Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “How Leviticus’s ‘Do Not Touch’ Prepares Us for Christ” by DeeDee Williams
• Sermon: “Faith God Notices” by Jared Berry
• Sermon: “Jairus’ Daughter” by R.C. Sproul

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of the Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training Podcast. Today we are in Unit 25, Session 4: Power of Healing. With the core passage of Luke 8:41-56; and with the key concept of: Faith assures us that Jesus, as God, has the power to heal and resurrect.

Jesus, after speaking and teaching in parables, demonstrated His power to validate His teaching. He calmed the storm, He exorcised demons, and today we’ll see His power to heal and resurrect. Luke 8 here parallels the passage in Mark 5.

So first in Luke 8:40, we see that Jesus returned to the other side and the crowds “welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.” Jesus was getting famous because of His words and actions. So much so that a man named Jairus, “a leader of the synagogue,” approached Him in desperation, falling down at Jesus’s feet and pleading with Him to come to his house. We see that continual series of desperation coming from those approaching Jesus. The disciples in the boat during the storm were desperate, the man and the demons inside him were desperate, also falling down at Jesus’s feet in Luke 8:28. And here Jairus was desperate as well as the woman later in v. 47, also falling at Jesus’s feet. In times of suffering, we realize that all we have is Jesus and we come to Him in desperation. Now Jairus was desperate because his twelve year old daughter was dying.

Jesus complied and was going with him, trying to get through the crowds but they were “nearly crushing Him” because they were all there to see Him and whatever acts He was going to do that day. Verse 43 and 44: “A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe.” She, unlike Jairus, quietly touched the end of Jesus’s robe, looking for healing, desperate for a miracle, knowing only Jesus could when the doctors could not. We know that this woman was ceremonially unclean because of her constant bleeding, that she thus couldn’t worship in the temple, that she was poor, spending “all she had on doctors.” Constant bleeding for twelve years also leaves one pretty weak and frail. She was down and out and not of her own doing, yet her actions through faith healed her. “Instantly her bleeding stopped.” By a touch of a robe, by a small moment and movement of faith, Jesus healed her. She knew it and so did Jesus.

How have you experienced hope in Christ in the midst of a hopeless situation? Answers will vary here from your group.

Verse 45: “‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked.” Jesus felt the touch of faith. But in such a tight, crushing crowd, no one really knew what was happening. They all denied touching Jesus. And Peter even said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” It was just the crowds, nothing more. But Jesus knew. He knew someone’s faith caused them to touch Him. “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”  And “47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him.”Here was a lowly woman, helpless and hopeless, not wanting any specific attention but just wanting a holy act of God to ease her suffering. But because Jesus asked with authority, “in the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed.” She had to reveal herself because Jesus noticed her and He stopped for her, even though she wanted to shyly slip away. She had to declare that she was healed by touching Jesus.

And tenderly, Jesus responded in verse 48: “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Jesus acknowledged her and her faith. He singled her out and wanted her to know that He felt her, He saw her, and He saved her. Her faith in just grabbing a hem of Jesus’s garment, believing that doing so could make her better was rewarded. And more than the physical healing, Jesus’s acknowledgement of her surely would have made an impact on one who normally was not seen, one who was marginalized and who for twelve years was probably invisible to society. Jesus called her ‘Daughter’ and told her that her faith has saved her. Jesus not only healed her physically but also pointed to the deeper salvation found through faith in Him.

What things keep you from confessing publicly what Christ has done for you? Sometimes we don’t want to over-spiritualize something good that has happened in our life. Sometimes we’re not sure people would want to hear what we have to say. Sometimes, we ourselves want to take credit for what Christ may have done. Sometimes we’re just quiet people. But we need to remember that proclaiming what Christ has done shows the world that He is still active and alive. That He is a personal, caring, compassionate God. We should proclaim His works that those around can hear good news.

Then, “49 while [Jesus] was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.’ 50 When Jesus heard it, he answered him, ‘Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.’ At this point, Jesus, Jairus, the disciples, and the crowds were walking toward Jairus’s house. They’re informed that the daughter is dead and Jesus didn’t need be bothered or continue walking. But Jesus did continue walking, and He told Jairus not to be afraid but believe. Sometimes if we know the Bible, we forget that in life, resurrections were not a common thing. People can’t just come back to life in everyday circumstances, no matter what movies and tv shows tell us. So Jairus had to continue walking back to his house with Jesus and the crowds, deciding whether he was to believe Jesus or not. What a walk that would have been!

The narrative in this story is interesting because of the similarities we shall see later in the activity but also interesting in its two interruptions. First with good news, the woman was healed; then with bad news, the daughter had died. With good news, Jesus stopped to pause, to see more what God had done, heal the woman. But with bad news, Jesus kept walking, lingering in patience and faith. Sometimes God will heal instantly, and sometimes God will linger, taking that walk with us, being present for us in our worries and fear and questions. God does not have to do anything for us, but in His gracious will and plan, He works for His glory and our good, knowing better than we do what that ‘good’ might be. So we trust in Him, knowing we can interrupt Him at any time.

