Jesus’ Authority Over Death
Matthew 9:18-26
Recall that in Matthew 8-9, we are in the section of the Gospel where Matthew presents a series of miracles from Jesus that demonstrate His power and authority as the Messiah-King. We saw Jesus cleanse a leper with a touch, heal the paralyzed servant of a centurion with a word, and heal Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. Then we saw Jesus calm the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee, cast evil spirits out of two demonized men, and forgive the sins of a paralytic and heal him. Matthew selected these specific stories to show that Jesus came not just to heal people of their physical diseases but to cure people of their sins. In Matthew 8:17, he revealed what he was actually writing about when he quoted Isaiah 53:4 from that great prophecy about the substitutionary sacrifice of the Savior for our sins, “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”[1]
This emphasis on spiritual healing from sin also explains the discipleship dialogues that Matthew inserts between each group of three miracles. In the first, we met would-be disciples who said they wanted to follow Jesus but who were concerned about other things and therefore did not follow. They did not follow Jesus for healing, so they remained in their sins. The second passage was the calling of Matthew himself and Jesus’ statement that He had come not to call the righteous but sinners. Like the paralytic in the preceding story, Matthew was healed, but he was healed of sin. He showed it immediately by seeking to introduce other sinners to the Savior.
In today’s passage, Jesus demonstrates His authority over death. The Bible teaches that death is a consequence of sin. Paul writes in Romans 5,
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned– 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. (Rom. 5:12-14).
Death entered the world of men through sin. And it spread to all mankind. One man said: “Despite all our medical advances and great steps in technology death remains our nation’s number one killer.”[2] Death is our enemy (1 Cor. 15:26). But the only way to solve the problem of death is to solve the problem of sin. And that is what makes Jesus Christ so wonderful. He is called Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21). Scripture clearly declares that Christ came to defeat sin and ultimately death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says about Jesus:
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
When Christ returns and we are raised to live with Him in the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more death (Rev. 21:1-4). And to prove the reality of that promise, Jesus displayed His power over death while on earth. No, He didn’t stop everyone from dying or even raise everyone from the dead. The time of His full redemption is yet to be fully realized until His return. But while He was on earth, Jesus unequivocally proved Himself to be the Messiah by overcoming sin and death.
And that is why Matthew includes this episode here. This is a story within a story. Both of these stories involve females – one a young girl (Mark says she was about 12), and the other a grown woman (who had been sick for 12 years, Matt. 9:20). In the account, both of them are called “daughter”, a word of family affection. The man tells Jesus, “My daughter has just died“; and Jesus tells the woman – who was much older – “Be of good cheer, daughter . . .”
Both stories involved sickness; and both of the sufferers were, so to speak, at the end of their ropes. Mark tells us that, when the man first came to Jesus, He said, “My little daughter lies at the point of death” (Mark 5:23). And similarly, Mark also tells us that this woman “had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:25). Although both stories involve severe suffering, they also give us examples of deep faith. The situation for both changed as a result of Jesus’ touch.
Let’s look a little closer at the two stories in this passage. In Matthew 9:18-19 we have the request of the ruler for Jesus to come to heal his daughter. In Matthew 9:20-22 we have the healing of the woman along the way. Then in Matthew 9:23-26 we have the raising of the little girl. In Mark and Luke, who also record this episode, the delay to heal the woman is used to show that during that time the girl died. Matthew condenses the account to stress Jesus’ authority over death.
First, we see…
1. The Ruler’s Desperate Request (Matthew 9:18-19)[3]
In the previous passage in Matthew (Matt. 8:14-17), Jesus had been speaking to the disciples of John the Baptist. And Matthew tells us that, while He spoke these things to them, His conversation with them was interrupted. A “ruler” came to Him in a state of great urgency: “While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.’” (Matt. 9:18).
Who was this ruler? Matthew does give us his name but the other Gospel writers tell us that his name was Jairus and that he was a very important and very respected man. He was “a ruler of the synagogue” of that region (Luke 8:41; Mark 5:22). The synagogue was the place where the Jewish people gathered for worship and religious instruction. And “the ruler of the synagogue” was the man who had been chosen by the elders of the synagogue to oversee its operations and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with tradition. The ruler supervised the worship services and oversaw the work of the other elders, which included teaching, adjudicating disputes, and other such leadership duties.
But notice how he comes—not with an air of superiority or worthiness—he comes in humility and self-denial. Matthew says “he came and worshiped Him ” (Matt. 9:18). In fact, Luke tells us that he “fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house” (Luke 8:41). He kneels before Jesus, not necessarily an act of worship in those days, but certainly a posture of reverence and respect. For this ruler of the synagogue to bow down to Jesus and pay homage to Him in this way was a tremendous testimony to what he believed about Jesus.
