Today at Highland Baptist Church, Pastor Danny Gardner's sermon was from Luke 8:40-56. Jesus returns to where the people from last weeks sermon had asked him to leave. But now Jesus is welcomed because the demoniac that he healed has done the job Jesus left for him to do.
Jarius, a synagogue leader who had previously conspired against Jesus, has a change of heart due to his 12 year old daughters sickness and imminent death. He begs Jesus to come to his house to heal her. On the way with the crowd pressing to get near Jesus, a woman who has had a constant discharge of blood for 12 years is able to grab the tassel from his robe and is immediately healed. Jesus allows himself to be interrupted and speaks to the woman.
Meanwhile Jairus' daughter dies. When Jesus tells the mourners that she is sleeping, they laugh at him. But Jesus raises the girl from death. Jesus redefined death. A child of God merely sleeps. We pass from this life to eternal life with Jesus. Like Jesus, we should not be so focused on what we are doing that we miss, or overlook, what God wants us to do.
As Jesus said, do not fear, just believe.
By Clarence Kraft
Watch the Service here