Mark 5

I hate waiting. Impatience comes with the territory today, with fast food, 4G speed, and on-line shopping. We get Bible teaching when we want it, where we want it, instantly! But ‘faster is better’ wasn’t Jesus’ way, and in the real world, waiting is one way He teaches us.

Mark so far…
Chapter 1: Jesus baptized by John, tempted, preaching, healing
Chapter 2: Jesus forgives sins, is Lord of the Sabbath
Chapter 3: Jesus heals, crowds follow, disciples called, unpardonable sin
Chapter 4: Parables of the kingdom, power over nature

Scene 1: Demon-Possessed Man Healed
The demon-possessed man – The effects of Satan’s influence!

The encounter with Jesus – Power over the forces of darkness!

The responses – Fear, self-preservation, and faith!

Questions: Do we recognize Jesus’ power? How do we respond to it?

Scene 2: Jairus’ Daughter and Woman Healed
Jairus goes for the ‘Doctor’!

Stuck in God’s ‘waiting room’!
(Healing a woman on the way)

Delay, death…and learning to trust!


“Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
Jesus, Mark 5:19

For Further Study

1. Read the description of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-5. What characteristics of Satan’s effect on life do you see? What parallels are there with Satan’s destructive effects on the lives of people today? What is Satan’s goal when he gets hold of a person’s life?

2. In the dialogue between the demon (really demons) and Jesus, what do we learn about demons? What do they know about who Jesus is? Why do they beg Jesus to not send them out of that country? What is meant by their reference to torment (v7; see Luke 8:31 and Rev. 9:1)?

3. Jesus obviously has power over demons – they can’t even leave without His permission! Why didn’t Jesus expel demons from world entirely? When will this happen (see Rev 20:2-3)? In the meantime, how do we combat them (see Eph. 6:10-18)?

4. Consider the responses of those affected by the healing of the demon-possessed man. What about Jesus made people afraid? What concerned them, and made them ask Him to leave? Are we afraid to have Jesus’ power have its way in our lives?

5. Why did Jesus want the woman healed of the issue of blood to identify herself? Why would she have hidden herself? (What was a person with such a persistent blood flow considered as in their society?) What beyond healing did Jesus desire for this woman?

6. Put yourselves in Jairus’ shoes for a few miles. How would you have felt, knowing your daughter is at death’s door, while Jesus is engaging in a drawn-out dialogue with a woman who had a far less serious physical need? Notice the compassion in Jesus’ words and actions, both to Jairus, and with his daughter. How does the fearsome power Jesus possessed display itself in His ministry? How can this help us to trust Him fully with our lives today?

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