"Reach Out And Touch Him"

Jesus was so full of power that it even saturated His clothes! His power overflowed, even to the tassels and hem of His garment.

5:31 – The disciples said, “It could have been anybody; there are hundreds of people here who have been brushing up against you, and touching you; how can we know which one you’re talking about?” But, it wasn’t just any “touch” that Jesus felt, that He was talking about. It was the touch of FAITH, and it didn’t matter WHERE contact was made. The power to heal was in HIM … NOT in the “touch”. There was only 1 in that crowd that had focused their faith on Jesus, and now Jesus is focusing on the faith of that one.

5:32 - Jesus wanted to call attention to what had just happened. This wasn’t always the case, as seen in 6:56. But, here it was important that the woman be identified who had touched Him and been healed. Jesus knew exactly who it was, and He wanted to expose her. I’m sure she didn’t want to be singled out. After all, she wasn’t even supposed to be in that crowd.

VI. HER DREAD – 5:33 – When Jesus looked at HER, her heart began to fear. She may have thought that Jesus would scold her for defiling Him, and making Him “unclean”, according to Jewish Law. Perhaps she thought that Jesus would take back His miracle, because she was so unworthy to come to Him without permission, sneaking up on Him from behind. Perhaps because she “stole” this healing, Jesus wouldn’t be pleased with her.

VII. HER DECLARATION – 5:33 - She fell down at the feet of Jesus and “told Him the whole truth”. She told Him about her infirmity, about her attempts for a cure, about how she had tried everything and everybody else first. She “told Him the whole truth.”

What “truth” do you need to tell Jesus this morning? Jesus already knows, but He wants to hear it from your lips. Do you have:

· Disease – If you are lost, you have a disease called “sin” that defiles you before Holy God. Isaiah 64:6 – “ But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;” With her infirmity, she was familiar with filthy rags … she could identify with her filthiness before Holy God. We like to give grand titles to our sin, but before the face of Holy God, we come to Him with our sin as filthy rags. Jesus said - John 6:37 – “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Come to Jesus and “tell Him the whole truth”.

· Suffering – Perhaps you are suffering from your sinful past and are in need of forgiveness and healing. 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Come to Jesus and “tell Him the whole truth”.

· Failures – Perhaps you have failed God, or are living a failed Christian life. All of your “secret sins” are committed in the face of Jesus … you have nothing to hide from Him. Come to Jesus and “tell Him the whole truth”.

Up to this point, she had never spoken a word. Now, she could no longer hide in the crowd. If the story had stopped at 5:29, she would have walked away HEALED, but not WHOLE.