

Verses 18-20.

And when He had stepped into the boat, the man who had been controlled by the unclean spirits kept begging Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus refused to permit him, but said to him, Go home to your own family, relatives and friends and bring back word to them of how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had sympathy for you and mercy on you. And he departed and began to publicly proclaim in Decapolis - the region of the ten cities - how much Jesus had done for him, and all the people were astonished and marveled.

As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go[a] with him. 19 But[b] Jesus[c] did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you,[d] that he had mercy on you.” 20 So[e] he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis[f] what Jesus had done for him,[g] and all were amazed.

NET note. #1. “go with him” means to “be with him” or to “remain with him.” #2. V. 19. Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:445:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. Perhaps there were fewer Jewish religious representatives present, and there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political. #3. V. 20. The Decapolis refers to a group of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay on the east side of the Jordan River. Although frequently seen as a league of independent city states organized by the Roman general Pompey, contemporary sources do not support such a view. Rather their unity came from their Greek (Hellenistic) culture and religions, which set them apart from surrounding areas. #4. V. 20. Note that the man could not separate what God had done from the one through whom God had done it (what Jesus had done for him). This man was called to witness to God’s goodness at home.

Brewer. The delivered man wanted to be with the one who had set him free. He may also have been afraid that the demons would return or that the townspeople would abuse him. After all, he had been the cause of a great economic catastrophe. He was the only one there who wanted Jesus in his life.

Swaggart. Jesus told him to go tell his family and friends what God had done for him. Decapolis was not a Jewish area and was apparently a dark place. Sympathy is “to feel sympathy and do something about it.” V. 20. To publish is to make a public confession. He went to all ten cities and gave his testimony.

Wesley. Tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee — This was peculiarly needful there, where Christ did not go in person. He published in Decapolis — Not only at home, but in all that country where Jesus himself did not come.

 

Womack. This is amazing! Jesus taught that when people are cleansed of demons, the demons seek to resume their place, and if they aren’t prepared, those people will become demon possessed seven times worse than they were (Matthew 12:45). This would lead to the thinking that it’s irresponsible to minister deliverance without taking the newly delivered person under your wing for discipleship. But that’s not what Jesus did. Anyone who has truly been set free wants to be with Jesus.

This is what the Lord wants all of us to do. Notice that the focus of his testimony was not to be about how he had been delivered of demons, but it was all about God’s great love for him. Our testimonies should always draw people’s attention to the goodness and love of God. What a testimony this must have been! These people had seen this man totally demon possessed, and now he is completely normal and proclaiming Jesus as the one who set him free.

Verses 21-24.

21 When Jesus had crossed again in a boat[a] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. 22 Then[b] one of the synagogue leaders,[c] named Jairus,[d] came up, and when he saw Jesus,[e] he fell at his feet. 23 He asked him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed.

Smith. So, coming now back to Capernaum, Jarius, one of the rulers of the synagogue there in Capernaum, came to Jesus, driven by desperation. Because at home, notice, "he besought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death." Probably the easiest way to get to the heart of a man is through his children. To see our children sick, to see them suffering, moves us more than almost anything else. And to see his little daughter dying, we are told that she was about twelve years old. We are also told in another gospel that she was their only little girl. And so, for twelve years she had brought sunshine, life and blessing into the home, as only little girls can do. But now the father's heart is breaking. It's obvious that his little girl is dying, nothing can be done. They have only one hope. He had probably been in a controversy the other day, that Sabbath day when Jesus was there in the synagogue and healed the man with the withered hand. And though he argued over the violation of the Sabbath, he was in need, he was desperate, driven to come against prejudice to Jesus. Torn between wanting to be by his little daughter's side but knowing that she had to have help quick. He left the mother with the little daughter, and he himself set out to find Jesus. And when he did, he found Jesus surrounded by a crowd, who were thronging Him. But his desperation pushed him through the crowd until he was standing face to face with Jesus, and he begged Him, "Please come. My little daughter is at the point of death. Just lay Your hand on her and she will be healed." He knew that Jesus could bring healing even to this condition of the point of death. "And Jesus went with him, and many people were following, and thronged Him." The pushing, shoving, rude crowd.

