If you have a marker, put it in Mark 5. We’re also going to Leviticus 15 and Proverbs 3.
How many of you have worked with or known people who have done things and they had no concerns about what people thought? And these are people we sometimes look at and frown upon because they’re doing things that those of us in “polite society” would not do. And we tell our children that you don’t want to grow up and be like that person.
Well, this morning we’re going to look at two people who broke “religious protocol”. And did so for only one reason: they were seeking Jesus.
So the title I’ve given the message this morning is “What are you willing to do to touch Jesus?” And this is my challenge for you today: What are you willing to do to touch Jesus?
We’re going to begin in Mark 5 with verse 21.
(21) And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
(22) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
(23) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live.
(24) And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
(25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
(26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
(27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
(28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
(29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
(30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
(31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
(32) And he looked around about to see her that had done this thing.
(33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
(34) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plaque.
(35) While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
(36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
(37) And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
(38) And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly,
(39) And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
(40) And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.
(41) And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
(42) And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
(43) And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
We have this picture. The ruler of the synagogue has come to Jesus and pleads with him because his daughter is sick. He says Jesus you’ve got to come and heal her. As they are on the way to heal the daughter the woman with the issue of blood comes up behind him and touches his garment and is healed immediately.
When they get to Jairus house they see all the people who crying because the daughter has died. When Jesus tells them she’s not dead but sleeping they begin to laugh and mock him. Jesus puts them out and goes into the girl’s room with the mom and dad with with the disciples and says “Damsel arise” and she wakes up.
We’re going to focus on Jairus, of course, and the woman with the issue of blood.
Going back to verse 22. “And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell and his feet.”
Jairus falls at Jesus feet. He was a ruler of the synagogue. The folks in the synagogue did not get along with Jesus. Remember this? Pharisees. Sadducees. Scribes. They didn’t get along with Jesus. They were always trying to trap him with his words and when that didn’t work they tried to kill him.
Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue coming to Jesus and saying “You have to heal my daughter.” Let’s look at Jairus for a moment.
His primary function was to instruct the people in the law. It was his duty
? to select the readers or teachers in the synagogue. Remember in Luke 4 when Jesus stood up to read in the synagogue? It was a person like Jairus who made sure that Jesus received the book he was looking for.
? to examine the discourse of the public speakers. He had to listen to what they were saying to make sure they were teaching things according to the law.
? and to see that all things were done with decency and in accordance with the ancestral heritage. He had to make sure that what being taught agreed with the oral traditions.
Jairus was not going to have someone teach and not follow all of the protocols. He had a high position in the Jewish religious hierarchy.
Knowing that the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes were against Jesus, you have this ruler of the synagogue – his daughter is dying – who knows that the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes can’t help his daughter. He had heard enough about what Jesus had done that he comes to the conclusion Jesus can heal my daughter.
I want you to think about what Jairus gave up when he went to Jesus and when he bowed down to him. He essentially lost his position in the synagogue. Once the leaders of the Jewish religion found out what he had done, he no longer had a synagogue.
But this man said I love my daughter and whatever it takes for my daughter to be healed I am going to do it. I am going to touch Jesus. I don’t care what it costs me because nothing is more important than my daughter.
You need to see the picture. You who have children. You know your child is dying. Are you going to walk up to Jesus and say come with me and heal my child? No! You’re going to run to Jesus, tears flowing everywhere and pleads with him – not in complete sentences – “Jesus. My daughter. You’ve got heal her. Please Jesus.” All of this in between sniffles and tears.
This is a ruler of the synagogue doing this to a man who considered an outcast. “Jesus you’ve got heal my daughter. She’s my only one! Please! Please!” And we know from scripture that in situations like these Jesus was often moved with compassion. So Jesus says “I’ll go with you.”
They are on the road to Jairus house and the woman with the issue of blood comes up behind him and touches his garment. Jesus turns around and says who touched me? His disciples couldn’t believe he would ask such a question because of all the people.
