Mark chapter 5. We'll begin the reading in verse 21, Mark 5, 21. Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, A great multitude gathered to him, and he was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw him, he fell at his feet and begged him earnestly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her that she may be healed and she will live. So Jesus went with him and a great multitude followed him and thronged him. Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for 12 years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, if only I may touch his clothes, I shall be made well. Immediately, the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately, knowing in himself that power had gone out of him, turned around in the crowd and said, who touched my clothes? But his disciples said to him, you see the multitude thronging you and you say, who touched me? And he looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. While he was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be afraid, only believe. And he permitted no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. Then he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult, and those who wept and wailed loudly. When he came in, he said to them, why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping. and they ridiculed him. But when he had put them all outside, he took the father and the mother of the child and those who were with him and entered where the child was lying. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, Talitha Kumai, which is translated, little girl, I say to you, arise immediately. The girl arose and walked, for she was 12 years of age, and they were overcome with great amazement. But he commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat. Let us look to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you for your word. We ask that you would bless it, or that you would nourish us by it, that you would encourage us, that you would show us our Savior and give us all hearts to come to Him in faith. We pray in His holy name, amen. You may be seated. Well, note the scene that Mark lays before us. Jesus had been in this very area Very recently, he and his disciples had left this area to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. In the midst of their journey across, a terrible windstorm arose such that the boat was beginning to fill with water. These seasoned fishermen were frightened, which denotes to us the fierceness of this particular storm and the perceived danger that they considered themselves in. While having awakened Christ from his sleep down below, they watched in amazement as their master speaks only a word and the wind ceases. and the waves calm. Mark, having described the storm as a great storm, describes the calm as a great calm. The Greek word is megas, where we get our word mega. It was such a mega calm, the disciples wondered, at just who this man was. I would have you note what Jesus says to the disciples in chapter four, verse 40. Jesus says of their response to this difficult and trying circumstance, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? How is it with you? Are there circumstances in your life right now which seem to choke out any glimpse of faith in you? Here is what Jesus says to you. Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? While arriving then in the country of the gatherings or the garrisons, Jesus and his disciples are met by a demon-possessed man whom Christ sets free from the demons as well as from his own sins. When the people of the region hear what happened, when they come and when they see what happens, They beg Jesus to please go away, go away, leave our country. And you know what the scary thing is? He leaves. Jesus leaves. So while his disciples marveled and wondered how Jesus could possibly do great and mighty things, These people did not want Jesus to do such marvelous and wonderful things. The disciples wanted to see more. These people wanted to see less. They had seen enough. There was evidently a contentment to go on with their lives. as they currently were experiencing them. There was no place for a work of Christ among them. You see, maybe you're not like the disciples, fearful of your circumstance. Maybe you're more like this people. You have no desire to see the hand of God work in marvelous and providential ways. You're content for Christ to leave you just as you are right now. Is that where you find yourself? You know, it's a frightening thing to see Jesus give these people just what they ask for. He departs. He indeed leaves them just as they were. They harden their hearts, and Jesus is content for their hearts to be hardened. And so he and his disciples cross back over the sea, and by the time his feet hit the shore, he's immediately encompassed by a very large crowd. Commentators point out the fact that the word Luke uses in describing this scenario is the crowds were choking or stifling Christ. Well, that's where our text picks up. And in contrast, in contrast to the two responses Mark has set before us in the previous narrative, a lack of faith that doesn't believe Christ can deliver and a hardness of heart that doesn't want Christ to deliver, we see two individuals that in the midst of trying circumstances believe that Christ both can deliver and is willing to deliver. I believe we see here faith worthy of admiration in both individuals, but