 

Wesley. One of the rulers of the synagogue — To regulate the affairs of every synagogue, there was a council of grave men. Over these was a president, who was termed the ruler of the synagogue. Sometimes there was no more than one ruler in a synagogue. Matthew 9:18Luke 8:41.

Womack. The Gadarenes rejected Jesus, but large numbers of enthusiastic people on the other side of the sea received Him. Here’s the lesson. If one group of people rejects us, move on (Matthew 10:23). There are others who will receive our witness (Luke 9:52-56).

Jairus’ story is also recorded in Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26 and in Luke 8:41-42 and 49-56.

Jairus couldn’t get his miracle in the synagogue, of which he was one of the leaders. He had to go outside the church to where the Person was with the miracle-working power.

The synagogue ruler’s faith wasn’t as strong as the Roman centurion’s (Matthew 8:8-12). The centurion didn’t need Jesus to come and heal his servant. All he needed was Jesus to speak the delivering word. Yet, Jesus didn’t rebuke Jairus for having weak faith. He met him where his was.

Robertson’s New Testament Word Pictures says, “Were pressing Jesus so that He could hardly move because of the jam, or even to breathe.”

Verses 25-28.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, And who had endured much [a]suffering under the hands of many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.

25 Now[a] a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage[b] for twelve years.[c] 26 She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,[d] 28 for she kept saying,[e] “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

  1. 25. This probably refers to a chronic vaginal or uterine hemorrhagewhich rendered the woman ritually unclean, thus limiting her social contacts and religious participation. A hemorrhage is a profuse escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel.
  2. 25.  This story of the woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve yearsis recounted in the middle of the story about Jairus’ daughter. Mark’s account (as is often the case) is longer and more detailed than the parallel accounts in Matt 9:18-26and Luke 8:40-56.
  3. 27. “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (himation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
  4. 28. The context suggests that the woman was trying to muster up the courage to touch Jesus’ cloak.

Saved: “The Greek word is sozo and has many possible meanings, including “safe and sound,” “healed”, “delivered, “made whole, rescued, restored, and saved. This is what Jesus does for us today. See He. 13:8.

This woman is not named. The poor and unknown have equal access to God’s bounty and sometimes are blessed more abundantly. “The name ‘Jesus’ as we use it in English is a transliteration of the Hebrew Name Jehoshua or Yahoshua. In English the Hebrew name should be translated Joshua, a common name in Palestine. The definite article is used here for “Jesus” to distinguish it from the many Joshua’s at that time.

The woman was supposed not to touch Jesus. Lev. 15: 19-27. A woman with an issue of blood would have been considered unclean. She had suffered the condition for 8 years. “I shall be made whole” is translated from “sozo” which is used in reference to a person being saved either from physical illness or an evil spiritual state. She was desperate so she reached out in faith to Him.

Smith. The word touch in Greek is grasped or clasped onto. According to Jewish law, her husband could not touch her as long as she was hemorrhaging. According to Jewish law, everything she touched was unclean. Whoever touched her would be unclean. Whoever would touch anything she touched would be unclean. Therefore, she could not continue to live with her family, to prepare them food and all, to do their clothes. Finally, according to Jewish law, she could not enter the place of worship as long as she was hemorrhaging. She was ceremonially unclean. And for twelve years, she lived in the shadow of darkness. With Jarius, twelve years he had lived in the sunshine of this beautiful little girl, the light she brought into her home. But the light was going out. With the woman, twelve years she was living in the shadow of this ostracized condition, but a ray of light was shining, a hope. "I know if I can just but touch Him, His garment, I will be healed. 

Womack. V. 25. This story of the woman touching the hem of Jesus’ garment is also recorded in Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48. Luke 6:19 implies this happened on other occasions too.

It is very possible that Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, knew this woman. She would have been one of his parishioners. Jairus was in a tremendous hurry. His daughter was at the point of death, and as related later in this chapter, she did die before Jesus got to his house. I’m sure Jairus was upset with this delay, but he had the wisdom not to say anything.

