Cross Examinations: Awakenings

Lectionary readings for Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12

TEXT: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

LISTENING TO THE TEXT

Mark's Resurrection story ends abruptly and surprisingly with the words: "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid" (16:8). Most New Testament scholars believe that 16:9-20 was a later addition to the earliest manuscripts. Mark leaves the impression that the resurrection of Jesus left even the disciples quite speechless. But this earth-shattering event was prefigured by another resurrection happening in the raising of Jairus' daughter.

Jairus was one of the leaders in the local synagogue. He was a respected man both spiritually and socially. But on this occasion Jairus does not represent ecclesial authority. Rather, he symbolizes every desperately worried parent who has ever lived. Because his daughter was critically ill and dying, Jairus throws societal protocol out the window and throws himself at Jesus feet. Jesus agrees to go with him.

Messengers from Jairus' house greet them along the way bearing the bad tidings that his daughter has died and there is no longer a reason to "bother the teacher any more" (5:35). But Jesus is much more than a teacher. While Jesus seems hesitant to reveal how much more at this time, Mark has already let us in on a secret: Jesus is Lord over nature, evil, and sickness. Could he also be Lord over death?

Upon arriving at the house Jesus chooses a select few to accompany him into the girl's room. Not many will witness the event - but those who do will be reminded of it at his own resurrection from the dead.

Her resuscitation is almost too simple. Jesus speaks as tenderly as a mother to her sleeping newborn: "Talitha koum - Arise, little lamb." The young girl opens her eyes, sits up in bed, and begins to walk around the room. Then Mark provides the understatement of his Gospel: "[Those in the room] were completely astonished" (vv. 41-42).

No matter how hard Jesus may try to keep his messianic identity a secret (v. 43) the message is clear: Only God's anointed could raise the dead.

ENGAGING THE TEXT
THE NEED

Human beings are mortal. We do not live forever because death is the great enemy of humanity. Until a person has experienced a serious illness or heard the words terminal, it is hard to fully understand the sense of anxiety and despair that the thought of death brings.

Most of us try everything in our power to keep death at distance. We eat right, exercise, get regular checkups, and wear our seatbelts. We send our best and brightest into medicinal research hoping for remedies that will conquer disease. And yet no matter how many diseases are dealt with it seems there is always another to take its place. We may live longer because of those precautions, but death is still inevitable. Death entered the world because of sin (Romans 5:12), and brings with it the brokenness of grief, loss, and fear.

GOD'S ANSWER

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God did something for us that we could not do for ourselves. The redemptive life of Jesus breaks the icy grip of death (Romans 5:15). The Apostle Paul proclaims a soaring announcement: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

If the tomb could not remain sealed, if suffering and death do not have the last word, and if God's plan for our lives is more than an endless expression of yesterday's confusion, then we can hope for a new way of living! A radically new reality has been promised! It's called the Good News of Jesus Christ.

OUR RESPONSE

Death cannot have the last word because the first word of Jesus is life. Our only response to that truth can be peace for today and hope for tomorrow. We are a people that not only live life for now, but we live life now victoriously, because we are anticipating the great future of God yet to come.

That is Easter hope! Easter hope is the confidence that God's tomorrow is not held captive by today's tragedy. Jesus' has conquered death making our tomorrows open, and free, and alive.

PREACHING THE TEXT

She was his only child - but she was enough for Jairus! He had dreamed of a little boy - a namesake to be a mark in his genealogy. But that boy had never come. Instead, he had been given a lamb.

She was the joy of his life, his little girl. She would never open the scroll in the synagogue to read the Scriptures, nor would she bear his name. But she had his nose, and her mother's eyes, and her quick smile and spontaneous giggles had won his heart. A little boy would have been nice - but nothing could take the place of her light in his life.

In just under a year she would be engaged. Already the freshly "bar-mitvahed" boys were forming lines to Jairus' door, asking for her hand. It didn't seem possible. For twelve years he had watched her grow and mature, and he treasured the memories those years offered to him.

There were the moments in the backyard making mud pies and pretending they were delicious! There were the programs, the recitals, and graduations. Jairus couldn't help but believe that the private tutor, the piano lessons, and the braces had paid off. His little girl was becoming a young woman.

Jairus had paid his dues. As was true of all Jewish children even his name was very intentional and carefully selected. It literally meant "the Awakener" and it was name that Jairus had more than lived up to.

He had worked his way up the political and religious ladder of the city until the people had elected him as their spiritual leader. His responsibility was to over- see the functioning of the local synagogue, which was the highest honor for a Jew in the city.
He was a gifted, charismatic, and respected leader! Everything was falling into place for Jairus. He had made it to the top! He was at the top rung of success. He had wealth, he had position, he had privilege.