I trust what we will see is that the answer to their faith is not dependent on the size or the strength of their faith, but on the ability and the willingness of the one in whom their faith rested. Now, time alone only allow for me to deal with the narrative of this afflicted woman this morning. I hope this afternoon after we eat, if we're all still awake, to hopefully look at Jairus. Because it begins with Jairus, and we'll see, that's interrupted. But God's not done with Jairus. So this morning I would like for us to consider this passage under the following five headings. First, a desperate plight. A desperate plight. Secondly, a determined plan. A determined plan. Third, a definitive power. A definitive power. Fourth, a dramatic pause. Very dramatic pause. And then fifth, we shall see a declared peace. A declared peace. So first of all, a desperate plight. Verses 25 and 26. Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for 12 years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. Note what Mark says about this woman's affliction. This was a continuous affliction. It was a continuous affliction. It was an ongoing hemorrhage of blood, a loss of blood. It was continuous. It was a persistent affliction. It was persistent. It had been going on for 12 years. It was a puzzling affliction. It was a puzzling affliction. Every doctor, every physician that she went to had no accurate diagnosis and they had no idea how to cure her. It was a depleting affliction. She had spent all that she had seeking for a cure. It was a depleting affliction and it was a worsening affliction. Rather than finding any relief from it at all, she continued to get worse. Very few of us have likely known the depth of the affliction that this woman knew, especially if we consider the ceremonial laws that would be in place here that would keep her isolated from others. In spite of that, we are all familiar with some level of affliction, are we not? The Bible teaches us that affliction is, well, for one, it's part and parcel of life in this world after the fall of Adam, but even more so, it's part and parcel of the Christian life. Simply read the reflections of the psalmists. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all, Psalm 34, 19. Acts 14, 21 to 22, if you want something from the New Testament, it reflects upon the ministry of the apostles among all the churches. It says, and when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. Maybe you are here, right here and right now, and in the midst of a desperate plight. Maybe in the midst of the crowd you mingle about with no one even knowing your true condition. Maybe your affliction is physical. Maybe it's emotional, maybe it's spiritual. And again, others may not know what you have suffered or are suffering, how much you have suffered, the toll that it's taken on you. I think I can safely assume that you have a load of care that you're carrying. The Bible presupposes that when it exhorts us to cast all our care upon the Lord, for he cares for us. You see, this woman after all is, she's not so unlike you, is she? You can empathize with her. But my question is, does the likeness stop there? Does it stop there? That you're familiar with affliction like she is. Let's consider what she did about her desperate plight. Secondly, note in the text, a determined plan. A determined plan. Verses 27 and 28. When she heard about Jesus, She came behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, if only I may touch his clothes, I shall be made well. Let those words sink in. When she heard about Jesus, she came. When she heard about Jesus, she came. She had gone to all the best doctors with no results. She was out of money. 12 years had crushed all of her hope, but she heard about Jesus. She heard about Jesus. She heard the reports. She also heard that Jesus was near. So she came. Now what she found must have been discouraging, disheartening. Jesus was no longer by the sea, as had been reported. He was on the move. And not only was he on the move, he was surrounded by a vast multitude, a throng. The sight must have been overwhelming. A little later in the narrative, we read that such was the scene of the people pressing in about him that the disciples thought Jesus questioned about who had touched him. Ludicrous! His disciples said to him, you see the multitude thronging you and you say, who touched me? Nothing dissuaded her. Nothing. First of all, her condition did not dissuade her. She did not wallow in the realities of her past and present condition. 12 years did not rob her of the hope in the present. Second, her doubts did not dissuade her. Though the doctors couldn't help her, she was convinced of the power of Christ. No doubts could dissuade her. Third, the crowd did not dissuade her. Mark made it clear back in chapter 3, verses 9 and 10, that Jesus had told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. That's what it was like, Jesus said. Let's have a backup plan, get a boat ready in case I need to get in the boat and push off the shore, lest the people would crush Him. But the crowd did not dissuade her. And fourth, the law, the law did not dissuade her. The law declared that under normal circumstances, if someone was touched by such a one as this woman, ceremonially unclean, that person would be defiled as well. Now some may consider her plans selfish. However, I believe that her statement here shows that this is not a matter of selfishness at all. What it is, is it's this woman's faith in the one whom she is approaching. It seems that rather than thinking that she might possibly defile him, she would be made clean through his power. She seemed to grasp the reality written later by the writer to the Hebrews in Hebrews 7, 26, for such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, he's harmless, he's undefiled, separate from sinners. And note the strength of her faith. If only I may touch his clothes, I shall be made well. Such was her confidence that she thought she needed to but touch the hem of his garment. That would be sufficient. Like the faith of the centurion that said a mere word from Christ was sufficient. Lord, you don't even, don't come into my house. I'm not worthy to have you. Just speak the word and there will be healing. Just like that centurion, her faith grasped the sufficiency of but a mere touch of his garment. My friend, is there something that's keeping you in the state of your desperate plight? Is there something keeping you in the state of your desperate plight? Is there something keeping you from such a determined plan as this woman had to come to Jesus for relief? Is it your condition? Do you think that your condition places you outside the boundaries of the sufficiency of Jesus Christ? Is it your doubts that hold you back? Do you think that because of all the other cisterns that you keep going to that are broken and they can't hold water and they can't satisfy you, do you think that in Jesus you'll find another broken cistern? Do the crowds keep you back? Not in the way this woman could have allowed the crowds to keep her back, but do you fear others? Do you fear others, what they might think of you or what they might say about you if they see you coming to Jesus? Does it seem to you that Jesus is simply inaccessible? That he does not have time for you or for your need? Or is it the condemnation of the law that shouts your deserved state before a holy and righteous God and the whispers of the devil that you must make yourself clean before you can come and have access to Jesus. The woman could have allowed the law and the condemnation of the law as ceremonially unclean to say, when I'm clean, I'll come to Jesus. None of these things held her back, none of them. and neither should they hold you back. Like this woman, have a determined plan. When she heard about Jesus, she came, she came. But not only do we see a desperate plight and a determined plan, but thirdly, we see a definitive power, a definitive power. Verses 29 and 30. Immediately, the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out of him, turned around in the crowd. One of Mark's favorite words is immediately. Immediately. Read through the book of Mark in your spare time. You'll see it over and over and over. He uses it some 36 times throughout his gospel narrative. Now, by the use of this word in reference, he uses it in different scenarios, but in terms of when he uses it in reference to Christ, the Spirit intends to impress upon us most often either the intense nature of Christ's ministry, He was here, and then immediately this happened, and immediately this happened. The intensity of the ministry of Christ, as my wife's former pastor used to say, he said, I get worn out reading it, because I feel myself panting, because it's immediately, and then immediately, and immediately, you feel the intensity of that ministry. But sometimes it's the intimate knowledge of his divine nature Immediately, he knew what was happening. Immediately, he knew what was in the mind of man. That immediately, as he responds to what's happening around him, points us to his divine nature. And a third category, when we see this word immediately in reference to Christ, it's the instant results of Christ's work. The instant results of Christ's work. And we see two of these at work in these verses here. First we see the instant results of Christ's work. Immediately, what happened? The fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. The immediacy applies both to the result of this act of faith and her recognition of the result. Immediately it dried up. Immediately she knew what had happened. The commentator, Lenski, emphasizes several things. He says this, quote, the objective fact is first stated. On the instant dried up was the spring of her blood. That's literally what it's saying. On the instant, that's the focus, on the instant dried up was the spring of her blood. The verb, he says, has the emphasis. What had kept flowing like a spring and no man had been able to stanch had now disappeared, dried up as if it had never oozed blood. Secondly, he says we have the subjective realization, not only the objective fact, but the subjective realization, and this is how it reads, realize did she regarding her body that she had been healed from her scourge. Realize did she regarding her body that she had been healed from her scourge. Secondly, in regard to this word immediately, we see the intimate knowledge of the divine nature. Immediately, Jesus knew in himself that power had gone out of him. He immediately knew in himself that power had gone. It was an intimate knowledge of his divine nature. He knew. Multitudes are thronging him. Many are touching him. But Jesus, the God-man, knew in his divine nature that this woman had reached out to touch his garment in faith. In faith. And he