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Her disease
- diseased with an issue of blood… (vs 20)
- The disease meant that blood was constantly escaping her body when it shouldn’t be. And the inability to control this issue of blood caused all kinds of problems.
- And it is a graphic picture of sin.
- For instance things that shouldn’t come out of your mouth come out of your mouth; cursing, blaspheming God, lies, flattery, unprovoked anger, and all sorts of things pour out of your mouth like the stench of death.
- And because you won’t control it, that sin causes problems.
- Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
- She is constantly changing bloody bandages.
- Her disease brings shame.
- Sin brings shame and constant covering up.
- She is ever conscious of her disease.
- Sin forces other people to take personal steps to avoid being contaminated.
- She tried multiple medicines and remedies to treat the disease.
- Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
- It cost her everything. In spite of the personal cost, her condition never improved, and tragically was made much worse.
- Man’s attempts to remedy sin create more suffering and leave the person worse off.
- After having this for twelve years she has developed habits and behaviors that only exist because of this plague.
- To this day you have habits, behaviors, beliefs, that are solely the result of the sin you’ve been committing.
- Only the Lord Jesus Christ could provide the remedy. It is ultimately provided in a changed body fashioned after the Lord Jesus Christ.
Her desperate need to be changed
- This lady heard about the Lord Jesus Christ, left her home, fought through a crowd to get close enough to the Lord to touch his clothes.
- This lady wanted to be fundamentally changed. She’s utterly tired of living this way. The burden of this disease was too much. She desperately wanted to change. That is like repentance. But it’s not just a desire to change, she also knows who can help her make this change.
Her divine healing
- There is no old testament law that says touching the Messiah’s clothes will bring healing.
- So she thought of Jesus Christ the same way you think of a celebrity. If I can just get close to him! But Jesus is more than a celebrity to her; he is her help!
- The Lord was surprised enough at what happened that he stopped to see who it was that touched him. He’s asking a sincere question. In Luke 8 several deny they touched him, and the Lord explains further that virtue went out of him. That’s the reason he’s looking to see who received it.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ makes the difference
- She thought it was the garment, but Jesus Christ corrects her and said it was her faith.
- It’s possible to be close to the Lord Jesus Christ, even touch Jesus Christ, but have no virtue pass from the Lord to you.
- Repentance toward God is like this lady concluding I don’t want to die in this condition. And faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ says I’ve got to get to Jesus Christ who can change me.