But on this morning none of that could help him! On this morning none of it seemed important. For lying in the upstairs bedroom of his cliffside mansion was his little girl.
She is burning up with a high fever and the infection has reduced her to limp rag doll. The best doctors in the city have been consulted to try and find some answers. But a clutter of empty medicine vials on her nightstand give silent witness to their lack of success.

She had been sick before. There was the chicken pox, dozens of colds, and even a broken arm. But nothing like this. This time was different. This time nothing was helping.

If you've ever spent the night at the beside of a child burning up with a fever, then you understand the utter frustration that comes from seeing the need, but being helpless to change it. Time stands still - minutes drag into hours. I imagine that Jairus and his wife had spent the midnight hours hovering over her shivering body, trying to keep her cool.

They had prayed every prayer they knew to pray. But God seemed distant, and Jairus could no longer watch her life melting away. There was nothing more he could do. There were no tears left to give.

And so he sits on the patio staring out into the water. His eyes are puffy, his body is numb, his head is pounding, and his heart is breaking.

He wasn't thinking about status that morning. Funny how insignificant our vocational success and social standing become, staring into the face of death. Even Steven Covey success stories and Bill Gates wealth have no power over life and death. Jairus would have given everything he had or ever hoped to accomplish, just to see his little girl get up from her bed. Jairus, "the Awakener," sits staring at an impassive sea, hopeless and helpless.

But suddenly, the stillness is broken by the sounds of shouting. Jairus is jarred awake, stands to his feet, and curiously walks to the balcony. The sounds were coming from the seashore, and becoming louder and louder, until finally it seemed as if the entire city were gathering for a celebration.

What could possibly be going on at 9:00 in the morning? And then it dawned on him. There was only one reason a crowd would gather like that. Jesus had come to town. Jesus was here!

Oh, Jairus knew Jesus very well. The news of his ministry had burned like a prairie-fire through the hierarchy, and everyone was asking questions. Even Jairus himself had given Jesus permission to teach in his synagogue. And what teaching it had been! He was no ordinary man. There was a power in Jesus. Peoples lives had been changed and transformed! Relationships had been restored. Even the sick had been healed . . . The sick had been healed.

Can you see Jairus? His official robes, pulled over his official knees, stumbling through the street. It had been a long time since he had run. The crowd was as large as he had ever seen. They were pushing and shoving. He could hear their laughter and their cheers. But when the people noticed Jairus approaching, immediately a hush fell on the crowd. "It's Master Jairus. What is he doing here?"

Jairus ignores the stares. He has his eyes on one man. Seeing Jesus he stumbles forward, pushing through the mob, panting and out of breath. And there standing face to face with Jesus, he does something very uncharacteristic for a man of his position . . . Jairus begs.

"Jesus! It's my daughter. She is dying. Please come! I've seen you do it before. Only place your hands on her and she will live."

Jesus said: "Take Me to her."

The crowd is alive again. Jesus' disciples are leading interference, pushing through the crowd, when suddenly there stand Jairus' servants looking as if they'd just seen a ghost.

"Master Jairus. It's your daughter. She is dead . . . We're sorry. There's no need to bother the Teacher anymore."

Jairus felt as if ice water had been poured down his back. "It's too late. Death has won, and I could do nothing to stop it."

I'm curious? Have you ever felt like Jairus? I know I have. I have sat in a critical care unit holding my 50-year old father in my arms and crying out to God to spare his life. I have sat with many of you as we have cried out to God together in moments of grief and loss.

The truth is we have all cried out: "It's too late! Death has won, and I could do nothing to stop it." It's the most basic human dilemma. It's our greatest fear. Death is truly the enemy. But I want you to hear Jesus' reply to Jairus' question: "Don't be afraid; just trust me."

Let me ask you something: What would have caused Jairus to trust Jesus? What would enable him to believe that Jesus was able to do what he never imagined possible?

I want to suggest that perhaps for the first time in his life Jairus began to believe that at the end of his possibility remained the possibility of God. Even in the face of our greatest enemy, death itself, that there was hope for life. That's called Easter hope!
Easter hope is the daring belief that because of Jesus' death and resurrection, new life can be found even in the face of our most desperate fears and tragic circumstances. Easter hope is the confidence to believe even in that which we cannot see and cannot control.

And there she lay. Pale. Emaciated. Lifeless. DEAD! Jesus kneels at her bedside and taking the young girl's hand he speaks the most tender of words, as gentle as a mother's morning call to a drowsy infant. Do you know what he said? "It's time to get up. Arise, little lamb."

With that invitation the little girl opens her "mother's eyes" and looks into the face of the true Awakener! She sits up, stands to her feet, and falls into the waiting arms of the One who had spoken her words of life.

