No More Blood
- This woman had experienced pain
- V25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians
- Lets get this straight here- this woman had been suffering from female bleeding for 12 years
- I don’t care who you are- that’s a long time- Man or woman- if you’re dealing with something for 12 years- that’s a lifetime
- ALSO- She had ‘suffered many things from many physicians’- this wasn’t the age of Obama Care
- I can’t imagine the medical practices of the first century
- Some ancient medical practices included bloodletting, trepanation, dung ointments, skull licking, ingesting mercury- unbelievable
- These doctors were not MDs- they just ‘practiced’ and this woman was at their whim she suffered
- Some of you know what I’m talking about when I talk about experiencing pain
- Emotional, physical pain that has been happening for years and years- no escape. No repreive
- The hardest thing about personal pain is that no one but you can fully understand it- you can talk to someone about it, but inevitably- they look at it through the lens of their own pain, and expect you to identify with their pain, while trying to understand yours
- The end result is that you feel less understood, pitied or identified with- you actually have more pain than you had before you started sharing it
- Here’s the reality though- Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
- One of the greatest gifts the pain full experience is the closeness of God- unlike no one else
- What a gift! Those in Pain are able to cry out to God in a way that others don’t!
- Here’s what sad though-
- The woman got worse
- V26 She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
- All of her time spent going to physicans and trying their elixirs and remedies did nothing to improve her situation- she actually became worse
- Now think of this- This woman was not only bleeding- she was ceremonially unclean for 12 years-
- Never allowed to go into worship. Never allowed to be around others. Never a hug. Never close to others. Never intimate with her spouse (if she had one) He may have left by now
- Her life progressively worse as the years went on. Years 1-3 I’m sure she lost hope- 4-8 probably done by now, she’s probably ready to give up-
- Sometimes, things actually get worse before they get better, but 12 years! Man- and things kept getting WORSE
- Its one thing if you’re going to the doctor and things are getting better, but its really really discouraging when things are way worse
- What does it mean to you
- A life without Jesus doesn’t get better it gets worse- when you continually go to other sources for your satisfaction
- Sure- this woman didn’t know Jesus and she wasn’t rejecting him- but life without Jesus- your life doesn’t get better it gets worse- YOU CANT DABBLE IN DARKNESS AND GET DELIVERANCE
- I don’t know anyone who has stopped serving Jesus who’s life got better- I know people who have lost jobs, relationships, got sick, robbed, and their addictions increased
- Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.- When you fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness- things get worse
- But here’s where her life started to change
3.The woman had faith
- 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
- It doesn’t really describe when or why this woman heard about Jesus or found out
- But “when she heard about Jesus” she came behind him and touched his garment
- Book of Luke talks about “a multitude” that was following Jesus
- This woman had to work at getting to Jesus- she couldn’t just sit back and wait- she went for it
- Pushed her way through the crowd- did what she thought she needed to do to get healed
- No one told her to go and touch Jesus- in her mind- she just thought “If I could just touch his hem”- To her- that was the connection point for her – it wasn’t what she touched- it was what she BELIEVED- that JESUS was the ONE WHO COULD HEAL HER
- Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- What good is it to go to someone who’s as broken as you? Go to the one who can FIX IT
- She had FAITH to BELIEVE in the ONE WHO HEALS- Maybe she just heard stories- maybe she just saw the crowds- but her FAITH was enough- to get her to only “touch the hem”
- Think about this- she was ceremoniously “unclean” for 12 years- not even allowed to touch others and she broke the law- she went past the restrictions and did it anyway- touching others
- She wasn’t supposed to be touching anyone, especially Jesus- a male-
- What does it mean to you?
- Do you have faith? Do you believe? Do you believe in the one who can save?
- I’m not a guy who believes that your faith is what Heals you- Jesus is who heals you- but FAITH puts you in front of the one who HEALS
- Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
- Its YOUR faith- its HIS power- but you still got to move towards the hem of the garment
- Faith is merely action that is fueled by belief- No belief- no action- you don’t believe
- Skydiving- millions of people do it every year- live to tell about it- I believe that parachutes work. That people can use them and live. I just don’t believe it enough to put action behind it
- Where’s your faith? Who are you believing? I cant promise you that God is going to do exactly what I want him to do everytime I believe in faith- But I’d rather die believing God than believing myself.
