In Mark 5, two desperate people find themselves at the feet of Jesus—a respected synagogue leader named Jairus whose twelve-year-old daughter is dying, and an unnamed woman who has been bleeding for twelve years. One is a man of status, the other a social outcast. One is surrounded by crowds, the other hidden in shame. Yet both have run out of options, and both come to Jesus because they believe He is their only hope. Mark weaves their stories together in what’s called a “Markan sandwich,” inviting us to see how these two encounters reveal the same truth: Jesus’ authority is comprehensive—over sickness, over shame, and even over death itself.

Jairus comes to Jesus with the raw, urgent plea of a father who knows his daughter’s life is slipping away. He falls at Jesus’ feet—risking his reputation—because he believes Jesus can do what no one e ...