had exercised his willingness to heal her. I quote Linsky again. This woman was not healed without the knowledge of Jesus, and this means also not without his will. Many touched the garments of Jesus and no power went out from him to them. They had no desire or purpose in touching him, but this woman came purposely and touched him with her faith, and to that touch, Jesus responded by letting his power go out to heal her. His power is always under the control of his conscious will. Touch of hand or of garment is symbolic. It's an aid to faith and nothing more. So she reached out in faith and there was a definitive power. Immediately, she was healed. Immediately, she knew it. And immediately, Jesus knew because his will had been exercised in giving her this healing. Note fourth in the text, a dramatic pause. A dramatic pause. Verses 30 to 33. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out of him, turned around in the crowd and said, who touched my clothes? But his disciples said to him, you see the multitude thronging you and you say, who touched me? And he looked around to see her who had done this thing. But this woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. Friend, Jesus could have continued on his way. He could have continued. This woman received what she had come for. Jesus was already on a mission. He had gone with Jairus, and clearly from the text, he was intent on demonstrating his kindness and compassion to Jairus' daughter. That's why he had gone with him. But then Christ pauses, and it's quite dramatic. He stopped. He turned around, and he cried aloud, who touched my clothes? Jesus didn't have to do this. You see, this pause, it's not for His sake at all. Jesus pauses in order to put on full display the tenderness and compassion of His own heart for this woman. He does it for her sake primarily, but also for the sake of that entire multitude secondarily. She was not able to slip away as she had hoped to do. Jesus turns and his eyes find her. She's gonna come face to face with him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all she could ever ask or could ever think according to the power that was already working in her. This dramatic pause is much like the pause we read about later on in Mark 10, the story of blind Bartimaeus crying out there by the roadside, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And though we are told by another gospel writer that Jesus had set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem, Yet what did Jesus do? What do we read? He stopped. He stopped right there. Right there. Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Think about that. He had set his face like a flint to Jerusalem. Nothing to dissuade him. Nothing to pull him out to the side. Why? He was headed to Jerusalem to lay down his life. He was coming to fulfill the very mission that he had come into the world for. But this man cries out and we read, so Jesus stood still. Another similar dramatic pause. We read that Jesus looked around to see her who had done this thing. You see his gaze falling upon her. This woman came forward fearing and trembling for no other reason than she knew what had happened to her. Her actions indicate her readiness to hide what had happened. to not be made a spectacle. No one knew, she made her way through the crowd, she touched the garment and she turned to go away. The psalmist Asaph declares in Psalm 50, 15, call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you shall glorify me. and you shall glorify me." You see, faith concealed gives way to faith revealed. Faith concealed. No one saw this act of faith, but this faith concealed becomes faith revealed. Jesus, full of kindness and compassion, has more in store for this woman than her mere healing of her physical condition. A desperate plight, a determined plan, a definitive power, a dramatic pause, and now fifthly in the text, a declared peace, a declared peace. Verse 34, and he said to her, daughter, your faith has made you well, Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. Note how Christ addresses this woman with the tender and affectionate use of the word daughter, daughter. this personal address would certainly have immediately, we'll use that word too, it would have immediately soothed the fear and trembling that she had when she approached him. Will he scold me? Will he make a mockery of me? Is he simply just wanting to reveal my condition and call me out on the carpet for daring to make my way through such a crowd? You see, this woman's faith had found a resting place. We see from this passage the true nature of faith. Faith is not a mere belief. It is living a belief. That's what faith is. It's not a belief, it's living a belief. Her faith is what led her to seek him out. Her faith is what led her to push through the crowds. Her faith is what had led her to reach out and to touch the hem of his garment. William Hendrickson, commenting on this portion of the text, makes the following point, quote, her faith, though not the basic cause of her cure, had been the channel through which the cure had been accomplished. It had been the instrument used by Christ's power and love to effect her recovery. Is it not marvelous that Jesus, in speaking to this woman, says nothing? about his own power and love, which is the root cause of her present state of well-being, but what does he do? He makes special mention of that which, apart from him, she would neither have possessed nor been able to exercise. Moreover, by saying, your faith has made you well, was he not also stressing the fact that it was his personal response to her personal faith in him that cured her." The exercise of this faith was met by a two-fold response from Jesus. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. Let's look at them separately. Since the text is already introduced the healing that she knew instantly that she had been healed. We'll deal with that first. So the words of Christ here go well beyond the initial hearing. This word of Christ speaks of continuing on in a state of health, that the issue that she had dealt with for 12 years had been removed permanently. He didn't say, you were healed. just seconds ago, go and be being healed. Keep on being healed in your afflictions. It was permanent. The healing of Christ was permanent. The power of Christ was such that this act of healing was not some temporary thing. It points to the fact that Jesus, as the second Adam, has dealt a death blow to the curse of sin. It points to the fact that in his coming, he has come to deal with sin and all its effects. It is such a reality that causes David to exclaim, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who heals all your diseases. But this healing is not all that Jesus does for this woman. He also tells her to go in peace. Shalom. Go in peace. This peace is the direct result of her faith. Peace is the fruit of faith. Jesus is encouraging her to know and experience this true peace. In that Psalm 103 passage that I just quoted, David also exclaimed, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities. That's how we have true peace, the forgiveness of our iniquities. I don't know what affliction you may be struggling with today, I don't know the trials that you have had to bear. I don't know the personal cost to you of these afflictions. I don't know where else you have sought relief, but this I do know, a real, live, honest encounter with Jesus as he truly is, will result in you going away with peace today. How can I know that? Because my Savior is both kind and compassionate. The kindness and compassion he showed to this woman, he has shown to me also, time and time again. There have been times where I, like the disciples, have found myself asking, Jesus, do you not care that I'm perishing? But having finally turned to him, I have seen on many an occasion him simply say, peace, be still. And dear ones, sometimes, sometimes, that peace and stillness has not as it has been spoken to the circumstances. Sometimes that peace be still is spoken to my soul. For my soul to be still and to be at peace in the midst of the circumstance. I can't tell you that you'll be saved out of your affliction. Christ may say, peace, be still, and your circumstances be changed. But it may be peace, be still, for your soul in the midst of those afflictions. Christ is passing by again today, right here in this gathering. You have gathered to hear his voice and see what things he might do right here in our midst. You may be pressing to draw close and to see for yourself. You may, if I may say it reverently, rub shoulders with Jesus, or as it were, touch him. as he passes by. Many today fill churches. Many will throng after him. Many, like the disciples pointed out, are touching him. But only one woman, only one woman was singled out among the multitude. Only one that we read of touched him with the hand of faith. Only one truly grasped who Jesus really was and what he could do. Will you be that one? Will you be that one? That one that reaches out in faith and that one who goes away today with these words from Jesus, go in peace. Go in peace. Or will you be just one of the multitudes? One that experiences Jesus, maybe experiences what Jesus is doing in that person, in that person, in that person, but leaving in the same state in which you came. Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore, Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, joined with power. He is able. He is willing. Doubt no more. Come ye needy, come and welcome God's free bounty. Glorify true belief. and true repentance, every grace that brings you nigh without money, come, come to Jesus Christ and buy. And he goes on to talk about, let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requires is to feel your need of him. And this he gives you as the Spirit's rising beam. Come ye weary, come ye heavy laden, bruised, broken by the fall. If you tarry till you're better, you'll never come at all. You see, not the righteous, not the righteous. but sinners, Jesus came to call. Lo, the incarnate God ascended, pleads the merit of his blood. Venture on him. Venture wholly. Let no other trust intrude. None but Jesus. None but Jesus. None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good. My Savior's kind. He's compassionate. Come have dealings with him today. Let's pray. Gracious God, we thank you and praise you for your goodness to us. We thank you that you draw near to sinners. Oh Lord, manifest your kindness and compassion to many in this room today. May they not go away like the vast multitudes, but may they go away like this woman experiencing a face-to-face encounter with you and going away in peace, even if the affliction remains, to know that they can be at peace and be reconciled with the Holy God. We pray in Jesus' holy name, amen.