“The Hand and Hem of Jesus”
Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56
Jesus continues to demonstrate the awesome Power of the Living God in His Life and Ministry, so that the evidence would leave NO doubt in anyone’s mind that HE IS THE PERFECT SAVIOR, promised from God from all eternity, sent to die for the sins of anyone who would believe in His righteousness by FAITH.
Three gospel books tell us of the miracles of healing two females in a single day. Remember that women were second-rate citizens in society during Jesus’ time, but they are not second-rate in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have blended the three accounts into one story in order to reveal all of the details from Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Luke 8 and Mark 5 tell us that Jairus, a synagogue ruler, came to Jesus first to tell Him that His daughter was dying, and later comes again to basically tell Jesus that it was too late, she had died:
Luke 8:40: “Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
Matthew 9:18: “While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him…”
Mark 5: 26: “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.) and touched the edge (the tassel) of his cloak."
Matthew 9:21: "She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." 22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.”
Mark 5:29: “and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”
Luke 8:45: "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.”
Mark 5: 34: He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
Luke 8: 49: “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more." 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
Mark 5:38 “When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.”
Matthew 9:23 “When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.”
Mark 5: 41: “He took her by the hand and said to her, ""Talitha koum!"" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”)
Luke 8: 56: “Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.”)
Matthew 9: 26: “News of this spread through all that region.”
“TWELVE”
It is curious that the number “12” is used two times in this story, and immediately following this story in Mark 6:9 and Luke 9:1, and Matthew 10:1, Jesus calls together His 12 disciples and sends them out. I am not a Biblical numerologist, but I do recognize that God’s Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and there is an overall significance to certain “numbers” in scripture. Many times a number in the Bible is just that: A number. But certain numbers are repeated often and SEEM to have a repetitive meaning or inference.
I am not telling you to put a huge significance on the number “12”, however, the Bible mentions the number twelve in reference to the twelve tribes, twelve disciples of Christ, twelve stones, twelve princes, twelve patriarchs from Seth to Noah and his family, and twelve patriarchs from Shem to Jacob. Twelve foundations are mentioned in the heavenly Jerusalem with the twelve gates with twelve pearls guarded by twelve angels, and twelve legions of angels in Matthew 26. Jesus was 12 when his actions are first recorded in the temple. The number 12 is recorded over 350 times in the Bible.
So what MIGHT be the significance? It often signifies an important aspect of God’s Sovereignty: It demonstrates His perfect rule, HIS placing and accomplishment of things within perfect order, His perfect rule, always in His perfect way. The world and the flesh will never do this, which is just one of the weaknesses of living in a broken world. From a human vantage point, things are often NOT what they seem and things usually do not turn out as WE plan, expect, or hope for, but according to God’s Sovereignty, HIS Divine Purpose and plan will ALWAYS be accomplished according to what HE ordains.
After 12 Years of Living
First of all we look at the raising of the 12 year old from death: After 12 years of living, a young girl lost her life. How horrible it is for parents who lose their children! Imagine for a moment, Jairus’ position. He was an upstanding member of the local synagogue. Probably, in his own mind, he entertained thoughts that went like this: Why would God do this to me? My daughter was so special, and I have always tried to do everything RIGHT! I have served God with all my heart as a leader at church, and this has to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? Did my little girl do something wrong to deserve this?
We are reminded that death is an inevitable fact of life; it is a horrible consequence of living in a sinful world. No one is promised life, but everyone who has ever been born is promised death. King David spelled it out in Psalm 51:5: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” The curse of sin is Death, and no one is exempt.
Did the sin of Jairus cause the little girl’s death? A specific sin of his did not cause his daughter’s sickness or death, but inadvertently, his sin DID cause her death. She was a product of His sinful seed, and so death came to her. But Jesus comes, and with a DIVINE word and a HOLY touch of the hand, Jesus reverses the curse of death and brings her life. Who else on EARTH can bring life to a dead and lifeless body? Only God has command and authority over life and death, and Jesus demonstrates that HE HAS the authority. He didn’t call upon God the Father but commanded death to leave and life to appear at HIS TOUCH and COMMAND.