Before moving on to the woman, how many of you, like Jairus, would be willing to give up everything you have to touch Jesus? When you make a decision like that all of the things that you consider valuable – houses, cars, bank accounts – they don’t hold the same meaning.
And why did Jairus want to touch Jesus? He wanted daughter healed. He wanted his daughter whole. Jairus didn’t care anymore. His daughter’s healing was all that mattered. How many of you don’t care any more about how people respond to you when you talk about Jesus?
How many of you are at that point in your life where it’s either Jesus or nothing? When you choose Jesus your lifestyle is going to change. And people will know it. And you’re not going to tolerate some things you now tolerate. When you touch Jesus you don’t live in an area that’s gray. It’s all black and white. It’s either kingdom related or it’s not.
I have a question for you. Do you think it was a coincident that the woman with the issue of blood came up behind Jesus, toughen him and was made whole at the same moment he was walking to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter? Do you think that was a coincident?
Do you know what was happening? The woman with the issue of blood was his confirmation that his faith was in the right place. When she was healed immediately just by touching Jesus’ clothes, don’t you think that made an impression on Jairus?
In verse 25, the word “woman” comes from the Greek word that means “a wife”. Turns to Leviticus 15. I want you to see what it means when you have an issue of blood and it applies to both men and women. We’re going to pick it up in verse 19.
(19) And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
So we’re talking about an issue from her womb.
(20) And everything that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.
In verses 21 through 27 we see that anything that touches her bed is unclean. And if a person’s clothes touches something she has sat upon they must be washed immediately. And if her husband is intimate with her he will be unclean for seven days. Everything she touches while she has the issue of blood is unclean.
Are you seeing the picture? This is a woman who was unclean for 12 years. When you are unclean you can’t go into the temple. You can’t worship God with everyone else when you’re unclean. For 12 years she couldn’t serve God the way He wanted her to serve Him.
Let’s pick the record up with verse 28.
(28) But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
(29) And on the eighth day (In scripture the number eight means “new beginning”.) she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
(30) And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness.
Back to Mark 5.
This woman was unclean for 12 years and when you’re unclean this long it changes your life.
? You don’t have any contact with your friends because the moment you have contact with them they become unclean.
? It minimizes the contact you have with your husband.
? It minimizes your ability to go out shopping for groceries.
? A person who is unclean had to let people know that they were unclean.
? If you are one of her girlfriend and you’re married and you touch her or anything she touches that makes you unclean and
o You can’t touch your husband
o You can’t hug your children.
Look at verse 27. “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.”
What had she heard about Jesus? A clue to that is earlier in the chapter. Remember when Jesus delivered the man who was possessed by Legion and he told the man to home and tell people about how good God had been to him? And it says that the man lived in the region of Decapolis, which included 10 cities around Jerusalem. So he spread the word. Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe that Jairus and this lady heard him?
Now look again at verse 28. I want you to hear what she says. “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
The whole time she is looking for Jesus she’s saying within herself “All I want to do is touch him. I know that if I touch him I’ll be made whole.” She was saying this to herself over and over and over. This was her motivation.
Now think about this. You have this throng of people and she’s unclean every person she touches to get to Jesus becomes unclean. But they didn’t know they were becoming unclean but she did. When you make another person unclean on purpose other than your husband you were supposed to be stoned. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She wanted the bleeding to stop.
Now verse 29. “And straightway the foundation of her blood was dried up, and she felt (she knew) in her body that she was healed of that plague.
It’s interesting that scripture uses the word “plague”. It’s an old word that people used when they believed a person’s affliction was a curse from God. In this woman’s mind she’s probably thinking God has cursed her because she’s had the issue for 12 years.
(30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
The word “virtue” is the Greek word dunamis and it means “strength, power, ability. It’s inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue OF ITS NATURE. Jesus had the life and nature of his Father, something no other human on earth at the time had. Who do we have the life and nature of when we get born again?
Jump down to verse 33. “But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.”
Now when she tells him all the truth she’s admitting that she has made everyone she touched unclean. She admits that. “Jesus, I wanted to touch you so badly because I’ve been bleeding for 12 years and I couldn’t take it anymore. And I knew you were coming. I knew you were in the area. And I knew that the only thing I needed to do was touch you Jesus. That’s all! And I would be made whole. I had no doubts about that Jesus.”
