Dear congregation belonging to our Lord Jesus Christ, faith in Jesus is something that many of us may probably hear a lot about, and of course especially in church. But even when we hear a lot about faith, isn't it true that sometimes we can be blind to its worth? You know, sometimes people can have a rare coin or some other item that's worth a lot of money, but they don't realize it. They just treat it like something ordinary because they're blind to its worth. Maybe you've had it before that you've had an important paper that you threw out and later you realized you needed it for something important. You were blind to its worth. And that can happen with faith in Jesus Christ too. We can live or we can be tempted to live as if faith in Jesus has little or no worth. Even when we hear a lot about it and maybe even we talk about it and we talk about its importance. It may be that we just don't see our need of faith. We don't see the need to believe, to trust in Jesus. Maybe we never have. Or maybe we do see our need, but we struggle to believe that it will really make any difference in our lives. We struggle maybe to believe that it will really help anything. Maybe we feel like we're too big of a mess. Or maybe we have believed in Jesus Christ, but we're struggling. There are so many discouragements. It could be trials and troubles in your life, either in the past or even now, in the present, and they can seem so overwhelming. Maybe it's sickness, maybe it's pain, maybe it's the loss of a loved one. or financial struggles or something else. It could be the remaining sin and corruption in our own hearts that can seem so strong, and we can wonder if faith in Jesus is really worth it. There can be all these discouragements, and not just discouragements, but there can also be so many temptations. Also, when we've maybe given in to temptation, and we've been backsliding spiritually, We might know deep down it's wrong, we shouldn't be doing this, but we feel like we can't stop now. We can fear that it's too late. It's too late to repent, to turn around, and to trust in Jesus. We've dug ourselves too deep. Faith, true faith in Christ can seem too costly, too difficult, and it just seems maybe it's not worth it. But it is. And that is what our passage this afternoon, Mark 5, verses 25 through 34, is telling us. It begins, as I mentioned or as we read, it begins with this man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, coming to Jesus and asking him to heal his dying daughter. But on the way, this bleeding woman comes and And she touches just the garment of Christ in faith. And what happens? Well, she's healed. And yet in the meantime, Jairus' little daughter dies. What a test that must have been to his faith. And yet at the same time, what Jesus did with this bleeding woman was meant also to encourage Jairus' faith in that moment. It was meant to show not only this woman but also Jairus and really ultimately all of us the great worth of faith in Christ so that we might have and that we might persevere and that we might grow in faith in him. And we see that throughout these verses in this passage, but especially in verse 34, where Christ says this after the woman is healed, and he speaks to her, and he says to her these words, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction." In other words, this broken and bleeding woman was made well. She was saved, literally, by faith in Jesus. That's how much faith in Him is worth. And with God's help, we want to unpack that more as we consider verses 25 through 34 under the theme, Christ Touched in Faith by a Bleeding Woman. And we'll see, first of all, the healing he gives, secondly, the notice he takes, and then thirdly and lastly, the blessing he pronounces. Christ touched in faith by a bleeding woman shows us the worth of faith, first of all, by the healing he gives. That's the focus, especially of verses 25 through 29. In the first half of this chapter, we didn't read it, but in the first half, Jesus had saved the man with the legion, the army of demons. And that took place on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. But then, now he's crossed back over the sea again to the western side near Capernaum. And it was there, while he was near the sea, with a great crowd of people gathered around him, that one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus came and told him about his dear little daughter. Now she was at the point of death. And he begged him to come and to lay his hands on her that she might be healed and that she might live. And verse 24 tells us that Jesus went with them. But he didn't go alone. We're told as well in verse 24 that a great multitude followed him. So there was a large crowd of people that went with them and they were thronging him. Now you can imagine how that would have slowed the Lord Jesus down. But then on top of that, something else happens. Verse 25, 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 