Painting by Tania Alden, edited by GCED
The Story
Read the story in Luke 8:41-42, 49-56.
This story is also told in Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26 and Mark 5:22-24, 35-43.
Ideas for discussion
- What did Jairus ask the Lord to do? (Jairus wanted Him to come lay His hands on his twelve-year-old daughter—his only daughter—who was dying.)
- What did the Lord say to Jairus when people said that his daughter had died? (“Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”) Jairus had to believe that the Lord had the power to do this miracle.
- How could this story teach us have faith that the Lord can help us with our problems if we believe in Him? Sometimes things look hopeless—dead—when they are not.
- When Jesus came to the house, He talked to the people who were grieving for the girl who had died. He said, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” Why do you think He said that? How did the people react?
- The Lord went into the girl’s room, taking her parents and three of His disciples with Him. What did He do to bring her back to life? (He took her hand and said, “Little girl, arise.”) And then He told the girl’s parents to give her something to eat.
- The Lord has power over death. He showed this by raising up this little girl from the dead. The Lord also takes tender care of all of us after death, awakening us to life in the spiritual world. Ideally, the Lord wills that we live a long life here on earth in preparation for life in heaven. But even when death come earlier than that, we can celebrate the miracle of the Lord raising all people into eternal life.
- How might this passage reassure us? “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25, 26).
- “Let him who wishes to be eternally happy know and believe that he will live after death. Let him think of this and keep it in mind, for it is the truth” (Arcana Coelestia 8939:3).
Read more about this miracle:
- “Life After Death” by Lorentz Soneson (ages 6-14)
While on earth, the Lord taught that the spirit of a person does not die. The body dies - yes. But the real person inside the body lives to eternity in the next world. - “Of Such Is the Kingdom of God” by Kurt Horigan Asplundh
The Lord never wants children to die, but when they do, He takes them immediately to heaven.
Projects and activities for various ages:
- The Lord Heals the Daughter of Jairus Coloring Page by Jacqueline S. Bostock
The Lord takes the girl’s hand and tells her to arise, bringing her back to life. - Little Girl Arise (ages 3-6)
Act out the miraculous story of Jesus healing Jairus's daughter, using simple costumes and props. - A Moving Picture of the Lord Healing Jairus’s Daughter (ages 5-9)
This project lets you show the girl lying on her bed until the Lord brings her back to life. - “Talitha Cumi” (ages 7-11)
Experience the story of Jesus healing Jairus’s daughter by acting it out through book-in-hand theater. Talitha cumi translates to "little girl, arise". - The Lord Heals the Daughter of Jairus
(Color the background for a diorama. Color and cut out the figures of the Lord, Jairus’s daughter, and the three disciples who were in the house. Then use them to tell the story of this miracle.) - Jairus’s Daughter Song Video (ages 7-14)
Jairus begs Jesus to come to his home and heal his sick daughter. Although she has already been pronounced dead, Jesus takes her hand and miraculously brings her back to life. - Healing of Jairus’s Daughter Story Line (ages 11-14)
The miracle of healing Jairus's daughter has emotions ranging from intense sorrow to intense joy. Explore the feelings of different characters as the events unfold. - For Reflection: What Is a Miracle? (ages 11 and up)
Is a miracle something that seems impossible? Or is it something that can only be done by the Lord or by others to whom He gives this power? Reflect on what you might consider to be miracles in your own life.
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