Today, we encounter Jesus performing two unique miracles that involve an adult woman with a blood issue and a child who experiences death and resurrection. Both encounters involve 12 years, which is interesting. The number 12 in scripture often represents God’s Authority and God’s people, and in these two encounters we see God’s Authority over disease and death among God’s people. Today, as you read this devotional, I want to break the passage up into the two encounters and spend time thinking through them and applying them to our lives.
12 years of Bleeding
As we have read in the scripture passage, we have seen that Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, has a 12-year-old daughter who is on the verge of death. He asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter, and it is on the way to Jairus’ house that we find the encounter between Jesus and the woman with blood.
The woman who is unnamed has had an issue with blood for 12 years, and no doctor could help her. She had spent everything she had to be healed, and nothing had worked. Jesus was the last hope (truly the only hope). She had heard of his miraculous works, and we were desperately in need of one of those miracles. The bleeding had caused her to be unclean for 12 years. That means no interaction with her family and friends, and no ability to worship at the synagogue. She was unclean, and nothing that she had done had improved the situation. She had grown worse throughout the years. She heard Jesus was in town and knew that touching the bottom of his robe could bring healing. So, she did what she wasn’t supposed to do, but she was at rock bottom and needed help. The moment she touched him, she was healed and made whole. Jesus knew that something had happened, and he immediately looked for the one who had been healed. He looks around, and she knows that he knows what happened. Jesus brings her the word she has already experienced, which was healing because of her faith.
As I think about this encounter, something always stands out to me: the woman is never named. Her identity is not needed for her to be completely recognized and healed. With that, I am reminded that blessings are not about the person but are truly about the glory of God. We don’t know her name, but Jesus does, and that is all that matters. When God does a work in our lives, it isn’t about us but about Him and His glory. This woman experienced not only healing, but she had a true encounter with Jesus that was not only life-altering but also soul-healing.
Not Dead Yet
The second encounter we have in this passage begins with Jairus asking Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. While heading to Jairus’ house, Jesus was stopped by the healing of the woman with a bleeding issue. It is while the woman encounters Jesus that Jairus’s daughter dies. Someone from the house runs to let Jairus know that the girl is dead and there is no need for Jesus to come now. Without a doubt, Jairus’ heart sank at that moment, but Jesus quickly lifted his heart back up. Jesus simply says, “Do not fear, only believe.” It was with those words of encouragement that they continued their way to the house.
Once they arrive, the professional mourners are already there, and Jesus speaks to them and makes the clear declaration that the girl is only asleep. Jesus knew that she was dead, but because he is the resurrection and the life, waking from the dead is just as simple as waking from sleep. The mourners laughed at him, but Jesus, with Jairus and the mother, and Peter, James, and John, went to the room where the daughter was. Jesus tells the young girl to arise, and she immediately comes back to life and gets up. Jesus tells them to get her something to eat. She was no longer dead but now alive.
This encounter is all about Jesus as the Resurrection. Physical death is not final for those who are in Christ. When Christ comes and the resurrection happens, all who are in Christ will be raised and transformed into a glorious new body. This encounter points to the reality of Christ’s power over death and the guaranteed hope of the Resurrection for those in Christ. Our physical death is not final because the resurrection is coming!
Conclusion:
We measure most of life by time. Every time we go on vacation my kids ask multiple times “how long until we get there”. We measure cooking by time, we measure education by time, we measure sporting events by time, everything we do is measured by time. In our scripture passage today, the time was 12 years. For a woman who had been outcast because of bleeding that 12 years seemed like and eternity. But for Jairus, 12 years with his daughter only seemed to be the beginning. Time is both relative and concrete and as followers of Christ, we are to use our time to reach others with the gospel of Christ. So, whether something feels short or long, use that time to bring Glory to God.
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