her affliction. So that's what happens along the way as Jesus is going to Jairus' house, this needy woman comes from behind and she touches Christ's garment in faith, believing that in that way she will be made well, she will be saved. And she is, when Christ is touched in faith, he gives healing. He gives healing. That's the focus of these verses, the healing he gives. And notice, for one thing, how it's so needed. How it's so needed. The description of this nameless woman's condition in verses 25 and 26 really underscore that. What is her condition? Well, she has a flow of blood. And that was a big problem, especially in light of what the Law of Moses in Leviticus chapter 15 says about such things. And you can turn there with me if you wish, and then as you turn there, just think about what this meant for her physically. This wasn't her normal monthly period, and it wasn't just part of the transition to menopause either. No, this was something very serious. She had had this flow of blood for 12 years. It was most certainly painful and uncomfortable. And I'm no doctor, but from what I understand, the physical effects of a flow of blood like that would include things like constant tiredness, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, chest pain, fast heartbeat, among other things. There would be all these complicating factors. But on top of that, on top of the physical pain and discomfort of this, according to the Old Testament law, in Leviticus 15, this flow of blood that she had meant that she was unclean. This is what it says in Leviticus 15, verses 25 through 27. If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean. as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean. He shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening." So that's what this woman's flow of blood meant for her. She was considered ceremonially, ritually unclean. In a religious sense, she was considered filthy. And that was more than just an embarrassment. That was more than just a shameful thing. That was pretty much like a death sentence. It was like having leprosy. She had to be put apart. She had to be separated, not only from the people of God, but also from the place of God's presence, from the temple, from the public worship. of God. And so this woman, she was not just a bleeding woman, but she was an outcast, and she had been an outcast for 12 years. What a miserable condition to be in. She was in desperate need of help, desperate need of healing, the healing that Jesus gives. Well, maybe we can relate to some in some ways. Maybe we find ourselves in a condition like this of suffering. That can happen, can't it? Suffering is everywhere. Because of our sin in Adam, in the Garden of Eden, all of us feel it to some extent. We can suffer from so many things. We can suffer from sickness and pain. We can suffer from injuries and disabilities. We can suffer from the loss of a loved one. We can suffer from oppression, from evil, and cruelty, and degradation, and isolation, and oppression, and slander, and manipulation, and persecution. by others. And sometimes, isn't it true, we can suffer from these things for a long time, like this woman having a flow of blood for 12 years. And of course, eventually, we all have to suffer death, don't we? That's just the reality. It's the consequence of sin and corruption. And so how much we need the healing Jesus gives. Have you come to see that also? for yourself. You see, the truth is, even though we may not all suffer in the same way, we may not all be suffering at this time in our lives, but the truth is we're all like this woman spiritually. Isn't that really ultimately what the miserable condition of this bleeding woman is pointing to? Isn't it a picture of all of us by nature? In our miserable condition as sinners left to ourselves, sinners before a holy, thrice holy God. We might not have a flow of blood like this woman, but by nature we all have a flow of sin that pours out of our sinful, corrupt hearts. There's a sin of pride, there's a sin of arrogance, of sinful anger, and there's bitterness, and there's selfishness, and there's self-reliance, and there's spite, and there's vengeful desires, and there's lust, and there's all this flow of sin of ourselves by nature. And the question for us is have we become aware of it? Has it become to you? Has that flow of sin become to you what the woman's flow of blood here is called in verse 29? In verse 29, where it says it's called her affliction, but literally, you could translate it as a scourge. A scourge. Now, isn't that what Satan loves to make us forget? He wants us to think that sin is a pleasure. And it can seem like a pleasure, can't it? But it's always a passing pleasure. Its wages are always death and misery. It destroys us. Sin destroys us, and often others, too. It breaks our relationship with God. It makes us unclean, separated from the people of God, and barred