I think that those of us who are parents would agree on what our worst fear is: Our children dying. The greatest fear for parents is to have one of their children die. We don’t like to think about that at all!
But that’s exactly what happened to a mom and dad in the Bible. A man named Jairus was the leader of a synagogue. That means he was a little like a pastor for us today. He loved God, and he loved sharing God’s Word. Jairus and his wife had a 12-year-old daughter. They loved her!
One day, that daughter got very sick. Jairus was scared! He ran to find Jesus and asked him to come to his house. Jesus did, but he didn’t make it there in time. By the time they got to the house, Jairus’ daughter had already died. Everyone was so sad, especially Jairus and his wife.
But Jesus told them something strange. He said to them, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mark 5:36). That sounded strange. Don’t be afraid? Even after their worst fear had happened? Their daughter had died. How could they not be afraid? You know the answer: Because of Jesus! Jesus took the little girl by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41). Something amazing happened. The girl got up! Jesus has power even over death.
Can you imagine how happy that mom and dad must have been? Jairus and his wife had their dear daughter back from the dead. Wouldn’t it be cool if God would do the same thing for us?
He does! This is God’s promise to you and me and everyone who believes in Jesus. Because of our sins, every single one of us is going to die. But because Jesus rose from the dead for us, God promises that everyone who has faith in Jesus will rise from the dead. Maybe God won’t raise us back to life here on earth, but he will raise us to eternal life in heaven.
Even if your worst fears happen, don’t be afraid. Just believe!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, death makes us so afraid. We don’t want the people we love to die. Yet, you have power over death. Help us to not be afraid but to always believe in you. Amen.
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