Verses 41-42a;49-56 “41And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying….
49While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”It is extremely sad when a young person dies. We grieve at the news of the death of a middle aged singer, the demise of a young race car driver, or the assassination of a national leader in the prime of life. But perhaps nothing makes us sadder than the death of a child who is about 12 years old, especially a child we knew well. Jesus said this child was sleeping. He did not mean that her soul was sleeping. The soul does not sleep, but is ever conscious after death, in heaven or in hell. No, Jesus spoke of her body sleeping. Those who die in the Lord are only sleeping in the sense that death for them is temporary and in the sense that the body will awaken in better condition than it was before death occurred. Death is always temporary for those who are saved.
42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying….
49While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”It is extremely sad when a young person dies. We grieve at the news of the death of a middle aged singer, the demise of a young race car driver, or the assassination of a national leader in the prime of life. But perhaps nothing makes us sadder than the death of a child who is about 12 years old, especially a child we knew well. Jesus said this child was sleeping. He did not mean that her soul was sleeping. The soul does not sleep, but is ever conscious after death, in heaven or in hell. No, Jesus spoke of her body sleeping. Those who die in the Lord are only sleeping in the sense that death for them is temporary and in the sense that the body will awaken in better condition than it was before death occurred. Death is always temporary for those who are saved.
Here, the Bible says, “Her spirit came again.” This proves that there is an immaterial part of the human person that lives on after the body is dead. Paul spoke of being “absent from the body” (II Cor 5:8) and about “departing” (Phil 1:23) from this life. And there are accounts of the souls of the dead coming into them again when they were restored to life (I Kings 17:21-22). When a Christian dies, his soul goes to be with the Lord. If there is a “departure,” and there is, then there must also be an arrival, and there is. While the souls of the saved dead are “with the Lord” their bodies sleep, waiting the coming of the Lord when He will shout, “Arise, and come forth!” and we will live with Him.