from the place of the presence of God, barred from heaven and from fellowship with Him. And maybe that's where you find yourself even today. You know, it's good to be in church. The question is, where is your heart? Where is your heart in relation to God? What is it that is flowing out of your heart? Is it holiness or is it sin? Well, don't we all have reason to humble ourselves here? Oh yes, when we're saved, when we're saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then it's true the heart is made new. If any man is in Christ, we're a new creation. And so holiness begins to flow, doesn't it? But it's not yet perfect, is it? As Paul put it in Romans 7, when I will to do good, yet he found that evil is present with him and that grieved him, and it should grieve us too. We need healing. Yes, we need the healing that Jesus gives. You see, there's no other way. There was no other way for this woman. Verse 26 says that she tried everything. She suffered many things from many physicians, and she had spent all that she had. But what was the result? She had completely bankrupted herself to try to get healing, but the result was what? She was no better, but rather grew worse. It didn't help at all. Everything she tried didn't help. Instead, she grew worse. And isn't that what happens? Isn't that what happens when we try to deal with our sin apart from Christ? We can try all kinds of things, all kinds of doctors, can't we? We can try ignoring it. We can try covering our sin up. We can try excusing it, blaming it on others maybe. We can try minimizing it. We can try justifying it, defending ourselves. We can try outweighing it with quote-unquote good deeds and religious activities like reading our Bibles and praying every day or going to church or maybe even fasting or working hard or being nice. Or whatever. We can try paying for our sin ourselves. We can try maybe just thinking positively. Be positive. Don't be so negative. We can try all kinds of doctors, and maybe that's what you've been doing. We all can fall into this at different times. And some of these things might seem like they work for a while, but they don't. Not ultimately. And you know that deep down, don't you? You know that. We know that. None of these things that we try really stop the bleeding. None of them help at all to stop, to heal that flow of sin. No, instead, we only grow worse. And that's what was happening with this woman. What about us? Well, perhaps you have to say, if the truth be known, I'm like this woman. I've been getting worse. And I need healing. What then can I do? Is there no hope? Oh, yes. Yes, there is. It's in Jesus. Come to Him and trust in Him to heal you and to save you, whether for the first time or again, afresh to you as you struggle with sin and as you discover more sin in your life, as you walk the Christian life, just like this woman did. She had heard of Him, just like you. And the Lord used what she heard to draw her to him in faith. When she heard about Jesus, verse 27 says, 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. And she was. She was. Jesus gave her the healing she needed. And you see, that's a picture of what he'll also do for us spiritually when we come to him in faith. Doesn't that make trusting in him, faith in him for salvation from sin, and yes, ultimately from all suffering so worth it? Surely we don't want to keep growing worse, do we? Why then would we not come to Him? Why would we not trust in Him? Why would we not, when we have come to Him, stick with Him and cling to Him? But can He really make me better? Well, notice the second thing about the healing He gives. It's not just a healing so needed, but it's a healing so mighty. You see that in verse 29. What happened when the woman touched Christ's garment? Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. Isn't that amazing? Here was this bleeding woman for 12 years, and on top of her bleeding, she's completely bankrupt, completely helpless, completely hopeless, as helpless and as hopeless as the man with the legion of demons, that army of demons in the first part of the chapter. No one had ever been able to heal her. No one had ever been able to help her. But when she comes to Jesus, He heals her just like that. just by her touching his garment. It's an instant healing. He makes the bleeding stop immediately. And it's a complete healing. It's decisive. It cannot be denied. The woman, it says, feels in her body that she's fully healed. She's healed of this affliction, this scourge. The healing Christ gives is a healing so mighty. Yes, He really can make you and me better. He is a Savior who is mighty to save. Do you say, but my sins are so many. My sins are so mighty, so strong. Well, God's Word tells us that in Christ, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. And we sing it, don't we? We sing it sometimes from our Psalter book, in Psalter 362, from Psalm 130. From sin and evil, mighty though