Jesus is Lord Over All Including Sickness!

If you have your Bibles, please take them and turn to Luke 8:40.  Today, we come to the end of chapter 8, and this mini-series about Jesus being Lord over all. 

 

When I say Jesus is Lord over all, I mean that Jesus is more powerful than.  I mean that Jesus has authority over. 

 

Last week, we saw that Jesus is Lord over all including Satan.  Satan is very intelligent, but Jesus is omniscient. 

 

Satan is very powerful, but Jesus is omnipotent.  Jesus is Lord over all including Satan.

 

The Sunday before, we saw that Jesus is Lord over all including storms.  Some storms are literal and physical.  Other storms are emotional and spiritual.  Regardless, Jesus is Lord over all including storms.

 

Today, I want to remind you that Jesus is Lord over all including sickness.  Some sickness is also called disease.  Some sickness leads to death.  Regardless, Jesus is Lord over all including sickness.

 

We are actually going to look at two miracles here at the end of Luke 8.  In the past, I have preached them in two different sermons, but today, I will join them together as one is sandwiched in by the other. 

 

 

1. Sickness that can be called, “disease,” Luke 8:43-48

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”  46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

 

I want you to skip down to verse 43.  As Jesus was making His way to Jairus’ house, He was surrounded by a multitude of people. 

 

In this verse, we are introduced to a woman who had sickness or disease.  Notice that it was chronic.  She had it for twelve years.  Most commentators believe this was some type of ongoing bleeding in her uterus.

 

Notice that it was also costly.  She spent all her livelihood on physicians, but to no avail.  Look at Mark 5:26.

 

26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

 

Verse 44 says she came from behind Jesus and touched the border or hem or tassel of His garment.  What happened?  Immediately, the flow of blood stopped.

 

What else happened?  Jesus knew it.  The crowded denied it.  Peter mocked it.

 

BTW…Jesus knew it because He is omniscient.  He knows all. 

 

We see that again in verse 46.  He perceived power going from Him. 

 

In addition to being omniscient, Jesus is also omnipotent.  He is all-powerful. 

 

In verse 47, Jesus called her out so to speak.  Following her faith and her healing, Jesus called her to confess Him publicly. 

 

BTW…Jesus does the same today.  When you are saved by grace and through faith in Christ, you are called to confess Him publicly through believers’ baptism. 

 

This woman’s healing is a picture of salvation, and we will talk more about that in a moment.  However, notice what Jesus called her verse 48. 

 

He never uses this title anywhere else but here.  This woman was now a child of God the Father. 

 

 

2. Sickness that can lead to death, Luke 8:40-42, 49-56

40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”  50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

Look at back 40.  Remember how we left Jesus last week.  The distraught herdsman or pig farmers didn’t want Jesus around.

 

This is a different reaction in verse 40.  The multitude welcomed Him.  I pray that is your response to Jesus.

 

Rather than wanting Him to leave because of what He may require of you, I pray that you welcome Him into every area of your life.

 

As we consider a sickness that lead to death, remember that death is no respecter of persons.  The mortality rate of human history is 100% even for those who are good folks and even welcome Jesus into their lives. 

 

In verse 41, we are introduced to Jairus, and he was in charge of the local synagogue.  That meant he decided the order of service for the Jewish worship services.  He decided who sang and who preached and who prayed. 

 

He came to Jesus out of desperation.  He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house.  Why?

 

Jairus had one daughter.  She was twelve years old, and was at death’s door.  She was dying.  Being the father of three daughters, this story hits close to home.

 

He had obviously witnessed or at least heard about how Jesus had healed others.  With nowhere else to turn, he invited Jesus to come to his home to save his daughter. 

 

Skip to verse 49.  As death is no respecter of persons, death also causes significant pain. 

 

As Jesus was finishing up with the woman who touched His garment, He received notification from Jairus’ house.  A messenger arrived to tell Jairus that his daughter had died.  Therefore, there was no need for Jesus to come.

 

I can’t even imagine Jairus’ grief.  Jesus was on His way, but was interrupted. 

 

Without this interruption, would Jesus have arrived in time?  We’ll never know, but this story doesn’t end here.

 

BTW…in God’s economy, there is no such thing as an interruption. There are only divine appointments. 

 

Look at verse 50.  Jesus did a miracle.  He brought this girl, who was dead, back to life. 

 

This miracle occurred because of Jesus’ compassion.  He hated that this father was faced with the possibility of losing his only daughter.  Jesus encouraged him in verse 50 not to be afraid because He was going to intervene.

 

Verse 50 also says that Jesus told Jairus to continue to believe.  He had faith in coming to Jesus.  He needed to continue to have faith that Jesus could do what he originally thought. 

 

Remember that death causes significant pain. Jairus’ immediate family and his extended family thought any more interaction with the girl was futile. 

 

Why?  She was dead.  What else could be done?  Verse 52 says they wept and mourned. 

 

However, as we said previously, the story isn’t over.  When Jesus told the mourners that they didn’t need to cry any more, they laughed at Him.  They didn’t think He or anyone for that matter could do anything at this point. 

 

She was dead.  Her heart had stopped.  She wasn’t breathing. 

 

However, in verses 54-55, Jesus brought her back to life.  Her spirit returned, and just to make sure that no one believed this was a dream, she ate some food. 

 

 

Application

Jesus is absolutely Lord over all including sickness.  He can heal your disease and rescue you from death.

 

However, these two stories about physical sickness give us a picture of spiritual salvation.  Here is what I mean:

 

1. Sin is our spiritual disease that leads to spiritual death if we are not healed and saved.
2. Every person is infected with sin and in need of healing and salvation. That is true for males and females, young and old, rich and poor.  Remember, death is now respecter of persons.
3. Sin hurts and causes major pain. Sin causes us to separated and isolated from one another and from God.
4. However, healing and salvation is possible when we start by acknowledging the Healer. See verses 41 and 47.  Both fell at Jesus’ feet.  Said another way, we admit we are sinners and believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sin.
5. Finally, healing and salvation is activated by our faith. See verses 48 and 50.  Any person can be healed and saved today by God’s grace through our faith in Christ alone.