TOPIC: “MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTION”!

 

The Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus Christ “the Servant of God”.  The writer is John, who is surnamed Mark, son of Mary (Acts 12:12, 25).  The objective of this Gospel is in Mark 10:45: For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  Miracles have a leading place in his writings.

TEXT: Mark 5:21-28: And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him:  and he was nigh unto the sea.  And behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet.  And besought him greatly, saying, “My little daughter lieth at the point of death:  I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”  And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.  She said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

A connection is a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else.

Mark chapter five reveals three cases of incurables.  Today, I want to share two stories wrapped up in one big story.  I want you to see that Jesus our Lord is the Savior of the man, the woman, and the child.  Why?  He is Omnipotent, referencing His unlimited power.  Nothing is too hard for Him (Genesis 18:14) “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”  None can hinder His purpose (Isaiah 43:13) “Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand:  I will work, and who shall let it?” With God all things are possible.

He has authority over what is impossible for you and me.  Nature, demons, diseases, even death surrender completely and immediately to His sovereign authority.

There are two important truths we are examining in this text:

First, we can come to Jesus with our request:

Everywhere Jesus went great crowds followed Him.  Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude was waiting on Him.  A man stepped from the crowd named Jairus, an elected ruler of the local synagogue, whose name means whom God enlightens.

Jairus was responsible for supervising worship, caring for the building maintenance, and caring for the school.  He was a man of distinction, respect, and good standing.  And yet, he fell at Jesus’ feet, which shows great humility and basically begged Jesus on his knees with his face to the ground, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death.”

Many synagogue rulers had close ties to the Pharisees.  It is likely that some had been pressured not to support Jesus.  For Jairus to bow before Jesus was a significant and a daring act of desperation.  How many know, desperate situations call for desperate measures.  Here, his little girl is dying and despite the growing opposition of the religious system, he bucks the trend and comes to the only one he believes can save her.  Luke 8:42 states that she is his only daughter! 

Secondly, we must come to Jesus in faith:

Jairus said, “Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live.”  He came to Jesus because he believed Jesus could do for him what no one else could!  It is your faith that causes you to function in the Kingdom and without it you cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).  Though his faith was a little less than the centurions (Matthew 8:8) “But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

Jesus said to His disciples, Matthew 17:20, “Because of your little faith (lack of trust and confidence in the power of God):  verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Jesus goes with Jairus because He responds to faith, and to the pain of the diseased.  Can you imagine the urgency and relief Jairus was feeling knowing Jesus was going to his house to heal his only daughter?  Expect traffic problems or delays on the way to your miracle.  But we can trust Jesus even in the midst of interruptions and delays.

As they were making their way through the thronging crowd, a woman with many issues appeared:  an issue of hemorrhaging for twelve years (ceremonially unclean); forbidden access to the temple; issue of seeing many physicians and getting no better, but grew worse; issue of spending all she had.  Surely this woman had an issue with thoughts of hopelessness.  I wonder how many attend churches every week and yet fail to touch or make the right connection with the hem of Jesus’ garment by faith for a spiritual blessing.

She heard reports about the miracle worker, the magic man named Jesus.  When she thought about going to Jesus, surely, she must have heard, “What’s the use?”  But she pressed on pass the crowd, which was so thick on all sides that it was suffocating, yet she pushed her way through the crowd, because her goal was to touch Him or His clothing so she could be healed.

Her confidence was so strong that she did not feel it necessary to get Jesus’ attention.  His garment served as a point of contact for her faith.  Her theology may’ve been weak and perhaps a bit superstitious, but her faith was strong.  All she wanted was to make the right connection!

In the natural world, we deal with many issues of life and this woman represents all humanity. We all deal with illness and have spent all our resources.  We have tried all the world’s remedies.  We must not fear our faith is too weak too immature, nor to ignorant.  We must fear only one thing, that is, if we let Jesus pass without reaching out and touching Him, or not taking hold of “opportunity” when it manifests.  Whatever you are facing today, mirror this woman and press your way through the crowd.  Do whatever it takes to reach and touch Jesus.  Just “make the right connection!”

Jesus is not too busy in one task to stop and help someone else who is hurting, especially one who is determined, humble and has faith in Him.  We can approach Jesus in our suffering.

