Made for More Part 2 (Celebration Preview)
I recently had to write 4 student devotionals based on this year's theme for Celebration, "Made for More." We will be studying the resurrection stories from the Gospels as we learn that we were created for more than the grave. I thought it might be fun to preview these here for the church.
This is 2 of 4.
DO NOT FEAR
Read Luke 8:40-56
REFLECTIONS
Have you ever lain awake at night, gripped with fear over what might happen if you died in your sleep? If so, you are not alone. 100% of humans are naturally afraid of death. But Jesus says, “Do not fear.” He makes it sound so easy.
Why would Jesus say, "Do not fear”?
Also, why are there two stories smashed together here? Which are we learning about, Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter or Jesus healing the woman who touched his robe? Actually, it is about both. It is all one story. You see, Jesus is trying to get to Jairus’ daughter to help her from sickness. Sickness can be healed. You have been sick and not died, right? So did people in that time. Jairus wanted Jesus to hurry and heal his daughter while she was still sick, but alive. But because of the crowd and the woman, Jesus is delayed. During the delay, Jairus’ daughter dies, and a servant comes to find Jairus, who is still urging Jesus to hurry and get to his house. The servant tells him to leave Jesus alone; it’s too late for healing; she is dead. There is nothing Jesus can do now. There is no more hope.
At this point, Jairus is overwhelmed with fear. Fear of what comes next, fear of life without his daughter, fear of the unknown after death, fear of the pain his family will feel every time they see her empty chair at dinner for the rest of their lives. And Jesus says, “Do not fear… believe.”
Why is belief the opposite of fear?
Jesus knows that death is not final, that the unknown can be known, and that he is about to restore what Jairus has lost. In one sense, he is saying, “Didn’t you just see me heal this woman who had bled for 12 years? If I have power over the illness, don’t you believe I have power over the outcome?” For humans, there is still hope the person may survive until they die; then that hope is gone. But Jesus demonstrates that he has power over death just like he has power over illness. There is ALWAYS hope; just believe.
ACTIONS
What does it mean to live like you are made for more than the grave?
Pick one thing from this list to do today.
- Text a friend that you have hope for eternity because of Christ.
- Set a reminder to read this story from Luke 8 every day this week.
- Set a reminder to thank God for your hope beyond the grave every day this week.
- Identify your fear about death and openly talk to God about it, ask him to replace your fear with belief and hope.
- Find a peer and share with them your feelings about death, ask them how they feel about it, and pray with them.
- Find a trusted adult to open up to about your fears.
- Take a few quiet minutes to journal about your feelings, fears, and pain.
- Choose hope. Write a list of things you are afraid of, then search for Bible verses that address those fears and write them next to each item.