Now notice what Jesus does not do. Jesus doesn’t say “So, you were unclean the whole time you were coming to touch me. And this made everyone you touched unclean. Hey Peter, go get some stones. This woman has to die. The law says she has to die.”
You don’t see Jesus saying that. Look what he says in verse 34 – a very critical verse. “And he said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
“You go in peace. The sentence that is supposed to be carried out according to the law is not going to be carried out today. And you are made whole from the plague that you may have believed the Lord God of Abraham put on you.”
When Jesus tells the woman to go in peace, what he’s really saying is “Daughter, go INTO peace. Go into rest. Your body can now rest. Your body is now whole. You no longer have an affliction.”
There are many of you in this room today who need rest – physically and mentally. The only way you’re going to get that rest and be rejuvenated is to touch Jesus regardless of what people say. If it make someone upset, I don’t care. I want to be whole.
Jesus is talking to the woman when the servants of Jairus come to him and tell him that his daughter is dead. Jesus overhears them. But he looks at Jairus and says “Don’t be afraid. All you have to do is believe. Remember you sought me out because you want your daughter healed. Now I will go with you to raise her up!”
When Jesus, Jairus and the three disciples get to Jairus’ home and see the people crying Jesus says simply “The damsel is not dead. She is sleeping.” The people couldn’t believe what Jesus said and started laughing and ridiculing him. So you know what Jesus did? He put them all out.
Two things stand out.
(1) The man of the house, Jairus, didn’t put them out. Jesus put them out. Think about it. Jairus is grieving more than anyone can ever know. He has just lost in only daughter. Anyone who has lost a love one knows that in the beginning you are not thinking clearly. So Jesus took care of Jairus and his wife.
(2) Why did put them out? Because of the unbelief the people were speaking into Jairus and his wife and into the lives of Peter, James and John. Jesus was training Peter, James and John for the leadership positions they would have in the church. He was getting them ready to lead the church.
Something I want you to understand. When we don’t believe what the Word says, i.e. we don’t act on it, then we are like those who were weeping and wailing – we are ridiculing Jesus.
So, Jesus speaks to the dead girl and tells us to get up. Now there are some who teach she really wasn’t dead but in a coma. Turn to Luke 8:55. It’s dealing with the same record. Well, let’s read verses 53, 54 and 55.
(53) And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
(54) And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
(55) And her spirit (What did her spirit do?) came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
The girl was dead. And Jesus said to the parents “I don’t care what you see. You’ve trusted me this far. She will live again.” And she did.
Mark 5 is a record of two people who decided that what people thought about what they were doing didn’t matter. They were going to get from Jesus what they needed it get. All of us have to come to that same place in life.
Let’s look at the lessons from this passage.
(1) Your faith most be based on hearing and believing what God has said in His Word.
(2) Faith is not passive. It requires us to take some king of action.
(3) How you act on your faith should not be influenced by what others may think.
(4) Your faith can override what you see in the natural.
(5) Your faith can be weakened by a constant barrage of negative thoughts, negative words and negative actions. I’m not talking about other people’s negative thoughts, words and actions but your negative thoughts, your negative words and your negative actions.
(6) Your faith can be weakened by the people you spend time with and the people you allow to speak into your life.
(7) Your faith determines who you will respond to the words of faith.
(8) Your faith will always result in the fulfillment of God’s Word in your life. ALWAYS.
I want to end with something the Lord shared with me.
“My Word is to you what Jesus was to this woman with the issue of blood. When you come to My Word with faith it will produce in your life the same way it produced in hers. She was willing to do whatever it took to get Jesus because she believed He could heal her. Most of My people aren’t willing to do that. They are more concerned about how they will look to other people than they are about coming to Me with childlike faith. As long as you let other people dictate your relationship with Me, you will never receive the blessings and promises waiting for you, said the Lord.
What are you willing to do to touch Jesus?