What was it that Jairus wanted so desperately from Jesus? He was pleading earnestly with Jesus to come to his home and lay His hand on his young daughter. He said, “My daughter has just died” – or as it can more literally be translated, “My daughter has just come to the end (of her life)”. Mark and Luke both say that she was at the point of death but Matthew gets to the point that the girl is dead. His request is “but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live” (Matt. 9:18).
Think about this faith in Jesus. He said, “. . . but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live” (Matt. 9:18). Where would he have gotten such an idea? Where would such a conviction have come from? I believe that he got it from hearing that Jesus had mercifully healed others with just a touch of His hand. Perhaps Jairus heard of how Jesus had reached out His hand and touched the leper and he was immediately cleansed (Matt. 8:3). Or maybe he heard about the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, who was sick with a very high fever; and of how Jesus “touched her hand, and the fever left her” (Matt. 8:15). He was convinced that if Jesus would come and lay his hand on his dying daughter, she too would live.
And look at the great mercy of our Savior! He never turns away anyone who comes to Him with such faith. Matthew tells us, “So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples” (Matt. 9:19).
So, Jesus goes with the man to save his daughter and to meet this great need. But as so often happens in life, one story goes on while another is beginning. In God’s providence, those two stories intersect for His glory. We have seen the ruler’s desperate request. Secondly, we see . . .
2. The Woman’s Desperate Reach (Matt. 9:20-22).
Matthew 9:20 says, “And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.” (Matt. 9:20).
The woman also was in a desperate situation. She had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. Medically, we understand this would have made her anemic—physically drained and susceptible to disease. From Mark, we learn that her illness also took a toll on her financially. He says she “had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” (Mark. 5:26). She just got both sicker and poorer. Some of you have felt that hopeless desperation when you’ve tried to find answers to what was wrong but the doctors couldn’t help. It’s a horribly frustrating and scary situation to be in.
And what’s more, this woman’s illness took a toll on her in other ways. We’re not told what the nature of her flow of blood was. If it was the kind of bleeding described in Leviticus 15:19-27, then she would have been considered ceremonially unclean by her people. Anyone that she touched would have been considered unclean until evening. Everything that she laid on or sat on would be considered defiled. She would have been unable to participate in the cultural and religious life of her people.
Jesus was touchable even by the most untouchable. That was true then, and it is true today! If you feel like an outcast, like your presence or touch would even defile others, then run to Jesus and touch Him and be healed forever! As long as you have the breath of life it is never too late to run and touch Jesus!
Both she and Jairus had come to the end of their rope. They had no one else to turn to but Jesus. She also had likely heard about Jesus and how He had touched and healed sick people. Matthew says this about her faith in Jesus: “For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well’” (Matt. 9:21). Perhaps she didn’t dare to think of touching Jesus Himself, or of asking Him to touch her. But she felt sure that, if she could just touch the hem of His garment, it would be enough. And so, driven as she was by her faith in Jesus’ power to heal, she crept up from behind and reached out and touched the hem of His garment as He passed by.
Mark reports that there was a large crowd of people pressing in on Jesus from all sides as He walked that road. No one else noticed her touch Jesus. But Jesus knows the difference between a press and a touch. This was a touch that came from faith and He always notices those who have faith in Him.
Matthew tells us simply that Jesus “turned around” and saw her. But Mark tells us more. He says that, as soon as the woman touched Him,
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowed and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth (Mark 5:29-33).
Look at how tenderly and lovingly Jesus speaks to this frightened and trembling woman whom He had just healed. He says, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” (Matt. 9:22).
First, He tells her “be of good cheer“; which certainly speaks to the fact that she was without hope, desperate, and very much afraid. In fact, the word He used may even include the idea of calling her to confidence and courage – that she was no longer an outcast among her people; and that her uncleanness had been taken from her. Then, He calls her “daughter“; a term of endearment that implies she also is a daughter of the kingdom. And He told her, “your faith has made you well.” She may have thought her healing had something to do with touching His garment, but He lets her know that it was really a result of her seeking Him in faith. The “touch” was just an expression of her faith in Jesus and it was He Himself that healed her.
Matthew tells us simply, “And the woman was made well from that hour.” (Matt. 9:22). When Jesus healed it was instantaneous and complete. And before we depart from this woman, let me make just one more observation. The words that Jesus used can literally be translated, “Be of good courage, daughter; your faith has SAVED you.” The word He used can also mean “to save”. In fact, He used the tense of the verb that refers to a completed act. Remember, Matthew is showing us that not only can Jesus heal a dying woman, He can save a lost soul.
