Sermon Central
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Touching Jesus
Contributed by C Vincent on Jul 6, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: The woman who reached out to touch Jesus despite her uncleaness
Touching Jesus
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
