Greatness Incarnate

Greatness Incarnate
Passage: Mark 5:21-43
July 7, 2024 

Last week I preached about the greatness of God, specifically how He is greater than the power of darkness. Today we will see His greatness displayed in a different way. 

Mark 5:21-24 - And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 

In this text today, you are going to see what greatness incarnate looks like.

• “Incarnate” – “embodied in flesh or taking on flesh.” Jesus, who is fully God took on the form of a human.
• Philippians 2:5-7 - Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
• So, Jesus emptied Himself to dwell among us as a servant…

Main Idea: God’s great mercy is available to you today.

I. Because of sin we all desperately need mercy.

Many of you have likely heard of the book titled “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” written by Rabbi Harold Kushner. The book explores the question why bad things happens to people, seeking to make sense of the horrible things people go through. Rabi Kushner was inspired to begin this study and ultimately write this book after the death of his 14-year-old son.

I’m afraid that Rabbi Kushner missed an opportunity for growth however, because he began with the wrong assumption about man’s ability to be “good”. I think for one to be good, he must be innocent. That’s a problem for us. (See Romans 3:9-12) “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

So – bad things don’t happen to good people, because “good people” don’t exist. So then, bad things happen only happen to bad people. God owes us nothing. Yet, He has given us everything. And in Him, we can find mercy. Jairus understood this.

Mark 5:21-24 - And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.

A. In his desperation, Jairus fought through the crowd, and he didn’t care what his colleagues thought of him, and he sought out Jesus.
B. Jairus was understandably desperate, as any parent would be.
C. His daughter desperately needed the healing touch of Jesus, the only One who could save her.
D. The fact is, all of us have been as desperate as Jairus – but some of us are unaware of it. We all need the mercy that only Jesus can provide.
E. Unknown to Jairus, his daughter had a greater need than he realized, but by the mercy of God, that need could be met as well…

II. Remembering the great mercy of God should cause us to turn to Him with all our needs.

Mark 5:25-34 - And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

A. This woman had gone through an awful ordeal and was at her wits end.
B. Before turning to Jesus, she tried everything else – perhaps this chance encounter with Jesus was her first chance.
C. Have you had an issue of any kind that you have tried everything and nothing seems to work? Have you tried giving it to Jesus?
D. After exhausting every other option, this woman found that by only touching the hem of His garment was enough to heal her.
E. Jesus has the power to meet your every need. What’s more, He offers you His mercy where you need it most.

III. It’s not too late to receive the mercy of God.

Mark 5:35-43 - While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

A. The desperate situation just became impossible. Or so it seemed.
B. Have you been there, where you have exhausted all your options and realized that you have come up short?
C. It’s an awful feeling, isn’t it.
D. In the account of Jairus’ daughter, all had been lost, they were too late…
E. Jesus demonstrates that when all hope is lost, He can bring salvation.
F. Not only does Jesus possess great power, but He possesses great mercy.

Main Idea: God’s great mercy is available to you today. 

IV. It’s when we realize that all is lost that we begin to seek God for His mercy.

A. Both of these accounts, Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood, demonstrate the mercy of God in impossible situations.
B. They also illustrate our spiritual situation before surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus.
C. Like Jairus, we only have one place we can turn for healing.
D. Like the woman with the issue of blood, many of us have tried everything we can think of to fill that God-shaped void in our hearts before turning to Him. 

Challenge:

1.) If you have received God’s great mercy, praise Him for it daily!
2.) If you have received God’s great mercy, share the source of your hope with others.
3.) If you haven’t received God’s great mercy, turn to Him today.