- Mark 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
- Many a prosperity preacher have messed up these verses for dog houses and sports cars
- But I HOLD ON to my faith! I BELIEVE and DO NOT DOUBT that I am SAVED- That I am SET FREE that God is my PROVIDER, My PROTECTOR, MY ADVOCATE, MY VERY GREAT REWARD
- Where’s your faith? Job? Spouse? Possessions?
- This woman didn’t have a Bible study- take a class- go to college- understand theology- all she understood- JESUS- JESUS JESUS- I NEED TO GET TO JESUS-
- Story of kid going to see jesus in library- I just need to see Jesus
Here’s a great part
4The woman was healed
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
- Notice in this story- even before Jesus speaks to her, before he announces her healing, just the touch of the garment IMMEDIATELY dried up her blood.
- This woman FELT in her body that she was healed of her affliction
- Notice- Immediately she was healed Immediately Jesus knew power went out of him- he even says “who touched my clothes”?
- How did the power transfer happen? How did Jesus know? Why was she healed? I’m not exactly sure- but what I DO know- is that SHE WAS HEALED
- Often times people want to hold a bible study to try and figure out the who, why and what
- Sometimes people just get HEALED- Oral Roberts- I can’t tell why some do- cant say why some don’t- But when Jesus does it- he does it IMMEDIATELY!!! He’s a RIGHT AWAY GOD!!!
- Healing was a common occurrance in the Bible- I think it should be a common occurance in our life! READ Psalm 107:19-21
- Why did Jesus talk about the power coming out of him?
- To show people that those who go to him in faith are the ones who are going to get healed-
- There were other around him- they were touching him- but in the midst of it- he asks- “who touched me” because there was only one who was healed because of her FAITH
- What does it mean to you?
- Are you going to Jesus in faith? Are you connecting with him, or just touching him?
- Those who touch him- experience everything that he has to offer-
- You can be around him- and not really touch him-
- Psalm 30:22 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.
- You can stand in church and sing the songs- you can come get prayed for- but are you getting healed? Are you connecting with Jesus on a personal level? Believing He can HEAL YOU
- Your relationship with Jesus is YOUR relationship- you can’t rest on someone elses faith to get your healing or get your deliverance. We are a community on this earth, but we stand before God alone
6The woman was honest
- 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
- Christ knows everything- he knows our motives, our hearts, our thoughts, our desires
- When Christ looked around- he knew exactly who had touched him- he was testing HER response
- So she comes, afraid, healed, but wondering how Christ is going to respond to her after she edged her way into being able to touch Jesus- “will he be mad I broke the law, will he be angry that I pushed my way through”
- Not at all- the woman was restored 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
- The answer of Jesus to this woman was that what she did was what healed her and he sent her away encouraged
- Folks- there is no act of sin or any act of faith that goes unnoticed by Jesus- He knows whats going on- he comforts this woman who comes to him trembling
- But here’s what I love
- One– She was honest- I don’t know what she all said- but she “told him the whole truth”
- Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
- Two- she “came and fell down before him”
- There is no where better to be than at the foot of Jesus telling the truth when you are trembling and scared-
- What does it mean to you
- Jesus knows what you have done- good or bad- there is nothing to fear with coming to Jesus
- Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
- Often times the believer in Christ struggles even more than the unbeliever because they are ashamed of where the relationship has been with Jesus- HE ALREADY KNOWS COME TO HIM
- When you find yourself struggling to come to Jesus- in front of Jesus is where you should be
- Henry- Note, We must not be ashamed to own the secret transactions between Christ and our souls; but, when called to it, mention, to his praise, and the encouragement of others, what he has done for our souls, and the experience we have had of healing virtue derived from him. And the consideration of this, that nothing can be hid from Christ, should engage us to confess all to him.
- Come to him- Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
- Literally get down on your knees and talk to Jesus about what you are thinking and what you have done
- Confess what you have done- turn away from it- get rid of whatever connection you have to it and RUN FROM IT- Get Drastic with distancing yourself from it
- Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
