Bible study noteDr. Chuck Missler’s expositional commentaries
The Gospel of Mark — Chapter 5
s05 (Ch 5) Gadara, Jairus’ Daughter (studied 12-Oct-2025)
The Book of Mark with Dr. Chuck Missler
The subsections of Chapter 5 (per LSB/NASB) are:
- Jesus Saves a Man with Many Demons (The Gerasene Demoniac) → Mark 5:1-20
- Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’ Daughter → Mark 5:21-43
- The Demoniac at Gadara (Mark 5:1-20)
- The Raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:20…Mark 5:43) (daughter of the Head of the Synagogue)
- The Woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34) (a plague of some kind)
- — A Remez?
Mark 5:1 Jesus Saves a Man with Many Demons (The Gerasene Demoniac)
- This is now the east coast of the sea of Galilee — the country of the Gadarenes (Gerasenes NASB)
- “…the other side of the sea”: The “east bank” (of the Jordan river) — Gentile country — the Decapolis (“ten cities”). While there is obviously a Jewish element there, it is also a major Gentile domain (then and today)
- Living among the dead
- “An unclean spirit” = 2,000!
- Demon possession is real. Especially today — more prevalent today than it was back then
- “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Pet 5:8)
- Satan is powerful. And he is after you. His goal is to get you destroyed
- Never underestimate the destructive power of Satan
- Every unsaved person is controlled to a certain extent by Satan
— “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (Eph 2:1–3 NASB)
— “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” (Col 1:13 NASB) - His goal is your destruction. Society cannot cope with the problems caused by Satan and sin
- (Matthew indicates that there was another man, but Mark and Luke center on this one)
- He was “dead”: living among tombs…
- Superhuman strength is often reported in similar cases today (fetters = shackles)
- [He was also a picture of our society…]
- Death means separation: soul from the body; spirit from the soul (soul ↔ body; spirit ↔ soul)
- [“Those that are born once die twice; those that are born twice, die once”]
- “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb 9:27)
- “…the devils also believe and tremble.” (James 2:19)
- Neither their faith nor their fear can save them!
- [The nephilim and rephaim are apparently not eligible for resurrection. (cf. Isa 26:14)] (see Mark note s03)
- Astonishing (undeclared) insights:
— The demons knew who Jesus was
— They knew their own prophetic destiny
— They believe in prayer: they begged Jesus not send them into the abousso, the place of torment (Mark 5:7, Luke 8:31)
— Yet, they did not know what Jesus planned to do:
► Satan can know God’s plans only if God reveals them (to him or otherwise; Rapture date not revealed)
► (There is no evidence in Scripture that Satan can read the mind of a believer, either) (Lanos?)
- They desperately seek embodiment. This is in contrast to angels (fallen or otherwise)
- Demons can derange mind and body (Matt 12:22, Matt 17:15-18, Luke 13:16)
- They know the deity and lordship of Christ in the spirit world (Matt 8:31-32, Mark 1:24, Acts 19:15, Jas 2:19)
- They realize their predestined fate (Matt 8:31-32, Luke 8:31)
- They do need to get across the gate of your will: what are sometimes called “entries”—occult involvements (ouija boards (pronounced wigi), horoscopes et al.). The gate (of your own volition) can be let down by hypnotism, games
- William Blatty’s The Exorcist was based on actual case studies
- Jesus uses singular form in verse 8, but it is collective singular it turns out
- “My name is Legion”: They are subject to Him—they respond, they came out of him, they answered His questions
- A Roman legion was typically between 4,800—6,826 men. Nominally 5 or 6 thousand
- “Legion” is Latin for a “whole bunch”
- They seem to be very territorial. A strange Bible study is to explore the territorial constraints on demons:
— Confined to certain empires (Dan 10)
— Confined in the river Euphrates (Revelation and elsewhere) - It seams strange that a spirit being would be tied to a certain geography, but apparently they are
- Swine = non kosher. That tells they were there to primarily serve a Gentile market
- “…great herd of swine feeding”: This is surprising as it implies a Gentile marketplace
- The word “devils” in plural is an old English way of referring to demons
- A strange request — apparently they need God’s permission even to enter animals
- They don’t hesitate to touch an unregenerate person! They can touch them anytime they want to:
— “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Tim 2:26)
- “forthwith” means immediately
- “The Case of the Deviled Ham” (being facetious)
- “…Jesus gave them leave”: Stranger still, Jesus acquiesced to their request! Why?
— To warn us concerning the reality of these beings
— They are real, sentient, malevolent, powerful beings
— Desperately seek embodiment
— Note the astonishing number: 2,000! (there could have been more than 1 demon per swine)
- The people that owned the herd were not excited about this
- We all have our priorities… They were really upset actually
- What the man needed was not reformation, but resurrection
- Don’t we all!
