Only Believe
KINGDOM LIVING
Part 5: Only Believe
Jesus Heals in Response to Faith
Mark 5:21-24
21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
35 While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”
40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:36 KJV
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Believe: pisteuō
Commit to, to be committed to, to be put in trust with, believer, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in, to credit, have confidence, to entrust a thing to one, to be entrusted with a thing
Dual meaning:
placing my trust in something or someone, giving, and having and maintaining trust in something or someone, receiving.
One thing that we have no power to do for another is believe.
Belief is very personal and extremely powerful!
Faith is the byproduct of belief.
Mark 11:24 KJV
Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Desire – Pray – Believe – Receive
Desire: ask, require, crave.
Psalm 37:4 KJV
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Desire: a request - petition.
Three Lessons from Jairus
1. Believe Humbly: Go to Jesus First (vv. 22–23)
“When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently…” (v. 22–23)
Lesson: Jairus was a respected synagogue leader, someone with social status and religious authority. Yet when his daughter was dying, he didn’t rely on his position or influence. Instead, he humbled himself, fell at Jesus’ feet, and pleaded with Him.
Faith starts with humility, acknowledging your need and going to Jesus first, before all else. Pride resists dependence, but belief begins where pride ends.
2. Believe Even When God Delays (vv. 24–35)
“…Jesus went with him, and all the people followed… [But] a woman… came up behind him and touched his robe…”
“While he was still speaking… ‘Your daughter is dead.’” (vv. 24–35)
Lesson:On the way to Jairus’ house, Jesus stops to deal with another person’s need — a delay that seemed to cost Jairus his daughter’s life. But Jairus didn’t interrupt or walk away. He waited, even while time felt critical.
Faith is tested in delays. Jairus teaches us to trust God’s timing, even when things seem to be getting worse. A delay is not a denial, God is still working.
3. Believe Beyond What You See or Hear (vv. 35–42)
“Your daughter is dead… Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” (v. 35–36)“The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep… But they laughed at him.” (vv. 39–40)
Lesson:When the worst news came, Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” Jairus had to choose between what people were saying and what Jesus was promising. He didn’t argue or give up, he kept walking with Jesus.
Real faith holds on when reality looks hopeless. Believing means trusting Jesus’ word over your circumstances, even when others laugh or doubt.
In Summary: From Jairus, we learn three vital lessons about belief:
Go to Jesus with humility
Trust Him in the delays, God is never late
Hold on to His promises, even when circumstances say otherwise