How should we re-evaluate our understanding of urgency and interruptions in light of these two accounts? God’s timeline is beyond us and beyond time. He does things according to His will so we can interrupt Him when we need. Initially when it may seem like Jesus stopping to help the woman did not give Him enough time to heal the daughter so she died, we are reminded that even when there’s seemingly not enough time, He works on His own time and will still do a good work according to His will. In A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God, he wrote, “God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.’ I love that quote. It reminds me that I can be patient and rest in Him.

Verse 51: “After [Jesus] came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James,” Jesus’s inner circle, “and the child’s father and mother.” The daughter was already declared dead so “52 Everyone was crying and mourning for her.” But Jesus then said, “‘Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep,’” very matter-of-factly and very authoritatively. But clearly, “53 They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead.” Can you imagine laughing at Jesus? As believers, we may not literally laugh at Him, but in questioning Him or doubting His plan, we do in a way, laugh at Jesus like this. When we make something an impossibility, we forget we are talking about an almighty God.

“54 So [Jesus] took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.” Jesus did it. He did the seemingly impossible, resurrecting life. Nothing is too big for God. And yet still, at that moment, it was not time to completely reveal Himself yet, so He told the parents to tell no one. I’m not sure how long that lasted though because we can assume the family and servants knew and if the crowds had followed Jesus, they would have known as well. But Jesus was continuing to marvel everyone, doing things normal men couldn’t do. His resurrecting of life was reminiscent of Elijah and Elisha, pointing to His prophetic role, but His own future resurrection would point to His Messiahship and Lordship as the Son of God.

Why is “sleep” a true and comforting metaphor for the death of a believer in Christ? Because resurrection of life is real. We are never truly dead in Christ as a believer. At our physical death, we will be with the Lord in spiritual life. And at the end times, we will have new life in new bodies in God’s forever kingdom.

As the Christ Connection states, Jesus demonstrated His divine power by healing and resurrecting others. His power to physically heal and resurrect points to His power to spiritually heal and resurrect souls.

On to the Group Experience, start with the Arrival icebreaker about a medical need. Transition through to the Context. Pass out copies of Pack Item 6: Jesus’s Miracles, highlighting some of Jesus’s miracles, showing His power. Recap, going through the lesson for those who couldn’t study ahead and call for volunteers to summarize or highlight key thoughts. Then transition to the Group Activity.

Recreate the chart on a board and ask two readers to read through Luke 8:41-56, asking a male and female to read corresponding parts as mentioned on page 59 of the Leader Guide. Guide your group to fill in similarities and differences between the two interwoven narratives, work in pairs or smaller groups if needed. In addition to the answers given on page 59 and 60 of the Leader Guide:

Similarities can include: Both fell down before Jesus. Both were desperate. The story has Jesus healing the “daughter” (v. 42) of Jairus and He also heals the woman who He calls “Daughter” (v.48). Both in verse 48 and 50 have the word “sozo” used to mean “saved, made whole.” Both were “immediately” healed with the same word in Greek in verses 44, 47, and 55, although the CSB uses the words “instantly” and “at once”. Both had impossible situations witnessed by many: the woman had tried many doctors and no one could heal her. The daughter was seen to be dead by many people around her and they laughed when Jesus said she was only sleeping. But in both situations, Jesus could save them both.

Differences can include: Jairus had a name but the woman didn’t. Jairus was a respected leader in the synagogue; the woman was prevented from worship because of her bleeding. Jairus approached Jesus; but the woman didn’t want to disturb Him. Jairus wanted Jesus to come to his house to heal; the woman just needed to touch the hem of His robe. Jairus’s daughter had lived 12 years and was dying; the woman was bleeding 12 years. Jairus had to wait til Jesus reached his house to resurrect his daughter; the woman was instantly healed.

Debrief with: What should we make of Jesus’s commendation of the woman’s faith and His encouragement to Jairus to believe? Our faith in Jesus saves us. It heals us and makes us whole in the ways we need to be made whole. Jesus is concerned about our spiritual status but also our physical and mental health as well. Though He doesn’t always heal in the ways that we think we need it in our mortal bodies, His promise of eternal salvation is real when we place our trust in Him.

Summarize and select the Heads question if time is limited: What influences in your life lead you toward doubt? Wayward friends, negative circumstances, problems in life that deal with health, money, or relationships, social media, etc. What influences lead you toward faith? Scripture, prayers and encouragement from other believers, content from pastors or Christian thought leaders, etc.

Finish off with optional Next Steps and end with prayer requests and praises. If time permits, pray through Psalm 4:1, “Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.”

Hey, thanks for joining me on another Leader Training podcast, reach me at [email protected] and hope you have a great group time.