Speaking Truth

 Calling Things That Are Not: Jesus’ Truth and Our Faith

In the bustling crowd of a first-century synagogue leader’s home, a grieving father, Jairus, faces the devastating news: his daughter is dead. Mourners wail, their cries confirming the finality of loss. Yet Jesus, undeterred, declares, “She is not dead but asleep” (Mark 5:39, Luke 8:52). The room erupts in laughter—mocking, disbelieving laughter. To them, Jesus’ words seem absurd, a denial of the obvious. But moments later, He takes the girl’s hand, says, “Talitha koum,” and she rises, alive. This moment captures a profound biblical principle from Romans 4:17: God “calls into existence the things that do not exist” (ESV). Jesus’ words are true, not because they describe the present but because they create a new reality. And in Christ, we too can speak truth in faith, aligning with God’s will to see His power at work.

Jesus’ Words: Truth That Creates

Romans 4:17 describes God’s power to “call into existence the things that do not exist,” as seen when He declared Abraham “the father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5) despite his childlessness. God’s word doesn’t merely describe—it creates. Jesus, as God incarnate, wields this same authority. When He calls Jairus’ daughter “asleep,” He’s not denying her death but proclaiming a truth rooted in His divine power: death is temporary in His presence. His statement reflects the reality He’s about to bring forth, much like God’s promise to Abraham became reality through divine action.

The mourners’ laughter reveals their limited perspective. They see only a corpse and hear Jesus’ words as folly. In their eyes, death is final, and His claim contradicts reality. But Jesus’ truth isn’t bound by human perception. As the Word of God (John 1:1), His declaration carries creative power. When He raises the girl, the laughter fades, and His words are proven true—not because she wasn’t dead, but because His divine authority made her live. This is Romans 4:17 in action: Jesus calls life into being where it “does not exist,” and His words are true from the moment He speaks them.

If the Miracle Didn’t Happen

What if the miracle hadn’t occurred? Would Jesus’ statement be a lie? If the girl remained dead, the mourners would likely call His words false, as they’d clash with visible reality. In human terms, a claim without evidence seems deceptive. But Jesus’ words carry a deeper truth tied to His divine nature. Even without the miracle, His statement reflects a theological reality: in God’s plan, death is like sleep, temporary and subject to resurrection (Daniel 12:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:13). Yet, for those expecting a miracle, like Jairus, the absence of action would make His words seem untrue, highlighting the gap between divine truth and human expectation.

This hypothetical doesn’t align with the biblical Jesus, whose words are true because He has the power and intent to fulfill them. His declaration isn’t a hope—it’s a command that creates reality, as Romans 4:17 describes. The miracle confirms this to human eyes, but the truth exists in His divine authority, miracle or not.

Speaking Truth in Christ

Can we, as believers, speak truth like Jesus and see similar results? “While we are not originators of divine glory like Jesus, we do share in His divinity as partakers of the divine nature through faith (2 Peter 1:4). ”We can speak God’s truth in faith, aligning with His will to invite His power. Jesus taught, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move,’ and it will move” (Matthew 17:20). Our words, grounded in God’s promises, can carry power when spoken in faith and submission to His plan.

Matthew 8:16 states, “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick” (NIV). The verse is followed by Matthew 8:17, which explicitly connects this to Isaiah 53:4 (a companion to Isaiah 53:5): “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’” Isaiah 53:5 adds, “By His stripes we are healed,” pointing to Jesus’ redemptive work, including physical and spiritual healing. In Matthew 8:16, Jesus’ word alone casts out demons and heals all sickness, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy and demonstrating His divine authority as the originator of divine glory. His word creates reality—freedom and health where none existed—aligning with Romans 4:17.

The Difference and the Hope

Jesus’ words are true because He is the truth (John 14:6). His declaration about Jairus’ daughter wasn’t a gamble but a divine act, creating life where death reigned. The mourners laughed because they couldn’t see this; the miracle revealed it. We, too, can speak truth in Christ, proclaiming God’s promises with faith. We may see mountains move, bodies healed, or lives transformed—if God wills it. Our words don’t create like Jesus’ do, but they invite His power, echoing the faith of Abraham, who believed God’s promise despite the impossible (Romans 4:17-21).

The simplicity of Jesus’ truth challenges us. His words transformed reality, silencing skeptics. When we speak God’s truth in faith, we join in that legacy, trusting the One who calls things that are not into being. So, speak His promises boldly—your faith may be the spark for God’s next miracle.