Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake. There at the lakeside a large crowd gathered around Him. Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, came up, and when he saw Jesus he knelt down at His feet and begged Him with all his might, "My little daughter is very sick. Please come and put your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!" Then Jesus started off with him.

While Jesus was speaking, some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him, "Your daughter has died. Why should you bother the Teacher any longer?" Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him, "Don't be afraid, only believe." Then He did not let anyone else go on with Him except Peter and James and his brother John. They arrived at the official's house, where Jesus saw the confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. He went in and said to them, “Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead - she is only sleeping!"

They started making fun of Him, so He put them all out, took the Child's father and mother, and His three disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum," which means, "Little girl, get up! I tell you!"

She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened they were completely amazed: But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone, and said, "Give her something to eat."

Dear Christian friends:

Do you know what the word fickle means? (See if anyone knows what it means. If they do, accept their answer and thank them. Then continue on.) Fickle means changeable. We say, "He is a fickle person; you can't depend on him." A fickle person is not reliable. You can't depend on him. Well, God is not fickle. He never changes. He never breaks His word or promise to us. He is reliable, you can depend on Him. In our text we see that is true. It tells how a father in great trouble went to Jesus and received help. Jesus' love is reliable.

In our text we read about Jairus, a ruler in the Jewish church. His daughter was very sick and beginning to die. So, like any worried father, he went looking for help. He had heard about Jesus' wonderful power to heal the sick, and so he hurried to Jesus and begged Him to come and heal his daughter.

Jesus agreed with him to come and help. But while they were going on the way to Jairus' house a servant came from the house bringing bad news. "Your daughter has died," he said to Jairus, "Why should you bother the teacher any longer?"

The servant of Jairus gave-up hope when his master's daughter had died. He said, "Send Jesus away. You do not need Him now. It is too late." Most people are like this servant. They give-up hope in the face of death. Even doctors shake their heads and say, "We can do nothing more for your loved one. We are sorry, Goodbye!" When death comes all men are fickle, not very dependable, not reliable. Even before death comes, with little trouble and problems, you cannot depend on some men to help you in your need. But when you are sick or dying even your best friends are often fickle, they fail to come and see you in the hospital. And if they do come to visit you, they don't know what to say to you. They don't know how to help you go through the dying days with comfort and support. Often even your own family is fickle, and don't know how to help you when you are facing death. Even pastors sometimes are fickle, and not very reliable when a member of the church is dying.

But Jesus is reliable even in time of death. When Jesus heard what the servant told Jairus, the bad news that his daughter had died, He did not quit. He stayed with Jairus and said to him, "Don't be afraid, only believe." Jesus said the right and beautiful words to the father whose dear daughter had died: "DON'T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE."

Jesus continued walking on the way to Jairus' house and made the 12 year old girl arise from death and live again. So Jesus will not forsake you when you must die or a dear one in your family must die. He says to you, same as He here said to Jairus,"Don't be afraid, only believe."

When death comes to your house, and it will surely come one day, you must not be afraid. And you will not be afraid of death or any sickness or trouble if you believe in Jesus Christ. He loves you as much as He loved this father, Jairus, and his little girl. Jesus loves you and your family, too. He has proven that to you because He died on the cross to take away all your sins. If He did not love you, He would not have died for you. But He did die for you, and by that He proves His great love for you. Even though we often sin against Him and do not deserve His love and mercy, still He loves us, forgives us and helps us in our trouble and need. You can depend on His love for you. He will not change. He is reliable. His love is reliable.

Also His power is reliable. He has power over death, as he showed here with Jairus' daughter and others whom He raised from death. He has power over sickness, as He proved many, many times by healing all kinds of sicknesses. If it is His will, He can heal you from any sickness and let you live a few more years on this earth. And even when you must die, as we all must one day, He does not leave you without comfort and hope. He Himself died on the cross, and then arose with a new and glorious body on Easter morning. And He promises to call us and awaken us from death when He comes again in glory and great power on the Last Day. Then you, too, and all other believers will arise from the grave with new and perfect bodies, never to die again. We shall then really begin to live. "DON'T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE."

Amen