A. WHY DID SHE TOUCH JESUS: MARK 5:24-35?
1. She did not want Jesus to touch her. She thought Jesus might become unclean if He healed her with a touch. “Whoever touches her shall be unclean” (Leviticus 15:19).
2. She wanted contact. She did not want to touch Jesus, just His clothes. “… anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, they will be unclean” (Leviticus 15:23).
3. Time after cleansing. “If the issue stops, she must wait seven days to be declared cleansed” (Leviticus 15:28, ELT).
4. Completely dedicated. “Spent all that she had” (Mark 5:26).
5. Her attempts were opposite. “She … was not better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26, ELT).
6. Ultimate. “Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness” (Leviticus 15:31).
B. THE WOMAN ENCOUNTERS CHRIST
An encounter occurs when (1) God intentionally meets with you, (2) in a time of great personal need, (3) through unexpected circumstances, (4) telling you something about Himself, (5) you learn something about yourself, (6) preparing you for a specific task, (7) even though you do not fully understand all the mysterious elements of the encounter.
1. She planned the encounter, i.e., completely dedicated. “For she kept saying, ‘If I can only touch Him’” (Mark 5:28, ELT).
2. She was needy in every area of life. She was financially destitute, a social outcast and had suffered pain.
3. Jesus embraced the encounter. “Jesus immediately realized that His power had healed someone. He said, “Who touched Me?” (Mark 5:30, ELT).
4. She learned about herself when Jesus called her to the front of the crowd.
5. God knows everything. Jesus called her to correct her thinking. She thought, “If I can only touch Him, I shall be healed” (Mark 5:27, ELT). Jesus corrected her, “Your faith has healed you” (Mark 5:34, ELT).
6. Jesus instructed her. “Go in peace because you are healed” (Mark 5:34, ELT).
7. God knows everything. How could Jesus heal without knowing it? The answer is in the mystery of the kenosis, deity taking on humanity.
C. TEN LESSONS ABOUT HEALING
1. After your life falls apart, you can be changed by an encounter with Christ.
2. Some people will try anything desperately, to be healed, “Had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any” (Luke 8:43).
3. Some people are not healed when they want it. The little girl in the story died (Mark 5:35), Epaphroditus was sick (Philippians 2:26), Trophimus was left sick (2 Timothy 4:20), and Paul did not get healing after praying three times (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).
Why some are not healed:
a. Not repent deep enough, not focused.
b. Not pray sincere enough, not total faith.
c. Disease too advanced, pray too late.
d. We must suffer the consequences of sin inevitable.
e. God’s will be done.
4. God can heal anyone at any time, from any disease. God told 99-year-old Abraham: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
5. Healing comes from God, not from things. Sin brought germs, disease, and inflection that results in sickness and death.
a. Physicians cannot heal us; they remove the cause of pathology.
b. The body heals itself.
c. God works through secondary sources, medicine, doctors, etc.
d. God can heal directly. “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
6. Christ is interested in more than healing. “Go in peace” (Mark 5:34). “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you” (John 5:14, NLT).
7. The corporate prayer of faith will heal a sick person. “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:14-16).
a. Why the elders?
b. Why prayer and oil?
c. Who has the prayer of faith?
d. Why are sins mentioned with healing?
e. Is healing physical or spiritual?
8. We can have faith for an encounter for healing.
9. A process of healing is sometimes necessary. Why did Jesus put public attention on the woman?
a. To correct.
b. To give her access back into society.
c. To strengthen her.
10. Others can be encouraged by our healing from Christ. Jairus was encourage.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
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