they seem, His arm almighty will His saints redeem. That is what Jesus does for all who look to Him in faith. "Oh, what an encouragement. to look to Him, what an encouragement to trust Him. He instantly cleanses and forgives us from all our sins, and saves us from their guilt. He saves us from their power, and He gives us peace. He gives us fellowship, reconciliation with God. And though it is true, yes, we still struggle with sin. And though it is true, we may still suffer greatly in this life. Yet He also gives us the strength and grace to persevere. And one day when He calls us out of this life, that healing that He gives us will be complete. There will be no more bleeding. There will be no more sin. There will be no more suffering. That is how mighty His healing is. That's the healing we receive by faith in Jesus. Doesn't that show us the worth of faith in Him? Do you have that faith? What are you doing with your suffering? What are you doing with your shame? What are you doing with your sin? Have you come to Him for healing? Are we trusting? in Him. Well, maybe we still struggle. Is it really worth it? Does Jesus really care at all about me trusting in Him? Maybe sometimes it feels like He doesn't, at least sometimes. But he does. And that's what we see now in our second point under our theme, Christ Touched in Faith by a Bleeding Woman. We see not just the healing he gives, but also the notice he takes. Look with me here at verses 30 through 33. You can almost picture the scene, can't you? The people are thronging all around Jesus. and that bleeding woman has just come, and she's made her way through that crowd, and she's touched his garment, and she's been wonderfully healed, and she begins to hang back, and she's about to try to get out of the crowd, but then suddenly something happens, verse 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? 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." That's quite something, isn't it? That Jesus, he takes notice of this woman's touch. Even with all this crowd of people that's pressing around him. Why? Why does he take notice of it? Because her touch was a touch of faith. And he takes notice of that. And it's such a special notice, isn't it? Jesus immediately, he knew immediately what had happened. And he doesn't just keep going. He doesn't say, well, you know, next time I come through here, I'll try and make a stop at this person's house. No, he doesn't just let this woman go on her way. No, he stops right away and he turns around and he says, who touched my clothes? What's that telling us? Do you think, children, that he didn't know who touched him? No, he knew. Of course he knew because he's God. In his divine nature, he knew exactly who had touched him. So what is this question then that he asked? What is it telling us? Who touched my clothes? You know what it's telling us? It's telling us he cares. He cares for those who trust in him. When you seek him, in faith like this woman did. He's not unaware of you. He's not ignorant of you. No, he knows and he cares. He cares even when it seems nobody else does. He sees when nobody else sees. What a gracious privilege and blessing that is. Doesn't that make faith in him so precious? He cares for you just like he cares for the gyruses, the rulers of the synagogue, the ones whose names we know. He cares for you even when you, like this woman, are viewed and treated by others as an unclean outcast and a nobody. He takes special notice of you. But that raises the question for us then, doesn't it? Do you have faith in him? You see, this special notice he takes is also a searching notice. Think about his question. Who touched my clothes? The disciples, of course, they think this is a ridiculous question. It's silly. There's a crowd all around Jesus. The people are thronging him. Many of them would have been touching him. But Jesus isn't asking about who touched him merely physically. He's asking about who touched him in faith. That's a searching question also for us, isn't it? You see, the church can be a lot like this crowd. We can be all around Jesus, as it were, touching him, hearing his word, even for years. But the question is, who of us has touched him like this bleeding woman? Who of us has reached out to him and touched him in faith, seeking him alone for our salvation? What if Jesus himself came here this afternoon and he asked this question? In a sense, that's what he's doing, isn't he? Through this word this afternoon to us by his spirit, he's asking us. He's coming to us and he's asking us, who touched me? He's looking around this congregation, as it were, to see who of us has done this thing. Who of us has touched him in faith? How many of us have? How many of us haven't just said that we have done that, but we've truly done that from the heart? How many of us have truly, yes, maybe fearfully and tremblingly, but still truly touched and taken hold of Christ in faith? How many