11. Amazed with Jesus and His Raising a Girl Back to Life

11. Amazed with Jesus and His Raising a Girl Back to Life.

“Life without wonder – radical amazement – is not worth living. It is the beginning of our happiness. Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. Never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel).

I Stand Amazed | Celtic Worship ft. Steph Macleod

Jesus Christ engaged in a ministry of amazement, astonishment, wonder. Everywhere He traveled, He left people astounded and in awe. He caused a big stir wherever he went, and people left in His wake were amazed at who He was and what He was able to do, whether from His unusually wise teaching, His authoritative exorcisms, His unprecedented healings, His clever and insightful conversations, His dramatic miracles. It seemed everyone marveled at Jesus, despite His best efforts sometimes to be off the radar. There are three Greek synonyms that mean complete astonishment or radical amazement: ekplesso, thaumazo, and existemi. The differences between these three words, though, are fascinating. Are those of us who follow Jesus now, are we also amazed and astonished with Jesus?

“And the people were astonished (“ekplesso”) beyond measure, saying, ‘Everything He does is beautiful (“kalos”), and is done with excellence!” (Mark 7:37).

(1.) ASTONISHED: “ekplesso”; a strong Greek word for astonished; amazed; dumfounded; awestruck; overwhelmed at something extraordinary; struck out of one’s senses; takes your breath away, even to the point of panic. There were at least fifteen gospel events in which the Greek superlative “ekplesso” was used to communicate a radical amazement, astonishment, wonder at Jesus. Jesus was met with overwhelming astonishment after His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:28); by His hometown friends as they rejected Him (Matt. 13:54); after His teaching on the inadequacy of wealth (Matt. 19:25); after His conversation with the Sadducees about heaven and the resurrection (Matt. 22:33); at His synagogue exorcism (Mark 1:22, 27); after His healing of the deaf and mute man (Mark 7:37); after He whipped the moneychangers in the Temple (Mark 11:18); at His brilliant level of understanding with the rabbis at just 12 years of age (Luke 2:48); after casting out a demon with just a word (Luke 4:32, 36); at the exorcism of a demon-possessed boy (Luke 9:43).

“And behold, a man from the crowd shouted out, ‘Master, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child! A spirit seizes him and suddenly he screams out and it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth! It mauls him and will scarcely leave him!’ Jesus answered, ‘Bring your son here to me.’ And even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him down to the ground and completely convulsed him. But Jesus severely rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child, and then restored the boy to his father. And all were completely astounded (“ekplesso”) at the evidence of God’s mighty power, His majesty and His magnificence. While they were all marveling (“thaumazo”) at everything Jesus was doing…” (Luke 9:38-43).

(2.) MARVELED: “thaumazo”; another strong Greek word that means… marveled at, astonished by; amazed at; filled with wonder to the point of being bewildered; being awestruck in admiration. There were forty-four passages in the gospels in which people were greatly amazed by Jesus, astonished to the point of awed by Him. Included in the group of people who were completely amazed, “thaumazo’d” by Christ: the shepherds, Mary and Joesph, the disciples, the Pharisees, various crowds during His ministry, and even Pilate himself was astonished by Jesus and marveled at Him. People were amazed by everything from the angelic baby announcement, to various prophecies in Jesus’ young life, to the calming of the storm and the withering of the fig tree;  from His miraculous exorcisms and healings to His teachings that always were on point and what were needed at the time.

“That very day, two of the disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus…. And they were talking with each other about all the things that had occurred, and while they were conversing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them unrecognized and was already accompanying them, and asked them, ‘What is this discussion you are having together as you walk along? … Cleopas answered Jesus, “Are you the only one who doesn’t know what has happened recently regarding Jesus of Nazareth? … And moreover, some women of our company completely amazed us out of our senses (“existemi”)! They were at the tomb, did not find His body, and said they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive!” (Luke 24).  

(3.) FLABBERGASTED: “existemi”; an extreme word that means to be out of one’s mind with amazement; crazy with wonderment; a stunned astonishment so strong that one is beside oneself; to be overwhelmed so as to be bowled over; literally, to remove from a standing position. This word is used seventeen times in the gospels, including when Jesus healed and forgave the paralyzed man dropped through the ceiling of Peter’s house; when Jesus raised a young girl from the dead; when Jesus calmed the storm and casually climbed into the boat with His disciples; on the road to Emmaus when the disciples heard about the empty tomb from the women. Existemi is also used when the family of Jesus thought He was crazy, going out of His mind.

I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)

“Messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, ‘Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.’ But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith’… Taking the child’s father and mother and those who were with them, Jesus went in where the little girl was lying. Gripping her firmly by the hand, He said to her, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise!’ And instantly the girl got up and started walking around, and they were all completely overwhelmed with amazement, astonished beyond belief (“existemi”).  ”  (Mark 5).

Keep Trusting. The ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum, Jairus, knew of Jesus’ healing powers and trusted Him. Jairus ran to Jesus, bowed to his knees, and repeatedly begged Jesus to come and heal his sick twelve-year-old daughter, who is close to death. Jesus agreed to come with him to see the young girl. While walking, a messenger came from the house of Jairus and gave him the bad news… Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the Teacher any more. It’s too late to help her now. But Jesus refused to listen to this tragic news. He told Jairus, Don’t yield to fear. That won’t help. Just trust me and keep on believing. (Passion Translation). Another way of putting this is in the New American Bible, “Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.”

Why are you grieving? Jesus and Jairus, and the jostling crowd following them, continued walking to Jairus’ house. They were greeted by the unsettling uproar of weeping and wailing. Jesus went into the house, and said, “Why all this grief? Don’t you know the girl is not dead but merely asleep?” In other words, this is only temporary. She will be restored… Just watch. Everyone in the house began to ridicule and make fun of Jesus for making such an outrageous claim. But Jesus didn’t care about that, and He took the parents and His three chums Peter, James and John, and they entered the dead girl’s room. Jesus tenderly took hold of the girl’s lifeless hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you arise! Wake up from the sleep of death!” A dead person’s body was considered unclean according to Jewish Law, but Jesus’ compassion was more important than the Law at this point. Immediately the girl sat up, stood to her feet, and started walking around the room. Even the dead are able to hear Jesus and obey Him! Somehow Jesus can speak into an inanimate body! Everyone was completely stunned by this resurrection, overwhelmed with amazement, while Jesus simply asked the parents to bring their daughter something to eat.

Other Resurrections.  A resurrection of a dead person is still unexpected, even if Jesus had accomplished three resurrection miracles: 1. – Jairus’ daughter was raised to life by Jesus (Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8); 2 – the widow’s son was raised, while laying dead in his coffin, no less (Luke 7); 3 – The raising of His friend Lazarus after several days in his tomb (John 11). At the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross, these resurrection miracles were multiplied in the tombs surrounding Jerusalem. “Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His Spirit. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.” (Matthew 27:50-53). How amazing and profound that Jesus was so full of life that even at His death He caused others to resurrect! Jesus is the Source of life, even at His death! As He was dying, life was slipping through. Jesus proved without a shadow of doubt in anyone’s mind that He indeed was and still is “the Resurrection and the Life.” (John 11:25).

Fear Not the Prospect of Death. If there is one fear all human beings have in common, it is the fear of death. Faith in God is the only answer to that fear. Faith that our life was not in vain. Faith that we will see our loved ones again. Faith that there is an afterlife. Faith that our destiny is to live an eternal life with the  Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Faith that everlasting life after death is the ultimate purpose of a loving God. Resurrection scenes in the gospels like this one reveal the destiny of all believers. We will all be raised from the dead. We will all be resurrected, just like this little girl. That is our hope, and only that aspect of faith will remove any fear of death. “The truth is, Christ is risen from the dead, as the first-fruit of a great resurrection harvest of those who have died. For since death came through a man, Adam, it is fitting the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man, Christ. Even as all who are in Adam die, so also all who are in Christ will be made alive, but each one in His proper order: Christ, the first-fruits, then those who belong to Christ in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Passion Translation). “And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there’s no resurrection, ‘We eat, we drink, the next day we die,’ and that’s all there is to it. But don’t fool yourselves. Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk.” (1 Corinthians 15:30-33, the Message).

