Go In Peace

Intro: If you wanted to greet someone in Hebrew, you would say, “Shalom” (Peace) – the same word Jesus used in our text.

Summary of Mark 5:21–24: Jesus had been in Capernaum on the western shores of the Lake of Galilee. He had sailed southeast to the Gentile section of Galilee and healed a demoniac. When the people of the region begged Jesus to leave them, He returned to Capernaum. Here he was met by a worried father, but before He could deal with Jairus’ problem, an ailing woman sought to touch Him.

v. 25> Imagine this woman in the context of first-century Judaism. Religious law (Lev. 15:25-30) had very serious regulations concerning hemorrhaging. The laws of bleeding not only made the woman herself unclean, but whatever she touched also became unclean! The result was shame and rejection for 12 years! This woman was helpless and hopeless.

v. 26> The Talmud suggested 11 cures for bleeding, such as sitting at a crossroads with a cup of wine, waiting for someone to come from behind to frighten you. This woman had tried every cure and spent all she had on rabbis and doctors who were not only expensive, but also ineffective!

vv. 27–28> What kind of faith did the woman have? It was weak, timid, and perhaps somewhat superstitious. She kept saying to herself that she had to touch Jesus’ clothes in order to be healed. Imagine the Lord being made unclean by her uncleanness! She made this one great attempt to get through to the Saviour. She was not disappointed: Jesus honored her faith, weak as it was, and healed her body!

We don’t have same degrees of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how weak and small it is. When we believe, He shares His power and something happens in our lives. There were many others in that crowd who were close and even pressing against Jesus, but they experienced no miracles.

v. 29> Two amazing miracles of healing occurred here: (1) her bleeding stopped; (2) her strength returned instantly.

v. 30> When you begin touching people at the point of their need or difficulty, there is a price to pay – a drain of spiritual power. Nothing fatigues pastors like preaching or ministering.

v. 31–34> Instead of being irritated, Jesus looked at this poor woman as a father would his daughter. He said: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace...” Here, “go in peace” implies wholeness of body, soul and spirit. It implied receiving the fullness of all of God’s blessings. In Num. 6:22-27, the rabbis believed that the giving of peace was the highpoint of God’s blessings.

Here was a woman isolated from her family, friends, and religious community. Jesus looked at her with fatherly compassion and said, “Daughter…go in Peace.” He was bestowing on her all God’s richest blessings (see Isa. 55:10–12). When Jesus says to you and me, “Go in peace,” He is saying, “Go back to your family in harmony. Recognize that once you were unclean, but now you are clean, you are literally under all of the blessings of God. Go in joy and celebration. Go in peace.” The woman was free after 12 years!

CONCLUSION: Where is this Peace available? Isaiah 9:6 says: “…and his name shall be called...”

• Wonderful. It means extremely good, pleasant, amazing, remarkable, or astonishing. Isn’t Jesus the embodiment of everything wonderful? Imagine the amazement of the woman and all the multitudes that followed Him on that day.

• Counsellor. This woman sought the advice of rabbis and doctors, to no avail. Jesus had words and power she needed! Perhaps you’ve been spending a lot of money and effort for help and advice instead of listening to the Lord and His Word.

• Mighty God. Only God could have done what Jesus did. Jesus was God “manifest in the flesh…” (I Tim. 3:16)

• Everlasting Father. Jesus said to her, “Daughter...” The Lord is like a merciful “Abba” or “Daddy.” (Rom. 8:15)

• Prince of Peace. Peace can only be found in a PERSON – Jesus – who is Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace! Come to Him today and listen to Him say to you, “Son or daughter—go in Peace.”