of us are truly looking to Him for salvation? Are all of us? Are you? Oh, when you are, then what a comfort, what a comfort you may have that He takes such special notice of you. But maybe you're afraid You're afraid that Jesus will reject you. Maybe you even have touched him in faith, and you've been healed. You've been saved. You know it. Something's changed. You can't deny it, but you're still afraid like this woman. You're afraid to confess him. You're afraid that maybe you've stolen something, as it were. You're afraid that Jesus might not really want you, that maybe because of, maybe that's because of something in the past, maybe because of something that's been done to you, maybe it's because of something you yourself have done, but whatever the reason, you're afraid that Jesus might be ashamed of you. Well, that seems to be how this woman felt too. She hadn't dared to come to Jesus openly for healing, probably because of the shame of her condition. But now Jesus has turned around and he's asked who touched him, and this woman, she starts shaking with fear. What if Jesus gets angry at her, this unclean woman, for touching him like that? Well, what if he demands payment? She's bankrupt, remember? Well, what if he takes back the healing? Can you see her there, shaking with fear? And yet there's no need for her to be afraid. And that brings us to the third thing in our text that shows us the worth of faith, not just the healing that Christ gives and the notice he takes, but also the blessing he pronounces. Jesus has just asked the question, who touched my clothes? And he's looking all around to see her, the one who had done this. And the crowd has grown quiet. And everyone is waiting. Everyone is watching. And this woman knows she cannot hide. So finally she comes, verse 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. She didn't come and try to make an impression on him. She didn't try to make herself look better than she really was. No, she told him in front of everyone. She told him that it was her. She had touched him. And she told him why. In front of everyone, she told them it was because of this, I've had a flow of blood for 12 years, and I tried everything, but it wasn't helping. It was just getting worse, and I had no money, and so I touched you, Lord. I touched you, believing that that would make me whole, and it did. It did. I was healed immediately and completely. She tells him everything. She tells him the whole truth. And there she lays on the ground at his feet with all the people around having heard it all. What will Jesus do? What will he say? Can you see her there waiting? on the ground, scared, shaking all over, maybe biting her lip in fear and anxiety. What will he say? Well, verse 34 tells us, and he said to her, daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your Affliction, oh, what a word this is. There's no anger at her touching his clothes. There's no blame. There's no accusation of stealing something that didn't belong to her. No, there's no rebuke. There's no telling her she shouldn't have done that. There's no dismissal of her suffering as if it wasn't that big of a deal. You could have just kept going, kept living the way you were. No, no, no. There's only this blessing, this blessing, wonderful blessing that he so tenderly pronounces and how comforting, how tender and comforting it is, isn't it? He takes her. He takes her as his very own daughter. She lays there trembling on the ground in front of him. He says to her, daughter, that's the only time in the Gospels that he ever addresses a woman like that. It's as if he reserved that just for this poor, A fearful, trembling woman to tenderly assure her of his affection for her and that she belongs to him. That she's under his love and his care and protection no matter what might happen in her life. That he will be for her as a perfect, faithful father. Just like Isaiah 9 verse 6 says he will be for his people. when it says that his name shall be called the Everlasting Father. And you know that's what he will be not only for her, but for all who by grace he draws to himself in true faith so that they trust him and look to him for all their salvation. What a comforting blessing that is. for you who are humbly trusting in Him. Even though, yes, even though it may be with much fear and trembling, even though in the eyes of others you may be a nobody, you may be an outcast, daughter, son, the Lord will not rebuke you or turn you away. There's no need to be afraid. When you believe in Him, then you also truly belong to Him, to them, who received Him, He gave the right to become the children of God to as many as believed on His name. Because it's He who has drawn you, isn't it? It's He who has drawn you to Himself by His Spirit and Word. You would never have believed otherwise. And he counts you as a dear son, as a precious daughter, as one of his own, even with all of your fear and your