He said to them, “Go out, because the girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they were mocking Him.
With these words Jesus addresses those who are mourning and declares that the girl is “not dead, but asleep,” meaning that for Him death is a temporary condition, since He is about to raise the girl. The girl’s death is only temporary, like sleep, and Jesus will soon show His power by bringing her back to life. But the crowd, who knew that the girl had died, mocks Jesus, not understanding or not believing His words. They believed that death is the end, but Jesus shows that His divine power surpasses death.