Life Change: The Touch That Changes Everything Mark 5:25-34

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1 Life Change: The Touch That Changes Everything Mark 5:25-34 *Bike Ramp When I was a kid, we rode bikes. We played (outside). And I know, most kids today would hear me say that and think Your parents must have been so mean making you play outside where the sun is shining and the air conditioning is non-existent. -For some reason, everyone in my neighborhood thought we were professional BMX Bikers (X Games stuff). -One day we decided to build a bike ramp not your everyday ramp; this one was about 5 feet off the ground and we decided to put it in the middle of the street. I went first! -The sequence of events looked like this: I launched I flew I crashed I bled I cried -Since nobody wanted to get in trouble, my friends tried to fix it washing it by pouring their juice box in the wound wiping the blood off with leaves out of the neighbor s yard it s scary when you re surrounded with six 8 year old paramedics trying to fix you up. -MOM FINALLY HEARD MY CRIES AND CAME OUT: up that point it was nothing but pain crying misery blood but then she came out with a wet wash rag and placed it on my leg [pause] it seemed like all the pain went away. For me that day, it was my Mom s touch that changed everything. I don t know about you, but there have been multiple times already, where I ve found myself in that very same situation in life Times when I ve crashed and burned, where I m cut up and bleeding, where I m hurting and miserable times when it seems like all I can experience is pain. And if I were a betting man, I d bet that you ve been in a similar situation in your own life. You know what that s like don t you? You know what it s like to need a TOUCH in your life to take away your pain and change your circumstance. That s what we re talking about tonight: The TOUCH that changes everything: Over the last several weeks, we ve met some people from the book of Mark that on the surface you wouldn t think had a chance to change. I mean the odds were stacked against them for making a change in their lives. For instance: the leper, the paralytic, a sick and dying twelve year old little girl. You would look at those three people and say, There s no way they can change. There s no way the outcome of these circumstances are going to change. Well.. they did. In fact.. not only did their lives change but their souls were saved.

2 And again here s how it happened: they all came into a new relationship that inspired and sustained their hope. From that new relationship they received a new way of thinking. And from that new way of thinking... change came! Now today we are back in Mark 5. Last time beginning in verse 21 we read where a man named Jairus (A Desperate Dad) came seeking Jesus in order to go help his daughter who was sick and dying. The Bible tells us that Jesus went with Jairus to go with him to his house where his daughter was. Now do you remember what happened along the way? They were interrupted. Remember? And do you remember who interrupted them and what happened? Well, we read about it beginning in verse 25: 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, Who touched my clothes? 31 You see the people crowding against you, his disciples answered, and yet you can ask, Who touched me? 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 1. Her Condition This lady had a condition she had a problem! And we can relate, maybe not to this specific problem, but you and I know what it s like to be in a condition of suffering, pain and misery In verse 25, we read about this lady s condition and we see The extent of her suffering 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Now here s what that meant for her: a person in her condition was excommunicated from the Temple and the synagogue according to the Law of Moses (Lev 15). If that wasn t bad enough, according to the law of the Rabbis, she was divorced from her husband and shut out from family life and ostracized by society.

3 So, the last twelve years of her life were lived in total isolation: no family, no friends, no touch, no corporate worship & no hope for change. But notice not only the extent of her suffering The expense of her suffering 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. In Dr. Luke s account in Luke 8, he tells us in verse 43 that she had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any. She not only had a Health problem, but now she had a financial problem. The length of her suffering was for twelve years and the loss of her suffering was that she had spent all of her money on Doctors and could not be healed by any. No man could change her condition. No doctor could change her condition. And Mark tells us in verse 26 that her condition, grew worse. She wasn t getting better, she was getting worse. She was incurable. She could not be healed. That was her condition. It was a hopeless condition one that left her in isolation one that left her broke one that left her without any chance of a doctor or healer changing her life. 2. Her Confidence Despite her condition, she still had confidence. In verse 27, it says, She heard. 27 When she heard about Jesus I know that doesn t sound like much, but it really is a big deal. She heard about Jesus which tell me that she would have never come to Jesus had she not heard about him. That tells me that somebody, somewhere talked to her about Jesus and planted that seed in her heart and because she had heard about him, she began to believe in Him and have confidence that he could change her life. But not only did she hear it says She touched. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.

4 Now don t think that she just lightly touched His garment. This word translated touched speaks of an action of force. You can say that she clutched or grasped His garment. She came from behind Jesus and grasped onto those tassels and verse 29 tells us that 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Let me tell you something about her touch; her clutching of His garment: It was a touch a touch of faith! It was her faith that directed her to Jesus and it was her faith that delivered her! You can put it down: it requires FAITH to reach out to Jesus! She learned that day that reaching out to Jesus by faith: brings physical healing! But not only physical healing, but emotional healing. And not only physical and emotional healing, but spiritual healing. Let me tell you something about that woman and her touch of faith: she was made WHOLE that day after touching the hem of Jesus garment. Physically whole Emotionally whole.. Spiritually whole! Her healing was complete! Her confidence in Jesus led to her becoming complete and becoming complete led to her confession: 3. Her Confession *Do you ever tap someone on the shoulder and act like it wasn t you? It makes them wonder, Who touched me? right? I do that to my kids all the time (Who touched me?) That s frustrating Jesus wasn t frustrated here. Actually, he wasn t even asking the question because he was curious or didn t know the answer Jesus said, Who touched me? to give this lady an opportunity to confess. And this is pretty interesting because at the moment this lady was healed, and at that moment, Jesus required an open confession on the spot. 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.

5 Why would Jesus require an open confession on the spot like that? Because He had a blessing for her and many times, in order for Him to bless us, he first wants a confession from us. Look at the blessing 34 He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. He said Go in peace, and it actually translates to mean, Go INTO peace. There s a big difference in the two. John 14:27 says, 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. This lady had experienced the touch that changes everything and now she could GO INTO PEACE. She could now enter into peace knowing she was no longer excommunicated from the Temple no longer ostracized from her family.. no longer be considered unclean in society no longer in bondage to her past. Jesus required an open confession because (1) He had a special blessing for her. But also (2) so that others might believe. When we confess what Jesus has done in our life, it helps others come to Him! And We don t do it enough. We don t confess what Jesus has done in our life enough. But when we do, it helps others come to Jesus, it helps others have a greater faith in Him. Let me tell you another reason that Jesus required an open confession that day: (3) To encourage Jairus! Remember him? This woman had caused Jesus to stop (PAUSE) on His way to Jairus s home where his sick and dying daughter was. There stood Jairus, anxiously waiting for Jesus to get to his house before it was too late. We read in verse 33 that she knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. Can t you hear Jairus thinking to himself, Come on!! Make it quick! We ve got to get to my house NOW! And then as Jairus heard the whole story about her having this flow of blood for 12 years.. after hearing how her touching the hem of the garment of Jesus healed her I m sure he started thinking, if Jesus can heal this woman who has had this problem for 12 years He can heal my 12 year old daughter too. Her confession strengthened the faith of Jairus! Her confession also brought into her life a special blessing.

6 Daughter, your faith has healed you. Faith directed her to Jesus and faith delivered her! (Hebrews 11.6) Without faith it is impossible to please Him... Jesus saw her faith & told this lady Go in (into) peace and be freed from your suffering. What happened to this woman reminds me of what David tells us in Psalm 50.15, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. Reaching out to Jesus brings peace on the inside and praise on the outside. *I m reminded of what it was like to be lying there in the street that day; bleeding, crying, miserable, embarrassed, in pain and to then experience the touch of my Mom. Tonight, that may describe in a sense where you find your own life Touch that changes everything.