 

  1. 26. The Greek word for “suffered” is “PASCHO,” and it is also used to describe the sufferings of our Lord (Matthew 16:21, 17:12; and 1 Peter 2:23). This is in sharp contrast to the Greek word “EAO.” This was also translated “suffered” and “suffer” but simply means to “permit” (Strong’s Concordance) (Matthew 24:43; Luke 4:41, 22:51; Acts 14:16, 16:7; and 1 Corinthians 10:13). This woman had willfully submitted herself to treatments, which tormented her and took her money for twelve years, simply because there was no alternative. When Jesus came on the scene offering the sure cure for her problem, it was not unreasonable for this woman to press through the crowd even on her hands and knees and suffer the shame and possible condemnation of the crowd for breaking the Levitical Law. She had endured much worse things pursuing man’s help in vain. V. 27. Notice that Jesus didn’t touch this woman; she touched Him. Those with aggressive faith make a demand on the Lord instead of waiting for Him to act for them. This is like the disciples in Matthew 14, when Jesus’ walking on the water as though He would pass by them (Mark 6:48). If they hadn’t cried out to Him, He would have walked right on by.

Many people don’t receive their miracles because they are too passive.

Notice also that this woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. The multitude was thronging Him. There is no way this woman could have just stooped over and touched the hem of His garment in a crowd like this. This implies she was on her hands and knees, pressing through the crowd. She was determined. That’s why she got healed.

  1. 28. The Greek word translated “whole” is “SOZO.” This is the New Testament’s all-inclusive word for what Jesus accomplished at the Cross. It denotes forgiveness of sins, but as can be clearly seen in this passage, it also refers to the health of our bodies. Salvation includes forgiveness of sins but also encompasses healing, deliverance, and prosperity.

God’s power is governed by law. One of the laws of God is “you will have what you say” (Proverbs 18:20-21, Mark 11:23, and Romans 10:10). This woman plugged into God’s power by the words she said. Our tongues will work for us or against us. Many people are hung by their own tongues. Matthew 9:21 says this woman “said within herself,” implying she didn’t speak this out loud, but this verse in Mark says that she spoke this. There is no contradiction. She did both.

 

Verses 29-30. 29 At once the bleeding stopped,[a] and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”

AMPC. “And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [a]suddenly she felt in her body that she was healed of her [b]distressing ailment. And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes?

 

  1. 29. ““the flow of her blood dried up.”

Swaggart. “Power” is dunamis.

Womack. Her healing happened instantly, and the woman could feel that she was healed. We can feel virtue flowing out of us, just as Jesus did.

Can it be that Jesus didn’t know who touched Him? Many people would dismiss this as a rhetorical question, but I believe Jesus didn’t know who touched Him. This isn’t a claim against His divinity. Rather, this is simply illustrating that Jesus was a God man. In His spirit, He was totally God and knew all things. But in His physical body, He was a man who had to grow in wisdom and knowledge (Luke 2:52). In Jesus’ physical mind, He didn’t know who touched Him. When He asked this question and the woman didn’t come forward immediately, He drew on the perfect knowledge in His spirit, got a word of knowledge, and singled this woman out. But His question was genuine.

This reveals another great truth. Our Lord didn’t size this woman up and evaluate whether or not she was holy or sincere enough to get healed. He didn’t even know she was coming. Healing doesn’t work by the feelings of the Lord toward us. If it did, then we would be healed, because He loves us. There are laws that govern the release of God’s healing power. This woman put those laws into effect and was healed. Just as electricity flows by laws, not the feelings of the electric company, so healing is governed by law.

We can’t call the power company and ask them to turn on our lights. They generate the power and make sure it is delivered to our residences, but it’s up to us to flip the switch. Likewise, the Lord has healed all our diseases and put that power on the inside of us, but we have to release it by our faith. Begging God to do what He told us to do will not work anymore than begging the electric company to turn on our lights will work.

 

Verses 31-34.

31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? Still, He kept looking around to see her who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed, frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, Daughter, your faith, your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God, has restored you to health. Go in and into peace and be continually healed and freed from your distressing bodily disease.

Smith. Now, she knew what had happened, and He knew what had happened. She was probably frightened when He said, "Who touched Me?" because she knew what happened, and very relieved when she heard the logical argument of the disciples, "Lord, you've got to be kidding! Look at the crowd; everybody is touching and pushing." Oh, the crowds around Jesus, and in all the crowd around Him, one woman touched Him. You know, you can be close to Jesus without touching Him. You can be among the press. You can be among the throngs and still not touch Him. Many people thronging Him, one person touching Him. And there's a vast difference. She touched Him. It was a touch of faith, and healing came.

