THE WOMAN IN THE CROWD
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. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 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. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 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? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:21-34 KJV)
I. HER DESPARATION
A. SHE WAS SICK.
1. She wanted to get better.
a. She was tired of the embarrassment.
b. She was tired of its effects.
“She had suffered many things of many physicians”
c. She was tired of explaining.
“She went to many physicians”
2. She wasn’t getting any better.
“She was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.”
a. How disappointing this was.
b. How depressing this was.
B. SHE HAD SPENT ALL.
1. Her medical expenses were great.
2. Her money was gone.
II. HER DETERMINATION
A. SHE STRUGGLED THROUGH THE CROWD.
(Had they known of her affliction) Matthews Majestic
Gospel, Ivor Powell, p. 180
1. They would have felt contaminated by her presence.
2. They would have insisted on her punishment.
B. SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR CHRIST.
1. Her conviction
“She said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
2. Her commitment
1. She wasn’t going to let anything deter her.
2. She wasn’t going to let anybody discourage her.
III. HER DELIVERANCE
A. SHE WAS CURE.
“Straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague.”
B. SHE CONFESSED.
“The woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her,
came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.”
C. SHE WAS COMFORTED AND ASSURED.
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of
thy plague.”
