These questions are connected to the message, “A Stolen Miracle and a Secret Resurrection” from Nov. 7, 2021. You can watch it here.
Dive In: Read this passage slowly, a couple of times, in an unfamiliar translation of the Bible (e.g. New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Amplified Bible, or The Message) imagining yourself in the story as one of the characters.
Reflect:
- What do you see, hear, feel when you put yourself in the story? When you hear this passage afresh, what struck you about either of the incidents? What emotions were stirred in you? is there a word, phrase, idea that grabs or challenges you?
- How would you define “the gospel?” Have you thought of it as the entire life of Jesus or mainly his death and resurrection? Why does it make a difference (i.e. why is it important) that the life and ministry of Jesus is part of the “good news” or “good story?”
- Jairus knows the rules, the protocols and ritual purity codes of the Torah. The picture Luke gives us is that the crowd, including Jairus, was waiting for Jesus (“As Jesus was returning the crowd welcomed him” Mounce Interlinear Greek New Testament). Marc noted that Jairus didn’t question Jesus about his ritual purity after returning from gentile (unclean) land. What is different about his response to Jesus than other religious rulers who obsessed over the law (Luke 5:30; 6:2, 7, 11; 7:39)? Why do you suppose that is?
- Share a time when you stepped out in a faith-act, or courageously faced a struggle that had you bound in shame and fear. What was at stake for you? How did you experience Jesus in the midst of that? How did you experience Jesus-followers/the church in the midst of that?
- Why do you think Jesus said Jairus’ daughter was just asleep (verse 52) when she was obviously dead? What message do you think Jesus was implying?
- Why do you think that Jesus instructed them not to tell (verse 56) when clearly, they would not be able to contain such news?
Digging Deeper:
- The word translated “crushed” or “pressed” is actually the Greek word for “choking.” There were other words Luke could have used but he chose this one. Luke will use it only twice and the other time he used it was in 8:7 in the Parable of the Sower where the weeds “choked” the new seedling of the message of Jesus. What do you think is the inference here and why? Share a situation where you have witnessed zealous people actually harming or choking out Jesus.
- The term “woman” which seems harsh to us, was actually a term of endearment. Jesus used it many times. But here (8:48) Jesus calls her daughter. What might be the implications of this? (HINT: compare her situation to what Jesus is about to do next).
Ponder:
Why do you suppose people are not flocking to hear about Jesus? Why they aren’t filling our church buildings crushing one another in anticipation of an encounter with him?
Why do you suppose people are not flocking to hear about Jesus? Why they aren’t filling our church buildings crushing one another in anticipation of an encounter with him?