Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960505.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part VIII: The Proof Of Jesus As Israel's Messiah
F. Christ's Permission Of An Agonizing Delay To Prove His Authority Over Death
(Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43)
  1. Introduction
    1. We of the Western world are known for wanting our goals achieved, and wanting them right now!
    2. Yet, the Christian life is known for our not always getting what we desire when we desire it, and that to our frustration and even anger.
    3. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good to them that love God, and that has to include even frustrating delays that upset us. Jesus used an agonizing delay for a godly purpose in Matthew 9:18-26 to teach us the reality that even such delays are for God's glory.
  2. Christ's Permission Of An Agonizing Delay To Prove His Authority Over Death, Matthew 9:18-26.
    1. A ruler of the Capernaum synagogue had his beloved daughter lying near death, and desperately needed Jesus to come quickly to heal her and avoid her dying, Matthew 9:18 with Mark 5:21-23.
    2. However, as Jesus responded and began walking toward the man's home to heal his daughter, He was interrupted by the healing of a woman with a hemorrhage, Mtt. 9:19-21 with Mark 5:24-27.
    3. While Jesus addressed this woman's needs and healed her, the synagogue's daughter died, Mk. 5:34-35.
    4. What is fascinating to consider is that this interruption was divinely permitted for God's purposes:
      1. The little girl who lay dying was twelve years of age, Mark 5:42b.
      2. The woman with the hemorrhage who interrupted Christ's walk to help this girl had been afflicted with her malady for the same twelve years that the little girl had lived to that date, Mark 5:25-26.
        1. The woman had tried many physicians, had spent much money on them and had suffered many things for twelve years to get healed without success, Mark 5:26.
        2. Thus, when she heard that Jesus was in the area, she was primed with so much desperation to get a solution to her need that she risked ceremonially defiling Him by her as an unclean woman with an issue planned to touch the tassel of Hi s garment for healing, Mark 5:27 with Mtt. 9:20-21.
        3. Since the little girl who lay near death was also twelve years old, God had permitted the woman with the hemorrhage have her plight set up so she would interrupt Jesus' important effort to address the needs of the dying little girl!
    5. The reason for this interruption was complete certification of Jesus as Israel's Messiah as follows:
      1. Isaiah had predicted that Messiah would make wholeness out of man's unwholesomeness, Isa. 35:5-6.
      2. The ultimate unwholesomeness in man's plight under sin's failure was physical death, Rom. 5:12.
      3. Thus, for Jesus to raise the dead would provide the great proof that He was the Messiah.
      4. However, God wanted to show Christ's Messianic credentials in sure terms by having Him confidently face the challenge of raising the dead, and this agonizing delay worked to that end as follows:
        1. The account of the little girl's being raised from the dead demonstrates Christ's confidence that His power would handle death: Jesus was so unconcerned about handling an impending death that He could take time out to address a temporal hemorrhage, letting the girl die, without being upset that He could reverse the worse condition of her being dead!
        2. Note how this concept fits with the confidence of Jesus in addressing the mourners at the house: He told them to stop the mourning commotion as the girl only slept in temporary death, Mtt. 9:23-24.
    6. Thus, after the delay, Jesus simply raised the girl from the dead, Mk. 5:41-43. Note that she was not brought back into a mere coma with intensive brain damage. Jesus commanded them to feed her, showing that she was capable of eating food as she had complete restoration from brain damage, Mk. 5:43b.
Lesson: God permitted the agonizing delay that led to the girl's death by arranging for the interrupting woman to develop her hemorrhage the year the little girl was born. He used that delay to show the great REALITY of Christ's Messiahship by dis playing His enormous CONFIDENCE over death!

Application: Agonizing delays to us are opportunities on God's part to reveal His glory. Thus, adjust to these agonizing delays in hope of seeing God demonstrate His greatness through them!