Jesus’ words to this poor woman then are words of gospel encouragement. They are words that every sinner who truly comes to the end of herself or himself, and who reaches out to Jesus in faith can take to heart: “Be of good courage; your faith has saved you.”
We have seen the ruler’s desperate request, the woman’s desperate reach, and finally we see …
3. The Dead Girl Raised (Matt. 9:23-26).
Matthew returns to the story of the ruler and his dead daughter in Matthew 9:23 with Jesus coming to Jairus’ house, “When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing” Obviously, the family and others had been anticipating this girl’s death. Already, the mourners were there. In that culture, families hired professional mourners to assist in their grieving for the dead. Often it included the discordant playing of flutes and loud, mournful wailing. Even a poor family would have a few such mourners. In this case, with the family of the synagogue ruler, it was a large and noisy crowd of mourners. Bruce comments, “Mourning, like everything else, had been reduced to a system.”[4] The end result was a cacophony of confusion.[5]
And when Jesus saw this, He did something remarkable. Matthew tells us, “He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping”” (Matt. 9:24). Now clearly, the girl was dead. But Jesus said she was NOT dead – that she was only sleeping. Jesus said that she was “sleeping” because that’s how our Savior sees the death of those He is about to raise. Do you remember when He was going to raise His friend Lazarus from the dead in John 11? He told His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (John 11:11). His disciples misunderstood. They said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” And Jesus had to explain to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14)—then, He went to the tomb to raise him. In essence, Jesus redefined death as a temporary state, just as natural sleep is temporary. Jesus’ point was that death is not permanent (see Matt. 27:52; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6, 20, 51; 1 Thess. 4:13–15; 5:10; 2 Peter 3:4).
The crowd’s attitude towards Jesus is the exact opposite of the ruler’s. The ruler was respectful and believing. The crowd is disrespectful and disbelieving. Matthew says, “And they ridiculed Him.” (Matt. 9:24). The word that Matthew used literally meant that they ‘laughed Jesus down’. They mocked Him and derided Him. They switched from mournful wailing and weeping to insulting laughter and scorn. And isn’t this always the response of unbelief to the Savior’s power? How many in our world scorn and deride our Lord Jesus Christ and those who believe in Him?
It’s a good thing that the people in the crowd weren’t the ones asking Jesus to raise this girl from the dead. Their attitude precluded the miracle. They were both disrespectful to Jesus and disbelieving.
But they weren’t laughing for long. And they weren’t mourning for long either. First of all, Jesus takes charge of the situation. He puts them out of the house. Matthew 9:25 says, “But when the crowd was put outside…” The word that is used suggests that He cast them out with a little bit of force. Jesus does not let them witness the miracle He is about to perform. He doesn’t put on shows for unbelievers.
And then, Matthew tells us what happened in very simple terms; “… He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.” Matthew says it as if it took no effort for Him to do it at all. All it took was a touch from His hand, and her life was restored to her. So in the case of the woman with hemorrhage for 12 years, she reached out to touch Him. Now with this young girl who had died after 12 years, He reaches out and touches her.
Matthew then tells us, “And the report of this went out into all that land” (Matt. 9:26).
So; here are two stories that have been deliberately woven together into one for us. Matthew wants us to see Jesus’ authority and power over death. And once again, this all has to do with Jesus bringing the kingdom of God when He came. It all has to do with Jesus saving us from sin and all its consequences—including the final enemy: death. Jesus has the power over death because Jesus has power over sin. Jesus conquered death because Jesus conquered sin. He Himself was raised from the dead on the third day because on the cross He died for the forgiveness of sins.
There is no doubt that Jesus is Lord. He is Christ. He is the King. He is the living one who was dead and is now alive forevermore and holds the keys of Hades and death (Rev. 1:18). He is the only Savior. And if you want your sins forgiven, then do what the synagogue ruler did and bow before Him. If you want your sins forgiven, then do what the woman did and reach out to Him. Repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He always responds to faith.
[1] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 154.
[2] Rory Mosley, Jesus – VS – Death. https://fbcspur.org/jesus-vs-death-matthew-9/
[3] Greg Allen, Wonders Along the Way. https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2005/101605.htm. I drew from some of Allen’s points in developing this sermon.
[4] F. F. Bruce, Quoted by Bruce Hurt, Matthew 9 Commentary, https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew-9-commentary#9:23
[5] John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew. Moody Publishers, Chicago.