Make no mistake, she was dead as dead can be. But more than a corpse has been awakened. For I want you to see the man standing in the corner - Jairus, "the Awakener," has also been awakened!

You may be saying: "That's a wonderful story but what does it have to do with Easter?" For many centuries the Europeans looked out upon the Atlantic Ocean, with the sun glittering on the surface of the water and they if there was anything beyond. eir scholars said that you could sail off the edge of the world and that there was nothing out there at all. In fact, inscribed on the coat of arms of the nation of Spain was its national motto, Ne Plus Ultra, which meant, "There is nothing beyond."

One day a courageous young explorer named Columbus went sailing out on those shiny waters. He sailed off into the sunset as people waited expectantly, and finally after a long time the sails reappeared and the crowds were jubilant.

They shouted with joy, and Columbus announced that there was a land beyond the sea that was rich beyond their wildest dreams. It was a glorious paradise! The king of Spain changed the motto of that land to read as it does today, Plus Ultra, meaning, "There is more beyond."

For thousands of years there were countless people who stood beside the dark hole that we call a grave and watched the remains of their loved ones lowered into the earth, and they wondered: Beyond the dark waters of death, is there anything beyond?

Then one day, a courageous explorer went sailing into the setting sun and descended into the blackness of the pit. He sailed off the edge of the world and crashed into hell. People waited in wonder. Finally on Resurrection morning, as the sun rose in the east, the Son of God stepped forth from a grave and declared: "There is something beyond. There is a paradise beyond your wildest dreams. And there is a heavenly Father, waiting with outstretched arms to wipe away every tear from your eyes."

You see, Jairus' daughter was only the foretaste of things yet to come. She was the beginning of the truth that Jesus Christ not only makes this life a little better, but that he gives us life to the full! And not only that, through his cross and resurrection even the great dread of death has no hold on us.

My friends, that is Easter hope. Hope that says that this life is not all there is. Hope that says that death does not have the last word, because in his death and resurrection Jesus has spoken a word of life! Life to the full and life forever! And the best is yet to come.

Her name was Martha. She was not only one of the oldest members of Jim's congregation, she was also one of the most faithful. Aunt Martie, as all the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope, and love wherever she went. But on that particular morning when she called Jim on the phone, there was a sense of urgency in her voice. "Pastor," she said, "Could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk to you." Jim said, "Of course I can. I'll be there around three."

That afternoon sitting in her tiny living room, Jim learned the reason that Martha sounded so urgent on the phone. She said: "My doctor has just discovered I have a tumor. He says I probably have six months to live." Jim said: "Oh Martha, I'm so sorry to . . ."

Before Jim could finish, Martha interrupted. "Don't be. The Lord has been good to me. I've lived a long time. I'm ready to go. You know that. But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I've been thinking about it, and there are a few things I know I want."
And so they sat and talked for a long time about Martha's funeral. They talked about her favorite hymns, the passages of Scripture that had meant so much to her, and the many memories they'd shared together since Jim had been her pastor. When it seemed as if they had just about covered everything, Martha paused, looked up at Jim, and with a twinkle in her eye she said: "There's just one more thing, Pastor. When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other."

Jim was sure he'd heard everything, but this had caught him by surprise: "A fork? Why do you want to be buried with a fork?"

"Well," she said, "I've been thinking about all the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years. I couldn't begin to count them all but one thing sticks out in my mind. At those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a server would come by and collect the dirty dishes. Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder and whisper, 'You can keep your fork.' And do you know what that meant? That meant dessert was coming! It didn't mean a cup of Jell-o or pudding or even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me to keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come.

"And," she said, "That's exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral. Oh, they can talk about the good times we had together if they want to. But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and ask, 'Why the fork?' And pastor, that's when I want you to say it. I want you to tell them that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come."

Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25).
That's why the Apostle Paul could say with confidence: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:55-56).
And that is why we are able to have hope even in our darkest moments because we knew that the best is yet to come! Hope is here because of Easter!

Easter hope. The confidence that God's tomorrow is not held captive by today's tragedy. Our tomorrows are open, and free, and alive and the best is yet to come.
If the tomb could not remain sealed (and it couldn't), if suffering and death do not have the last word (and they don't), and if God's plan for our lives is more than an endless expression of yesterday's confusion (and it is), then we can hope for a new way of living! A radically new reality has been promised! It's called the Good News of Jesus Christ! And that hope is available to you today! You can be "awakened" to new life in Christ.

We live and die. But Christ died and lived, because God will not let death win! Death is not the last word, because the first word of Jesus is life. On this Easter Sunday, I am here to tell you that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! That is Easter Hope.