Swaggart. At the beginning of the story, she was a “certain woman.” Now she is Jesus’ daughter. Those who were yesterday the Devil’s nobodies can today be Heaven’s somebodies.

Womack. The disciples were thinking carnally. They were looking at all the people who physically touched Jesus, but Jesus was speaking of someone who touched Him by faith. Many people go through the motions of seeking Jesus, but there is a life-saving difference when a person touches Jesus in faith. Notice that Jesus “looked round about” to see who touched Him. He didn’t instantly know. He had to look and perceive. I believe this means Jesus didn’t perceive that this woman was coming and who she was who touched Him. He had that ability to know but hadn’t exercised it.

  1. 33. According to Levitical law, the person having an issue of blood was unclean, and those who touched the unclean person became unclean (Leviticus 15:19-33). The unclean were responsible for warning others of their uncleanness or at least avoiding public exposure, and they could expect very harsh treatment if detected. This could be the reason this woman feared and trembled as she confessed what had happened to her. Luke said she confessed this to Jesus before all the people (Luke 8:47). It is also possible that this was a godly fear or awe that this woman experienced as she realized the magnitude of what had happened to her. Nearly everyone in Scripture who experienced the presence of God in a strong way or had the power of God manifested to them reacted with this awe (Exodus 3:6, 19:16, 20:18-20; Judges 6:22-23, 13:22; Psalms 89:7; Daniel 10:7, 11-12; Matthew 17:6; Luke 8:25, 35; Acts 9:6; and Revelation 1:17). V. 34. Here is that great Greek word for salvation, SOZO, being applied to physical healing again (“whole”). This proves that Jesus purchased healing for us in His atonement.

It was the woman’s faith that made her whole. Jesus didn’t just do this for her. She had a strong, active faith that reached out and took what was available. This is the type of faith all of us should strive for (Jude 3).

Verses 35-39.

35 While He was still speaking, there came some from the ruler’s house, who said to Jairus, Your daughter has died. Why bother and distress the Teacher any further? Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing. And He permitted no one to accompany Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the ruler of the synagogue, He looked carefully and with understanding at the tumult and the people weeping and wailing loudly. And when He had gone in, He said to them, Why do you make an uproar and weep? The little girl is not dead but is sleeping.

  1. 35 NET. This group probably includes outside or even professional mourners, not just family, because a large group seems to be present.

Swaggart. Did Jarius feel that Jesus would have healed his daughter if only He had not stopped to help the woman? Was he angry with the woman?

Wesley. John, the brother of James — When St. Mark wrote, not long after our Lord’s ascension, the memory of St. James, lately beheaded, was so fresh, that his name was more known than that of John himself.

Smith. It was a custom in those days to really show your great love for the deceased by wailing loudly for them, and the louder the wails, the more it expressed your grief and love for the one who was deceased. And so, they had professional wailers, people who were especially skilled in wailing. And they would hire them to come and to wail on these occasions, in order that the whole neighborhood might know the grief that you are feeling in this hour of loss. And so, many times when a person was dying, the wailers would assemble so that at the moment of death they could let out the cries and the wails, which were as an announcement to the neighborhood and all of the tragedy that had befallen the family. And so, there was the tumult, great weeping and wailing as they approached the house.

 

Womack. V. 35. Most people believe that death puts people beyond God’s ability to intervene. But Jesus proved that He was able to raise people from the dead just as easily as He healed their bodies.

Jairus could have reacted two ways with the woman who had the issue of blood: One, he knew that time was critical, and he might have been upset with this woman for the delay that possibly cost his daughter her life. Or two, he could have taken courage and had his faith bolstered by seeing such a miraculous healing take place before his eyes. We always have a choice how we process what happens in our lives. We can choose to be bitter or better (Deuteronomy 30:19).

 

Why didn’t Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead? Then the problem would have been solved. Why did He tell Jairus to believe? Why did He say, “only believe”? It’s because Jairus’ faith was an important part of this miracle.

