When Jesus said to Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe,” it was said regarding a supernatural miracle of resurrection. The passage says, “While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”” (Mark 5:35-36 NLT).

The man was just told his daughter was dead, and Jesus’ tells him not to be afraid, not even a little bit, but “only,” have faith in God.  If I said this to a parent who just lost their child, they would call me uncaring and a jerk; yet, this is how Jesus expects us to view such a situation. It is this same Jesus who will judge us all one day. This is a good example because this is one of the worst types of life troubles we can face, the death of a child, or a spouse or parent. Since Jesus is applying this teaching to the worst type of life troubles, then we obviously can apply it to lesser troubles.

Let us quickly address the point of “just have faith.” Jesus is not saying have faith in God like a fatalist. He is not saying to just have faith in the broad idea that God is sovereign and just go with the flow like a fatalist. No, Jesus is not telling us to abuse God’s sovereignty like that. Rather, He is telling Jairus, do not fear, because your faith in God will lead to a supernatural resurrection of your daughter. Why be afraid by the death of a child, if they will be resurrected? Obviously there is no fear of a child’s death if the death is overpowered by resurrection. Obviously, there is no fear of cancer if it is healed.  Obviously, there is no fear of Jesus paying the temple tax if he can just get the money from a random mouth of a fish.

Jesus is talking about faith in a supernatural miracle for specific trouble you need help with. Not human help, but God’s miracle help.

Jesus’ reasoning for why we should have no fear and only faith, is because miracles make the troubles of life go away. Jesus expects us to view life in this way. No wonder the religious elites hated Jesus, He was a miracle and faith fanatic.

Jesus’ presupposition is that with faith in God we do not fear life’s troubles, because God will destroy the troubles with supernatural power.

In the finished atonement, Jesus has already forgiven us, has given us His righteousness, already healed us, already exchanged our curses for the blessing of Abraham, and already exchanged our poverty for His riches. This is already about new creation, new reality, and identity. We are this right now.

Thus, what you believe God will do for you, God will do for you. The supply for all these supernatural miracles have already been laid up for you. Jesus said “only believe.” Thus, if Jairus stopped believing and gave into fear over his child’s death, thinking, “there is no more hope, and I will just go with whatever God sovereignly caused,” then that is what God would give him, no hope. But because He believed God could help with miracle power, even in the death of his child, then that is what Jesus gave him.

As Vincent Cheung said in his essay (Faith is The Answer), “God wants us to live life thinking that there is no reason to fear, but that we should have faith only. God wants us to live life thinking that all things are possible to the one who has faith… You are never a victim. You are never limited. You are never doomed. You are never desperate. You are never alone. God will come to you. God will answer you. God will rescue you. God will heal you and prosper you. God will increase your spiritual power and fruit. God is the answer to all your problems. And beyond your problems, God will give you the desires of your heart. How can you know? Faith! The faith in your heart is God’s answer.”