► Give Jesus a schemer like Jacob, and He’ll give you an Israel, a prince with God
► Give Jesus Simon the cursing fisherman, and He’ll give you a Simon Peter, a mighty preacher
► Give Jesus Saul, a persecutor of the church, and He’ll will give you Paul, a militant missionary, an Apostle
► Give Him yourself, and see what happens! See what He will do for (with) you
- They apparently can’t deny the miracle and yet they would have Him did that somewhere else
- The local Committee for the Prevention of Cruelty to Swine. “Impressive, but not here”
- Typical of many “liberal” groups, they put the welfare of the animals ahead of that of the man
- Pentecostal attitude: “Unless you are speaking in tongues, you are not really saved”
- Bloom where you’re planted
- His ministry was fruitful. The next time Jesus visits this region, He is welcomed (Mark 7:31)
- [Matt 8:28-34 records two demoniacs; only one here; probably the only one that was subsequently responsive?]
A poem by Joseph H Odell from John Vernon McGee’s commentary on the Gospel of Mark:
[Source: q.v., McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:181]
Mark 5:21 Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’ Daughter
- It was not easy for Jairus (“one of the rulers of the synagogue”) to come to Jesus publicly and ask for His help
- This was a gutsy move: it jeopardized his standing among the Jewish leadership… He was desperate
- “…point of death”: All of us, too, are always at the point of death. We all will die on time
- It almost always comes as a surprise; as an interruption in our presuppositions and priorities…
- Jesus is always ready to respond to us!
- He will already be on His way into our own experiences when we call upon Him…
- “…an issue of blood”: Twice in these verses (vv. 29, 34) her disease was called a “plague” (“affliction” NASB)
- The Greek word μάστιξ (mastix) has the connotation of whip or scourge (painful and hopeless disease)
- She also was desperate
- Dr. Luke adds the perspective that she was humanly incurable (Luke 8:43 — “…could not be healed by anyone”)
- What remedies are you trying?
— Pleasure?
— Education/Intelligence?
— Religion? [Three songs and a 40-minute sermon once a week isn’t an answer…] - She was destitute
- Sin will rob you of your health, your home, your happiness, your life (that is a parallel intentionally drawn here)
- “…touch but his clothes”: A touching situation… Her goal: The blue fringe of the hem (Matt 9:20-21, Num 15:38)
- The Greek word: κράσπεδον (kraspedon)
- The Hebrew word: is שׁוּל(shuwl) — hem, border, fringe, bottom edge of skirt or train
- In ancient Mesopotamia, “to cut off the hem” was to strip one of his personality, authority, etc
— A husband could divorce his wife by cutting off the hem of her robe
— A nobleman would authenticate his name on a clay tablet by pressing the hem on the clay - Hems were the symbol of authority, rank, in ancient Israel:
— Fringes on Levitical garments (Num 15:38-39, Deut 22:12, Exo 28:33-34)
— God’s Covenant with Israel: “I spread my (shuwl) over thee…” (Isa 6:1, Ezek 16:8, Exo 39:25-26) - David’s removal of King Saul’s hem (1 Sam 24). In the wilderness of En-Gedi, David cut off the skirt (shuwl) of Saul’s robe. The genealogy was woven into the threads of the hem
- Later, David was conscience stricken because he had personally interrupted the lineage to the throne and symbolically taken away the authority from the Lord’s anointed
— Saul understood that (1 Sam 24:20) - Ruth & Boaz: “Spread thy (shuwl) over thine handmaid…” (Ruth 3:9)
- Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer: we request to be covered with His (shuwl) and allow Him to assume legal responsibility over us
- Other Touching Situations: other instances where Lord’s hem (the fringe of His cloak/outer garment) was sought for healing — Matt 14:36, Mark 6:56, Luke 8:44
- Anyway, this gal trusted. She touched Him personally
— We don’t go to heaven as a group: we go one by one, individually
— We don’t get there because our parents are saved (God has no grandchildren)
— We don’t get there because we go to a Bible-teaching church
— We are not saved because we belong to a group of folks who are saved
— We each have to reach out by faith and touch Jesus. It’s a personal relationship
- “Straightway” (again): Immediately, on the spot
- He’s calling for her public testimony
— “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 10:32)
— “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10)
- “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15)
- “…Daughter”: the only time He addressed anyone that way; i.e. “You’re a child of God”
- Whoops! A devastating report. Apparently, now it’s too late. Is it too late…?
- “Bothering Him?” Jesus is never annoyed by our bringing our circumstances to Him. We don’t trouble Him by bringing our prayers
- “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and [He] upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) (and upbraideth not = without reproach, Lit does not reproach)
- Blessed, comforting words! When we are at the end of our own resources, these same blessed words come home to our hearts to yield peace and confidence today!
- Literal translation: “Be not afraid, but go on believing” (continuous present tense)
- God finds every day a new way to ask a question: “Do you believe in Me? Do you trust Me?”
- God looks for our reliance on Him, not reliance on ourselves
- The Inner Circle:
— at the transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8)
— at the Olivet Discourse (with Andrew; cf. Mark 13:3)
— at Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-33)
- Historical present is being used in these verses - written as it is happening right now
- For the believer, death is the only period during which the body sleeps awaiting resurrection (1 Thes 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15:51-58)
- The spirit does not sleep: for in death, the spirit of the believer leaves the body (James 2:26) and goes to be with Christ (Phil 1:20-23, Luke 16:19-31)
- There is a significant insight in the plight of Job:
- Satan destroyed all his substance, including his seven sons and three daughters
- Yet, God ultimately restored to Job twice as much as before:
- The Lord restored twice of his possessions, but only seven sons and three daughters. Why?