Most people think if they have faith, there won’t be any unbelief. And if they have any unbelief, then there isn’t any faith. That’s not what God’s Word teaches. People can have faith and unbelief at the same time.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 17:20 that the reason they couldn’t cast the demon out of the boy was because of their unbelief. He didn’t say it was because of their little faith. Otherwise, His illustration in that verse wouldn’t make sense. He said if their faith was as small as a mustard seed, they could cast a mountain into the sea with their words.

A small amount of faith is sufficient to accomplish any miracle if it’s not negated, canceled, or diluted by unbelief. Instead of trying to build faith, we need to limit the amount of unbelief in our lives. Jesus countered Jairus’ fear and told him to only believe.

  1. 37. It was common when people were raised from the dead for the person who raised them from the dead to separate himself from unbelief. Elijah did this (1 Kings 17). Elisha did this (2 Kings 4:33). Peter did this (Acts 9:40). Jesus was hindered in performing mighty works in His hometown, because of the people’s unbelief (Mark 6:5). If He had allowed the crowd or even some of the family friends into the room, they could have hindered this miracle.
  2. 38. The Jews thought it a sign of great love and respect to bewail the death of a loved one. For this reason, they hired professional mourners who came to their house and cried over the death of the loved one.
  3. 39. No doubt, this girl was dead as we know it, not just asleep. But from God’s perspective, death is similar to sleep. It’s not final. We will awaken someday. We could awaken from death at the final resurrection, or it could be in just a few moments, as in this case where Jesus awoke her early. But for those who operate in God’s faith, raising a person from the dead is as easy as awakening someone from sleep.

Verses 40-43.

And they began making fun of him. But he forced them all outside, and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was. 41 Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” 42 The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. 43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this and told them to give her something to eat.

NET notes. V. 40. Or “threw them all outside.” The verb used, (ekballō), almost always has the connotation of force in Mark. The typical “put them all outside” is understated in the context; given the raucous nature of the crowd in v. 38, forceful activity was probably required in order to evict them.

  1. 43. He charged them that no man should know it— That he might avoid every appearance of vain glory, might prevent too great a concourse of people, and might not farther enrage the scribes and Pharisees against him; the time for his death, and for the full manifestation of his glory, being not yet come. He commanded something should be given her to eat— So that when either natural or spiritual life is restored, even by immediate miracle, all proper means are to be used in order to preserve it.

Womack. Here were God’s creations, ridiculing Him for His stance of faith. The Lord would have been righteous to destroy them all, just as Elisha did when he was mocked (2 Kings 2:23-24). But that’s not what He came to do. He came to save us, not judge us (Luke 9:55-56). He put all this unbelief outside because it could have hindered the performance of this miracle.

  1. 41. This is an Aramaic phrase that means “maiden, I say unto thee, arise” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). Aramaic words were used elsewhere in Scripture (Matthew 27:46; Mark 7:34, and 15:34) although reasons for their use are not given. It becomes evident from a historical perspective, however, that Aramaic was the language most commonly spoken by Jesus and large numbers of Jews. The Aramaic language uses the same alphabet as the Jewish language but differs somewhat in pronunciation and grammar. The Assyrian language, which was spoken in Babylon, was also closely related. When the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic was the language adopted by them to use in everyday affairs and business. Hebrew Scriptures were also translated into Aramaic. Just as in modern English literature when foreign words or expressions are inserted when the author feels an English word does not adequately express what he is trying to communicate, Matthew and Mark may have felt their Aramaic words more correctly rendered their meaning than any Greek word.
  2. 42. This was a miracle. For the girl to come back to life was miraculous. We know she was dead for some period of time, so to come back with no brain damage was even more miraculous. To be able to walk and eat was even more miraculous. Whatever the sickness was that killed her, she came back without it.
  3. 43. If people’s unbelief could have prevented the miracle, then people’s unbelief could steal it away. The Lord told Jairus and his wife not to tell people about this miracle so that they wouldn’t speak their unbelief and cause their daughter to relapse.

This girl’s resurrection was miraculous but notice that she now needed natural food. There is always a blending of the natural and supernatural in walking with the Lord. She was raised supernaturally but sustained naturally.

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Mark: Chapter 5
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