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Observe here, 1. The doleful news brought to Jairus's ears, Thy daughter is dead. The Lord doth sometimes suffer the faith of his saints to be hard put to it, greatly assaulted with difficulties and trials.
Observe, 2. Our Saviour's seasonable word of comfort, Be not afraid, only believe. Christ is ready to comfort believers in the hour of their strongest temptations and greatest trials.
Observe, 3. Christ's application of himself to the raising unto life Jairus's dead daughter.
In order to which, 1. He goes into the house only with three of his disciples, which were sufficient to witness the truth of the miracle. Our Saviour, to avoid all show of vain-glory, and to evidence that he sought not ambitiously his own honour and praise, would not work this great miracle publicly before all the people.
2. He rebukes them for the show they make of immoderate grief and sorrow for the dead damsel: they wept and wailed greatly, with minstrels and musical instruments according to the custom of the heathens, who by a mournful sort of music did stir up the passion of grief at their funerals. To mourn immoderately for the dead is an heathenish practice and custom. It is hurtful to the living, and dishonourable to the dead; nor is it an argument of more love, but an evidence of less grace.
3. He adds a reason for this rebuke and reproof given them; The damsel is not dead but sleepeth. Vobis mortua, mihi dormit: "She is dead to you, but asleep to me;" not so dead as to be beyond my power to raise her to life. Souls departed are under the conduct of angels to their several regions of bliss or misery. It is very probable that the soul of this damsel was under the guard of angels, near her dead body, waiting the pleasure of God in order to its disposal, either to restore it again to the body, or to translate it to its eternal mansion.
Observe farther, The nature of death in general, and that of the saints in particular, described; it is a sleep. Sleep is a state of rest; sleep is a sudden surprisal; in sleep there is an insensible passage of our time; the person sleeping shall certainly awake, either in this world, or in the next. It will be our wisdom to prepare for the bed of the grave, and so to live, that when we lie down in it, there may be nothing to disturb our rest.
Observe next, The words which our Saviour used at the raising of the damsel, Talitha-cumi, Syriac words, to show the truth of the miracle, not like a conjurer, muttering a charm in unknown words to himself; and also to show the greatness of the miracle, that he was able to raise her by a word speaking.
Observe lastly, The charge given by our Saviour not to divulge this miracle: He charged them straitly that none should know it. That is, not to divulge it imprudently to such of the scribes and Pharisees as would not be convinced by it, but only cavil at it, and be the more enraged against him, and seek his death before his time was come. Also not to divulge it unseasonably, and all at once, but gradually, and by degrees: for it was the will of God that the divine glory of Christ should not be manifested to the world all at once, and on the sudden, but by little and little, during his state of humiliation; for his resurrection was the time appointed for the full manifestation of his Godhead. Declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead.