Sermon #20 Series: Mark

Title: “Who Touched Me?”

Text: Mark 5:21-34

Readings: Office: Bobbie Estes Auditorium: Bob Poncer

Subject: The Healing Of The Woman With An Issue Of Blood

Date: Sunday Evening - May 11, 1997

Tape # T-69

Introduction:

Our Lord Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house to perform a miracle of mercy upon his daughter, who was at the point of death. No doubt, word had gotten around in a hurry about what he had done in Gadara. Therefore, Jairus ran to the Master, fell down at his feet, and begged him to come to his house and heal his daughter. As they went along the crowds began to gather. You can imagine the commotion. Read verses twenty-one through twenty-three.

Mark 5:21-23 "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. (22) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (23) 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."

You can imagine the excitement of this crowd. Here is a man, who claims to be God’s Messiah, the Christ, God incarnate. Everyone knows his claim; but he has begun to back it up and substantiate it by doing things that no one else could possibly do. In Gadara, the devils themselves were constrained to publicly acknowledge him as the Lord their God, who had absolute power over them. Now, he is going to heal a young girl, whose father was a very prominent citizen in the community. This little girl was at the point of death. Everybody wanted to see the miracle. They followed the Lord as closely as possible, pressing him as he walked along. Everyone was excited. Everyone was curious. Everyone was filled with anticipation.

As they moved along, a poor, bent, anemic woman, a woman who had been plagued with an issue of blood for twelve, long, tormenting years, made her way through the crowd. I can picture her. She must not let herself be seen. She is unclean! She has no right, by law to even be in the streets. But she is dying. She has heard about the Lord Jesus. No one else could help her. She had tried everything imaginable. Yet, she believed that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Christ, the Son of God. She said, “If I could just touch the hem of his garment, I am sure, he would make me whole.” So she crawled through the thronging crowds until she got close. Then, weak and trembling, she stretched out her hand in faith, and touched the Lord Jesus.

As soon as she touched him, the Lord Jesus stopped dead in his tracts. He felt virtue, power and efficacy, go out of him. Therefore, he turned around and said, “Who touched me?” The disciples said, “You’ve got to be kidding. With all these people around, you are asking, ‘Who touched me?’” Then, the Master said, “Somebody touched me!” Let’s read the story together.

Mark 5:24-34 "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. (25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, (27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. (28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (30) 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? (31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (32) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. (33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. (34) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

Proposition: As this poor woman was immediately healed of her plague when she touched the Lord Jesus, so sinners are freed from the curse of the law and the guilt of sin as soon as they touch the Lord Jesus Christ by faith.

Divisions: As we look at these verses tonight and consider the events recorded here by divine inspiration, I want to call your attention o five things.

1. The Curse (vv. 25-26)

2. The Crowd (vv. 24-27)

3. The Cure (vv. 27-30, 34)

4. The Confession (vv. 30-33)

5. The Commendation (v. 34)

I. THE CURSE

Mark 5:25-26 "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,"

There is no greater evidence of the total depravity of all human beings by nature than the fact that we all incur disease, get sick, and die. All sickness, disease, and death is the result of sin and the curse of God upon the human race because of sin.

This woman’s sickness was a specific example of sin and the curse of God’s law upon us all by nature. Her sickness, her unceasing issue of blood, was something that made her ceremonially unclean. So it is with us all by nature. We are plagued with in. The plague of sin makes us unclean. Being unclean, we are cursed and barred from the holy Lord God. Look at what the Holy Spirit tells us about this woman.

A. She “had an issue of blood twelve years.”

· An Uncleanness (Lev. 15:25)

· A Disabling Sickness

B. This poor soul “had suffered many things of many physicians.”

She had been to every doctor in town, including the quacks, the charlatons, the snake oil herbalists, and the faith healers.

· Dr. Decision

· Dr. B. Good

· Dr. Free Will

· Dr. Ceremony

· Dr. Right Church

· Dr. Excitement

· Dr. Emotion

C. Next, we are told that she “spent all that she had.

D. Yet, she was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.”

Religion without Christ will never help you. It will only put you in a worse condition.

II. THE CROWD

Mark 5:24-27 "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. (25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, (27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment."

People profess faith in Christ for many reasons. They claim to follow him for many reasons. People come to church for a lot of reasons.

· Curiosity

· Excitement

· Fear of Judgment

· Social Pressure

The crowds of people thronged our Lord; but only one person gained any benefit. Only one person came from behind and touched him. Only one person in this great crowd needed him. Only one person believed the Lord Jesus could actually cure her of her plague. Believing him, she touched him.

I wonder - Is there anyone here tonight who needs the Son of God? Is there anyone here who believes him? Is there anyone here who will come to him and touch him?

Reach out and touch the Lord, as He passes by.

You’ll find He’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry.

He’s passing by this moment, your needs to supply.

Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by!

III. THE CURE

Mark 5:27-30 "When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. (28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (30) 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?"

Mark 5:34 "And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

There are several things here, which ought to catch our attention. Many reading this story miss the most important aspects of it. They put all the emphasis upon the woman. Inspiration puts the emphasis on the woman only as the recipient of mercy and benefactor of grace. But in so far as the act of mercy and the work of grace is concerned, the emphasis must be placed upon the Savior. This woman was made whole in exactly the same way every sinner saved by the grace of God is made whole. She was made whole by a fivefold work of God almighty.

A. A Work Of Providence

· Her sickness was not an accident, but a work of God for her soul, to bring her to Christ. That which was the destruction and death of others was for her the instrument of mercy.

· Providence brought the chosen sinner and the appointed Savior together at the time of love.

B. A Work Of The Word

Notice, she came to Christ in faith “when she had heard of Jesus” (v. 27), not before. No one is ever saved apart from the hearing of Christ, the hearing of the gospel. God never bypasses the appointed means of grace. There is no need for him to do so.

C. A Work Of Grace

The grace of God is not verbally mentioned in the text; but it is written all over it. Grace had chosen “a certain woman.” Grace caused Jesus to pass her way. Grace caused her to hear about him. And grace gave her faith and wrought faith in her.

· Ephesians 1:19

· Ephesians 2:8

· Philippians 1:29

· Colossians 2:12

D. A Work Of Faith

This woman’s faith, like all true faith, was the gift of God. Yet, it was her faith. She chose to come to Christ. She chose to believe on the Son of God. She was made willing in the day of his power; but she was willing. She was caused to come by the sweet constraint of grace; but she did come.

E. A Work Of Omnipotence

The arm of God’s omnipotent, almighty, irresistible power brought this thing to pass exactly according to his everlasting purpose of love and grace toward this chosen sinner. The virtue that went out of the Savior to this woman was his own omnipotence.

IV. THE CONFESSION

Mark 5:30-33 "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? (31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (32) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. (33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth."

Our Savior did not ask, “Who touched me?” because he needed to learn who had done this, but because we need to learn the necessity of confessing Christ before men. “With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” This woman came and told the Savior publicly, all the truth.”

· About Her Plague

· About His Power

· About Her Cure

It is not needful for us to blow the trumpet in the streets and force others to hear us when they choose not to listen. However, it is required that we identify ourselves with Christ and his gospel publicly. We must not be ashamed to confess Christ before men.

· In Believer’s Baptism

· In Conversation

· In Faithful Witness

V. THE COMMENDATION

Mark 5:34 "And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

Here, our Lord Jesus commends faith, that great work of grace of which he is himself both the object and the author.

A. Nothing brings such glory to Christ as that faith which looks to Christ for everything.

B. Nothing is so useful to our souls as faith in Christ.

· We begin in faith.

· We live by faith.

· We stand in faith.

· We walk by faith, not by sight.

· We have peace with God by faith.

· We see the glory of God by faith.

· We must die in faith.

C. Nothing is so important as this - “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?”

Application: Let this be a point of personal self-examination for each of us. Is my faith real? Do I really believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Is this gift of God mine?