- He hadn’t lost the ones who died! They were there in heaven waiting for him…
- Also: Note that animals (pets) are not subject to the same rules as humans. In other words, when they are dead, they are gone (really lost) and new ones need to be recreated. Animals (pets) only have use in this world. They are not found in Heaven (it is New Age that propagates humans being reunited with their pets in Heaven)
- There are no degrees of death. It is digital
- There is no such thing as more or less dead (dead, deader, deadest)
- The Source of All Life, the Creator of the Universe took her by the hand…
— “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)
— “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col 1:16 NASB) - and said “Talitha cumi” = Aramaic: “Little Lamb, wake up” (Mark is translating for the Gentile reader)
- Great astonishment, indeed! Can you picture this?
- Four Distinct incidents in Chapters 4 & 5:
1) Power over nature: the storm (Mark 4:35-41) Danger
2) Power over Satan: the Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) Devil
3) Power over disease: the woman (Mark 5:25-34) Disease
4) Power over death: Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:35-43) Death - From Danger, Devil, Disease and Death (in the seminary, the use of alliteration makes it more true 😄)
- “…age of twelve”: We’ll come back to that (ir)relevant detail…
- The little child was beyond all human help. All of us are dead in sin — only He can give life
- Other examples include:
— The widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-17)
— Lazarus (John 11)
— (Interesting observation — no one ever died in His presence)
- Peshat—the literal, direct meaning (1st level of interpretation of the text)
- Remez—an allegorical significance - a hint of something deeper (than the actual narrative)
- Derash—the homiletical, or practical application (how do you apply this to your life)
- Sod—the mystical or hidden meaning (this one is unique to Hebrew hermeneutics - not in Gentile hermeneutics)
- Any time there is a detail in the story that seems unnecessary — it may be a hint of something deeper
- How long did the woman have an issue of blood?
— 12 years
— Christ Himself also called her “Daughter”
— Was she Jewish or Gentile? She apparently was a Gentile: The law would have deemed her ceremonially unclean and not have permitted her among the crowd (Lev 15:19) - How old was Jairus’ daughter?
- Each “daughter” involved 12 years (vv. 25, 42) - that links them somehow:
— [12 is the “Kingdom” number…] see below - The “Daughters” both “began” at the same time — thus, are linked (at least rhetorically)
- Jesus exploits this to raise another message:
— Jesus was on His way to raise a Jewish maid (Israel, the “Daughter of Jerusalem”?) and “on the way” restored a Gentile woman (the Church?). Church is a parenthesis in God’s program. In His program, He starts with and finishes with the nation of Israel as His primary vehicle in dealing with planet Earth
- 12 Tribes
- 12 Apostles (ruling over the 12 Tribes) (Matt 19:28, Luke 22:30)
- 12 Kingdom of Heaven Parables
- 12 Kingdom Mysteries
- 12,000 sealed from each of 12 Tribes (Rev 7)
- New Jerusalem: Rev 21: 12
—12 gates
— 12 foundation stones
— 12,000 x 12,000 x 12,000 furlongs3
We won’t go thru all of theses—we will only mention them here:
- Mystery of the Kingdom of God (Luke 8:10, Mark 4:11)
Kept secret: Rom 16:25, Col 1:26, Eph 3:3-5, 1 Cor 4:1, 2 Cor 12:1-5, Gal 1:11-12 - Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 13:11)
- Mystery of Manifestation in the Flesh (1 Tim 3:16)
- Mystery of Salvation by Faith (Eph 3:19, Rom 16:25-26, 1 Tim 3:9)
- Mystery of the Ultimate Unity (Eph 1:9)
- Mystery of Gentiles in same Body (Rom 16:25, Eph 3:3)
- Mystery of the Bride of Christ (Eph 5:10, Eph 2:6, 1 Cor 6:17, cf. Col 1:26-27, Col 2:2, Col 4:3)
- The Mystery of the Harpazo (Rapture) (1 Cor 15:51, 1 Thes 4:13-18, OT: Isa 26:19-21, Ps 27:5, cf. Pavilions: Ps 18:11, Ps 31:20, Jer 43:10)
- The Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thes 2:6-12)
- Mystery of the Seven Churches (Rev 1:20)
- Mystery of Israel’s Blindness (Luke 19:42-44, Rom 11:25)
- Mystery Babylon (Counterfeit Kingdom) Rev 17, 18 (Cf. Gen 10:10, 1st mention)
— [Mysteries Finished: Rev 10:7]
- The Consequences of Unbelief:
— among Jesus’ acquaintances
— among His enemies
— among His disciples - Study Mark Chapter 6
Note taken by Sasha Jakovljevic.
Exported from Logos Bible Study, 15-Aug-2026 by Anthropic’s Claude Code.