Touching Jesus

Touching Jesus

Luke 8:1-3 & 43-48

It had been a busy day

Teaching the crowds, going over the lake, calming the storm and casting out demons, then the return journey where he was surrounded by the crowds and approached by Jairus then

Someone touched Him!

Her faith was high. Why?

Luke 8:2 And certain women Mary Mag, Joanna, Susanna + others

Why does Luke specifically mention the women who followed and served Jesus?

Many were delivered and healed women

What a following! And all ministering unto Him of their substance, and He allowing them to do it

In that day, Rabbis generally refused to teach the women and almost always gave them an inferior place

But not Jesus!

It’s interesting that all of Jesus’ enemies were men

This woman saw how their lives had been transformed by Him

She had a flow of blood for twelve years

This woman was desperate condition

Her bleeding made her ceremonially and socially unclean; a burden for 12 years

According to the Jewish ideas of the time, if this woman touched anyone, she imparted her uncleanness to them, an uncleanness that would not allow them to take part in any kind of worship

Luke the physician tells us that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians.

He knew how doctor bills could take all that you had!

She came from behind and touched the border of His garment

What was so special about his garment?

Tallit or Tallis use Tim to demonstrate

The tassels represent all the laws

613 knots - the number of the mitzvot (commandments)

Ten Commandments plus the other 603

Threaded with blue the royal commandments

When one wore it they were said to be engulfed by God and His commandments

The fringes of the tallit not only remind the Jew of the 613 divine commandments, but also underscore the central doctrine of Judaism, that the Lord is one

Was worn by distinguished men, rabbis, and scholars; sometimes worn partly doubled or with the ends thrown over the shoulders

When she touched this, she was touching the law, the commandments and God’s Holy presence, His glory

The commandments kept her under the law and separate

Jesus bought her from under the law

Through his death we are no longer under the law

The border in Hebrew and Greek means ‘wings’

Grk pte’-rüks / Heb kä•näf’

• wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt

• wing

• extremity

• skirt, corner (of garment)

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings

Num 15:38 God instructs them to put tassels on the edges

Is 24:16 the 4 corners of the earth

Ex 19:4

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself

Used from the image of a bird with her young: signifies: protection, care, tenderness and love

Immediately her flow of blood stopped

As she touched Him she came under the protection of His wings

When she touched His garment, Jesus wasn’t made unclean, the woman was made whole

When we come to Jesus with our sin, and lay it upon Him, it doesn’t make Him a sinner, but it makes us clean

His garment served as a point of contact for that faith

This woman was embarrassed

She knew the people wouldn’t let her touch Jesus, so she tried to do it secretly

He asked, ‘Who touched me?’

He knew already

Jesus was saying, ‘come out into the open’

‘Come and be part of society again’

‘Come and build relationships long forgotten’

‘Come and worship me again’

God always brings His work out into the open, even if it starts secretly

We have to share testimonies to God’s power

Healing, deliverance or Salvation

A public show

Jesus’ death was a public spectacle

The woman knew that she was not hidden any more

Jesus knew someone had touched Him

He knows when we reach out in faith to Him

This probably means that Jesus was looking right at her when He said, "Somebody touched Me."

The woman had to come forward, because Jesus knew who she was

How did she know she was healed?

J’s testimony of being healed of the same condition after 7 years

Turn your face heavenward towards Jesus

Jesus should be the object of your search

Nothing else is worth seeking for

Seeking after Jesus shows you are on the right tack

People who are desperate will do almost anything

She was perhaps wealthy, now she had only poverty

She came to the end of herself

You must come to the end of your self and your own resources

Are you still putting your own life to right?

You are sick spiritually if you don’t know Jesus