trembling. How comforting that is and what an encouragement to us all to trust him and then also like this woman, not to keep hiding, no, but to confess our faith to him, telling him the whole truth, yes, also before others. What could be more valuable? than trusting in Jesus. He not only takes us as his very own, but he also assures us that by faith we have full and eternal salvation. We have complete and everlasting acceptance with God. You notice that he doesn't just call her daughter, but he assures her that her faith has made her well. And then he confirms that that salvation that she has received isn't just a temporary salvation. No, but it's a full, it's an everlasting salvation. He tells her to go in peace. Go in peace. and be healed of your affliction. Do you see with me how comforting this blessing is? That's the blessing. That's the blessing that Christ gives to all who believe in him. It's so comforting, and it's so instructive, too, or not. Isn't that part of Christ's intent with this blessing? It's to instruct us, isn't it? to teach us the worth of faith in Him, that it's priceless, that it's worth everything. It brings peace. It brings shalom, complete and eternal salvation for body and soul. That is what Christ is teaching. And not just this woman, but also Jairus. Because as he says these very words, what happens? The messengers come from Jairus' house with the devastating news that his daughter is dead. And yet, what devastating news that was, and yet Jesus here, this whole interaction with this bleeding woman and his words to her are meant to instruct also Jairus and to encourage him to trust him. Be not afraid, only believe. And yes, it's also for us too that we might trust him and that we might continue trusting him amid all the discouragements and temptations there may be in our lives. Yes, also when we receive devastating news, like Jairus did. How good it is for us to remember and to remind each other often of this blessing that Jesus pronounced on this bleeding woman so that we might trust him, so that we might keep trusting him, to encourage each other with that when we're going through difficulties and challenges. It's not a maybe blessing. It's a for sure blessing. You say, how can that be? How can this blessing be sure for someone like me, for a sinner like me who's messed up so bad, who's been maybe bleeding, yes, backsliding maybe for so long? How can I know he will save me? How can I know he will make me well? How can I know that I will receive that blessing? Well, don't you know? It's because this same Jesus who healed this bleeding woman, he went to the cross. And it's because he had a flow of blood on that cross that he can heal your and my bleeding, that he can heal your and my flow of sin and the suffering that results from it. It's because he became a curse on that cross that he can give us This blessing, yes, this blessing of belonging to him, of being his sons, of being his daughters, his children, and receiving his full and eternal salvation. And that, congregation, is what makes faith in him so precious, so valuable. See, it was said in the beginning by the elder of service, it's not the strength of our faith in him. It's not the assurance of our faith in him that makes it so valuable. It's not who we are. No, it's him and it's what he did. And that means that anyone can be saved by faith in him. No one can be too big of a mess. Christ touched in faith. by an unnamed, unclean woman who had been bleeding for 12 long years made her well. He saved her. He saved her. You don't need to be a gyrus. No. He can and will do the same for all who trust in Him. And so let's come. Let's come to Him in faith and let's live that way all our life long, living by faith in Him. And He will not put us to shame. Amen. Let us pray. Dear Father in Heaven, yes, dear Son and Holy Spirit too, we come before you, Lord Triune God, and we give thanks for your Word. And we give thanks especially for this account in your Word. Oh, what precious words that you spoke to that trembling, fearful woman. And what an encouragement that is to us. Lord, let it be so. to each one here, that we might go from here renewed, or maybe believing for the first time, but renewed also in faith and in strength to run the race of faith that we are called to run. Looking forward to that day when that healing that we receive through Christ will be fully complete. Lord, we thank you, Lord Jesus. for how you went to the cross and for how you gave your blood, shed your blood that we might be healed. Lord, help us to live then in this coming week in praise to you. And we pray for opportunities also to confess you before others and the courage to do so and the wisdom to do so in a faithful way, in a compassionate way, in a tender way. Lord, that we would show forth your salvation. And so bless us, we pray, as we go from here. Forgive all our sins also in this hour. And we thank you again. In Jesus' name, amen.