Can we infer from this miracle that death passes over believers and people of faith? No: but we DO KNOW from the text that Jesus’ command to “GET UP” means “to arouse from the sleep of death.” To those who are IN CHRIST, Physical Death still occurs, (we do not have any indication that the girl did not die a physical death later,) but the Mighty Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus, died and arose to bring eternal life to those who believe. For those who are in Christ, physical death is merely “taking a nap”. Jesus alone is the one who is able to bring people from sleep of death to new and eternal life. What mere MAN or prophet CAN DO THAT?!?!
After 12 Years of Bleeding
In between the time that Jairus tells Jesus about his daughter’s sickness and Jesus arriving at the daughter’s side, Jesus heals a woman who, after 12 years of bleeding, all hope seemed to be gone. She approaches Jesus with a confident faith, although ALL other remedies had failed her. To society, she was unclean, untouchable, and so perhaps, maybe that is the reason that she approaches Jesus in the way that she did.
Make no mistake, that there is NO power in the “hem” of cloth, in a tassel that was a mere reminder to keep the law, but the power was and is IN Christ ALONE. It was not because Jesus’ robe was blessed, but because JESUS IS THE BLESSED ONE.
People have faith in many things, but having faith in ANY thing other than the Lord Jesus will bring death. It is only faith in Him that gives eternal hope and life. How can we know that? We know it because Jesus bled ALL of HIS LIFE BLOOD in order to give us eternal hope beyond what we can see, beyond human experience and logic. That’s what saving faith in Christ is and that is what saving faith in Christ does.
The Faith of God
Saving faith, the Faith from God and of God, is the instrument of God by which He brings spiritual and eternal life to those who are dead in sin. If you consider “YOUR FAITH” to do anything, that would be a work, and any WORK cancels God’s righteousness by faith. I have this verse burned into my memory from Romans 11:6: But if it is by GRACE, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise GRACE is no longer GRACE.
Faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord is God-given trust in THE worthy object, Jesus. It is not magical or mystical. It’s never superstitious. It is a gift of trusting in the Savior. Revelation 13:1-8 give us a clear picture of two distinct people groups in the future: All who DO NOT WORSHIP JESUS as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world are in one group along with their true father, satan. They will go to eternal punishment.
The other group of people are those described in Revelation 14:4 as “These the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased (did you hear that? They have been purchased by God) from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.”
In Revelation 15:3-4, they sing the Song of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ: “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, " Great and marvelous are YOUR works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! 4 "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You ALONE are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."
Faith is God-given trust in THE worthy object of our worship, the Lord Jesus. Healing? Yes. Life after death? Yes. But only the word of Jesus who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings will do. Only the hands that were outstretched on the Cross of Calvary are able to save, and only His shed blood provides the saving faith of God in Christ, who will supply all the needs of our hearts because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
The world is weak. Natural man is weak and will never supply the needs of suffering hearts.
But we look beyond what man can offer and achieve, and we look to Jesus alone.
OUTLINE: “The Hand and Hem of Jesus”
Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56
Introduction: God’s Sovereignty: HIS Divine Purpose and plan will ALWAYS be accomplished according to what HE ordains.
I. After 12 years of living, a girl lost her life.
A. Death is an inevitable, horrible consequence of living in a sinful world.
B. A word and hand from Jesus reverses the curse of death and brings life.
C. Physical Death still occurs, but the Lord Jesus died and arose to bring life.
II. After 12 years of bleeding, all hope was gone.
A. There is no power in the “hem” of cloth, but in Christ alone.
B. Faith in Jesus gives eternal hope.
C. Jesus bled ALL of HIS LIFE-BLOOD in order to give us eternal hope beyond what we can see.
III. The Faith from God and of God
A. Faith is the instrument of God by which He brings life.
B. Faith is God-given trust in THE worthy object, Jesus.
C. The faith of God in Christ will supply all the needs of our hearts because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