Interruptions are the Musical Bridges Composed by God. It’s easy to forget that Jesus had a Ministry of Interruptions. Most of His miracles seem to have been done during His countless interruptions as He went from one place to another. These interruptions served as the breaks between all those profound verses and choruses in His Christ-Song. Yes, those interruptions seemed to halt whatever continuity He had in his life. But then again, did His life have any continuity? Whatever rhythm His life had was constantly being redirected. His Christ-Song had so many changes of pace and tempo, that one wonders if these interruptions were bridges between the verses in His Song or if they actually were the Song! Perhaps the interruptions Jesus welcomed were actually the main point of His ministry, His Christ-Song. All those random detours in His ministry were embraced by Jesus as sacred moments, and not a nuisance, and of course were not random in the least. As Frederick Buechner wrote in his Book of Bebb: “I have a feeling it’s the in-between times, the times that narratives leave out, and that the memory in general loses track of, which are the times when souls are saved or lost.”

There were times when Jesus was interrupted during the interruptions! Some of those interruptions include:

1. While preaching in Peter’s house in Capernaum, a paralyzed man was lowered through a hole in the roof in the middle of His sermon. Of course, Jesus was quick to forgive and heal this man in honor of the faith of his friends (Mark 2);
2. While enjoying dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee, a woman of ill repute barged into the dining room, interrupted His meal, and proceeded to anoint the feet of Christ out of repentance. Naturally, the woman was healed and forgiven, while the self-righteous Pharisee was not (Luke 7).
3. While reaching out to a crowd, the leader of a synagogue forced his way to the front and asked Jesus to accompany him home to his sick daughter so Jesus could heal her. While on the way to Jairus’ house, He was interrupted by a desperate woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. She touched His prayer shawl, and she was healed. Jesus proceeded to Jairus’ house and raised his daughter from the dead (Mark 5).
4. While heading full-steam towards Jericho, the blind man Bartimaeus stopped Jesus in His tracks and asked to be healed. Of course, Jesus halted His journey long enough to heal him without a hitch (Mark 10);
5. While seeking a private place to grieve John the Baptist’s death, He was confronted by a needy crowd who practically demanded that He heal them all. Naturally, He stopped and healed them without a hint of irritation. ( 14:13-14).
6. While taking a leisurely stroll with His disciples towards the village of Nain, Jesus witnesses the tragic funeral procession of a young man. He saw the situation and couldn’t help but respond for the sake of the desperate mother, and He raised that young man from the dead. (Luke 7);
7. While journeying through Samaria on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples are confronted on the road by ten lepers asking to be healed. Without breaking stride, He simply looked at them with compassion and healed them right on the spot. Then, nonplussed, Jesus and the disciples just kept walking down the road. (Luke 17);
8. While praying in agony to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, a mob led by the traitor Judas arrived to demand Jesus to identify Himself. He did so, and thus begins the Passion of Christ. (John 18).

The Gospels are full of other heaven-sent interruptions that Jesus welcomed. One NT scholar estimated that there were as many as 35 interruptions in the first three chapters in the Gospel of Mark alone! It turns out that Christ’s agenda was to be interrupted! His to-do list was to be constantly detoured. The bridges of the Christ-Song were kairos moments, opportunities that presented themselves to Him in the fullness of time. Interruptions were accepted as timely moments for the Lord to sing His Song of compassion, mercy, patience, and grace. With Christ, He didn’t worry about whatever project He was working on. Mere efficiency of His time wasn’t even close to a concern of His.

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own’, or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life – the life God is sending one day by day: what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination.” (The Letters of C.S. Lewis).