MARK 5:21-24a, 35-43
21 When Jesus had crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the Synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." 37 He did not let anyone follow him except for Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. NIV 84
LESSON NOTES
Faith is the common ground that connects everyone to Jesus.
Jairus and the woman in Mark 5 could not be more opposite—economically, socially, religiously. Yet the only thing that brings both into an encounter with Jesus is faith. The gospel equalizes everyone at the feet of Christ.
Faith must move us to come to Jesus even when it means leaving the crowd.
Jairus steps out from the great crowd and publicly falls at Jesus’ feet—an act shocking for a synagogue ruler. True faith is willing to break from the crowd, reputation, or comfort to seek Jesus.
Faith requires continuing with Jesus when circumstances suddenly turn toward despair. When Jairus receives news of his daughter’s death, Jesus immediately speaks: “Do not be afraid, just keep on believing.” Faith is not a moment—it is a daily, ongoing choice to trust Jesus beyond fear, loss, or confusion.
Faith ultimately conquers in Jesus, not by avoiding death, but by trusting the One who transforms death itself. Jesus doesn’t merely reverse death for Jairus’ daughter—He redefines death as sleep for all who belong to Him. His power over nature, demons, disease, and now death shows He alone can break death’s grip.
The story points us to the final awakening for all who “fall asleep in Christ.”
Jesus’ tender words—“Little girl, wake up”—foreshadow the day He will awaken all His people. Death is not the end; it is a temporary sleep from which the Lord will rouse His children.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Where do you personally find it hardest to “step out of the crowd” and come openly to Jesus? What crowds—social, cultural, relational—make faith costly for you?
2. Think of a time your faith was shaken by unexpected news or suffering. What helped you keep walking with Jesus rather than turning away?
3. Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not be afraid, just continue believing.”
What fears most often compete with your faith today? How might you intentionally respond to them with trust?
4. How does Jesus’ view of death as temporary sleep reshape the way you think about loss, grief, or your own mortality?
5. In what ways do we sometimes place our faith “in faith itself” rather than in Jesus? What practical habits help keep your trust centered in Christ rather than in your own spiritual performance?
