Touching Jesus
Luke 8:1-3 & 43-48
It had been a busy day
Teaching the crowds, going over the lake, calming the storm and casting out demons, then the return journey where he was surrounded by the crowds and approached by Jairus then
Someone touched Him!
Her faith was high. Why?
Luke 8:2 And certain women Mary Mag, Joanna, Susanna + others
Why does Luke specifically mention the women who followed and served Jesus?
Many were delivered and healed women
What a following! And all ministering unto Him of their substance, and He allowing them to do it
In that day, Rabbis generally refused to teach the women and almost always gave them an inferior place
But not Jesus!
It’s interesting that all of Jesus’ enemies were men
This woman saw how their lives had been transformed by Him
She had a flow of blood for twelve years
This woman was desperate condition
Her bleeding made her ceremonially and socially unclean; a burden for 12 years
According to the Jewish ideas of the time, if this woman touched anyone, she imparted her uncleanness to them, an uncleanness that would not allow them to take part in any kind of worship
Luke the physician tells us that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians.
He knew how doctor bills could take all that you had!
She came from behind and touched the border of His garment
What was so special about his garment?
Tallit or Tallis use Tim to demonstrate
The tassels represent all the laws
613 knots - the number of the mitzvot (commandments)
Ten Commandments plus the other 603
Threaded with blue the royal commandments
When one wore it they were said to be engulfed by God and His commandments
The fringes of the tallit not only remind the Jew of the 613 divine commandments, but also underscore the central doctrine of Judaism, that the Lord is one
Was worn by distinguished men, rabbis, and scholars; sometimes worn partly doubled or with the ends thrown over the shoulders
When she touched this, she was touching the law, the commandments and God’s Holy presence, His glory
The commandments kept her under the law and separate
Jesus bought her from under the law
Through his death we are no longer under the law
The border in Hebrew and Greek means ‘wings’
Grk pte’-rüks / Heb kä•näf’
• wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
• wing
• extremity
• skirt, corner (of garment)
Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings
Num 15:38 God instructs them to put tassels on the edges
Is 24:16 the 4 corners of the earth
Ex 19:4
You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself
Used from the image of a bird with her young: signifies: protection, care, tenderness and love
Immediately her flow of blood stopped
As she touched Him she came under the protection of His wings
When she touched His garment, Jesus wasn’t made unclean, the woman was made whole
When we come to Jesus with our sin, and lay it upon Him, it doesn’t make Him a sinner, but it makes us clean
His garment served as a point of contact for that faith
This woman was embarrassed
She knew the people wouldn’t let her touch Jesus, so she tried to do it secretly
He asked, ‘Who touched me?’
He knew already
Jesus was saying, ‘come out into the open’
‘Come and be part of society again’
‘Come and build relationships long forgotten’
‘Come and worship me again’
God always brings His work out into the open, even if it starts secretly
We have to share testimonies to God’s power
Healing, deliverance or Salvation
A public show
Jesus’ death was a public spectacle
The woman knew that she was not hidden any more
Jesus knew someone had touched Him
He knows when we reach out in faith to Him
This probably means that Jesus was looking right at her when He said, "Somebody touched Me."
The woman had to come forward, because Jesus knew who she was
How did she know she was healed?
J’s testimony of being healed of the same condition after 7 years
Turn your face heavenward towards Jesus
Jesus should be the object of your search
Nothing else is worth seeking for
Seeking after Jesus shows you are on the right tack
People who are desperate will do almost anything
She was perhaps wealthy, now she had only poverty
She came to the end of herself
You must come to the end of your self and your own resources
Are you still putting your own life to right?
You are sick spiritually if you don’t know Jesus
You will never be healed unless you take what is prescribed
Why go to a doctor and not take the prescribed medication?
To seek it is not enough; you must reach out and touch Him
What is your true position?
Illustration: Are you like the case of a soldier on the battle field, wounded, bleeding, the life oozing away from him, he may be dying, but he is knows to call for help. The surgeon is on the field within hearing, the sufferer pleads for relief with many cries and groaning. So far so good; but remember that crying and weeping will not of themselves heal the sick man—the surgeon must actually come and bind up his wounds; and if he refuses to receive treatment, he may cry all he likes, but he will bleed to death.
Your prayers and seeking of themselves cannot save you, Jesus must come to you, and it is madness on your part to refuse him by your unbelief or pride
If a person refuses all surgery until they understood the anatomy, and comprehends the secret influences of drugs upon the different parts the body first, then they will never be well
The woman looked upon him to be a fountain of mercy
The woman found an immediate change for the better in herself
When she saw she was not hidden, she came, and fell down before him, v. 47
We cannot be hidden from Him
This should encourage us to pour out our hearts before him, and to expose of disease of sin to him
She approached him trembling, yet her faith saved her, v. 48
You may be trembling, yet there is saving faith and healing
She declared before all the people why she had touched him because she believed that a touch would cure her, and it did
Never be ashamed to confess you need a touch from Him
The great physician confirmed her cure, and sent her away with ‘Be of good comfort; your faith hath made you whole’
Even though he was in a hurry to reach Jairus’ daughter, He stopped everything for her
Ps 91:4
He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.
God not only heals and restores but causes us to rise on the wings of the eagle
Catch the current
Glide into the flow of the Spirit
Illustration of the butterflies at school:
We watched them change, transform and spread wings
When I tried to release them outside, they didn’t want to fly due to the confined space they were used to
All they could do was flutter
We held them on our hands, eventually 2 flew away but one decided to stay
I had to put it on a leaf and leave it
Where are you in relation to the message today?
Are you pressing through despite being ashamed and embarrassed?
Are you the soldier on the field, wounded but not taking the surgery or the medication?
Or the butterfly?
• You have wings because God has restored you, but all you do is flutter!
• You have wings and are flying to new heights with the Lord!
Reach out and tough Him and the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in His wings.
