The first thing I want you to see in this passage this morning is this woman struggled with this issue of blood for 12 years.
For instance, we see the 12 disciples; the 12 tribes of Israel, 12 spies who went to scout the promise land… In Revelation we read about the New Jerusalem, we see the number 12 repeatedly 12 gates, 12 angels, 12 foundations…all this points to perfection, ultimately coming under God’s authority and under God’s government.
The number 12 generally carries a positive meaning, However not so much in this passage. This woman bled for 12 years. This issue had authority over this woman! This issue governed every aspect of this woman’s life and how she lived! Because she was bleeding she would have been considered unclean, no one would have wanted contact with her. She was ostracized. She was pushed to the side. She was looked down on! You could say it was a perfect storm so to speak, a storm that controlled her life.
Maybe you’re here this morning and can relate to this woman… Maybe you’re coming up against something that is controlling your life… You feel like this thing that you’re coming up against has authority over you… You feel like you’re in the middle of a perfect storm… You feel like if it can God wrong it will…
I want to tell you this morning we serve the God who holds all authority… We serve the One who is Lord over the Storm! We serve the One who can speak and bring peace and silence to the storms raging in your lives. – We serve the God who holds all authority!
What’s Impossible with Man is Possible with God
This woman had an issue of blood for 12 years, it controlled her life and we read that she literally spent everything she had on doctors and instead of getting better she actually got worse!
Have you ever said “well it couldn’t get any worse”? Then you wish you wouldn’t have said that because now you realize it can get much worse! How many of you wish you could go back to a time when you said this is the worst, but now you look back and you’re like man I had it so good back then! – If only my life could be that good now!
V 26 The text said that this woman suffered a great deal under the hand of many doctors, and she spent all that she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse but here is where everything changed…V27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak…
You know sometimes our situations never get any better, and sometimes actually get worse, because we exhaust every other means, every other resource, and every other avenue but we refuse to surrender our problem to Jesus. I want to challenge you this morning, if you’ve tried going to the doctor for something health related and nothing has changed…why not go to Jesus?
If you’ve gone to marriage counseling and your marriage hasn’t gotten any better why not go to Jesus? If you’ve gone to rehabs but that addiction hasn’t gotten any better, why not go to Jesus? If you’ve tried infertility treatment and not of that is working, why not go to Jesus?
***Hear me this morning, I’m not saying we shouldn’t use the resources I’ve just mentioned…I think these things are gifts from God. What I am saying is why are we so quick to exhaust every resource and yet never look to Jesus for a miracle?
This woman tried everything she could, she spent everything she had on doctors and instead of getting better, she grew worse…
Man had ultimately failed this woman… Through the eyes of man, it seemed like an impossible situation… BUT, what is impossible with man, is possible with God!
So, when this woman heard about Jesus she said I’m going to bring my problems to Him!
Faith takes Hold of God’s Promises
Here is Jesus passing by…Jesus was actually on His way to perform another miracle. (Do you ever feel like Jesus is passing you by?)
This woman thought, if I can just touch the hem of His garment I’ll be healed. This thought is so important!
***You see in the Mosaic Law God instructed His people regarding the corners or the fringes of their garments. Jews were to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations…They were to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner…(Numbers 15:37-41
)This was to stand as a reminder that they were God’s chosen people and that they were called to keep God’s commandments. You could say that the corner of their garments symbolized who they were and what they stood for! These corners were a representation of their identity. Many scholars believe that Jesus, being a devout Jew, would have had these tassels on the corners of His clothes.
When the woman said if I can just touch the hem of His garment, I’ll be healed, she was likely talking about, if I can just touch the fringe…If I can just touch the tassel…
In other words, she was saying if I can just align myself with who this man says He is! If I Can Just align myself with what this man says He stands for. If I can just align with His identity, I’ll be healed!
It’s possible that as this woman made her way to Jesus, she could have been thinking, this is the One who was prophesied in Malachi 4:2
the One who would arise with Healing in His wings! As she reached forth in Faith, and aligned herself with Jesus, power left Jesus and this woman was healed!So, it is with you and I today, If we – BY FAITH – begin to align ourselves with Jesus, With His Promises In the Word, with who He is, with His identity, with what He stands for, we can experience miracles today.
Faith Doesn’t Free us From the Fight
I love this scene, Jesus is literally being crushed by people…
Many people are bumping into Jesus, but no one is touching Him… In other words, no one is pulling on His virtue and power…I don’t think they truly understand who is in their midst.
But one woman…she makes contact and power leaves Jesus.
Jesus said, who touched me, the disciples are like what do you mean who touched you…look at this crowd!? Jesus, no, no…I felt power leave me…who touched me?
This woman literally had to fight her way through the crowd, she may have gotten stepped on, pushed around, I wonder at any point if she thought maybe this isn’t worth it. Getting to Jesus was no easy task…but when she finally touched Jesus, boom power left Him.
I want to tell you this morning, when you begin to believe and have faith for your Miracle, that doesn’t mean the fight is over, that means fight of faith is just beginning.
You will fight doubt/unbelief – You will fight naysayers. Your situation may get worse before it gets better/You will fight the lies of the enemy. But the fight of Faith says I may not see it; But I know God is at work! The fight of Faith says I may not understand it, but His ways are higher than my ways.
The Fight of Faith says I may have exhausted all my resources BUT God is able! The Fight of Faith says, what is impossible with man is NOT impossible with God! The fight of Faith says I believe God is who says He is, and I believe He will do what He says He will Do.
The fight of Faith says I know God is working this out for my good (Romans 8:28
) The fight of Faith Trusts in God and in His Word. The fight of Faith says I know God is going to perform a miracle and remove this problem or perform a miracle for me to go through this problem!Keep on pressing until you touch Jesus and experience His power!
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