Let’s take a spiritual look at this woman.  Note she is anonymous, meaning God want to give a disclosure of Truth, an unveiling, making known that which is hidden (revelation).  Scripturally this woman is a portrait of the church.  The “true church” is not a building, but a body, a living organism, it’s you and me.  What?  Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).

The mission of the church is to grow to mature manhood.    To aid in this development, Christ gave gifts to His church in the form of men (male/female) to fulfill various tasks:  “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).  

This woman/church had been hemorrhaging for twelve long years.  The life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11), and hemorrhaging will lead to death if it is not stopped.  If a woman is bleeding, she is unproductive and cannot produce sons of God.  This bleeding did not just start here with her.  It has been going on since the fall of mankind in Genesis 3:6, when the woman/church saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make on “wise”.  She listens to the devil and ate its fruit (a lie).

Here’s the thing, she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.  Because Adam partook of the fruit, the creation fell, and the church began to hemorrhage.  They fell into sin, and it brought on death.  They fell from grace and became naked (undressed) of the righteousness of God.  Prior to that they were living in the dispensation of “innocence”, because they were clothed in God’s righteousness, upright, and were producing sons of God. 

Let us examine what the woman really touched.  I’m sure it compares to the special garment prepared for Aaron the high priest of Israel in Exodus 28.  Christ wore a priestly garment (the robe or covering of righteousness [fine linen]).  Though Jesus Himself our High Priest, was and is God’s “Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6), and contained in Him was and is all we need as pertaining to “LIFE ETERNAL”!  But what was in the “hem” of the robe of the high priest, Exodus 28:33, was pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about.

Jesus’ robe was seamless (one piece), meaning wholeness, completeness, maturity; perfection.  Colossians 2:10: You are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  Matthew 5:48: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven, is perfect.

The pomegranates and golden bells alternated with each other.  The pomegranate is known as the “apple with grains”.  It’s from the Hebrew word rimmown’, representing, the character of the believer, in relation to the pomegranate tree in its upright growth, and as that of a fragrant fruit. 

·         Isaiah 61:3: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called “trees of righteousness”, to planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

·         Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.

The golden bells speak of the Word and the calling unto salvation:

·         Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

The Word of God speaks of God’s divine nature which is “love” (1 John 4:8)!  The golden bells, speaks to the “hearing”!  So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Faith comes from preaching (things heard) and preaching comes through the message (order, direction, command) of Christ.  When the “woman” with the issue heard the “Word of God”, it provoked within her the process of fruitfulness, reproduction, and the multiplication of sons of God.  Luke 8:11: The “seed” (spor’os) is the word of God.  This “spor’os is a scattering or sowing or planting of the seed.  A “spore” is a small reproductive body produced by algae, ferns, etc, and capable of giving rise to a new individual.  If a “spore” does this and it does, what about the Word of the Living God in us His people reproducing and bringing forth sons of God? 

·         Isaiah 55:10: For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  vs 11: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Snack legend makes the “pomegranate” the “tree of life” in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9; 3:22).  That is a little snack for you to munch on!

Blue symbolizes the might and power of God.  Power in Greek is du’namis, the force, miraculous power, a miracle itself, mighty, ability, virtue of God.  Also attached to the border of the robe were four blue fringe tassels, denoting the four quarters of man’s earth (heart, soul, mind, body) that Jesus said we must love the Lord with (Mark 12:30).  It takes both the might and power of God to conquer these areas of our personality.

The color “purple” denotes “royalty”, priestly and kingly authority.  These are the people which have God’s royal blood or status in them!

·         1 Peter 2:5: You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

·         Vs 9: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

·         Revelation 1:6: And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.

·         Revelation 5:10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:  and we shall reign on (over) the earth.

Scarlet is a crimson deep red, connoting the “blood of Christ”!  Leviticus 17:11: The life of the flesh is in the blood.  God is “Elohiym”, God with the “life giving blood”!  God’s blood is “innocent” and man’s blood is guilty!  When the woman with the issue/the church, touched (joined herself to) the ELO-“HEM”-OGLOBIN, it stopped the flow of the “guilty blood”, and she received the “innocent” (not guilty blood)!!!  She literally touched and received by faith “a supernatural creative miracle”!!!

Jesus immediately knowing within Himself, that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30).  Luke 8:46, “He perceived that virtue had gone out of him”.  Virtue is from the same root word as “power” is from which is “du’namis”,  meaning, force, miraculous power, ability, might, a miracle itself.  It was that “virtue” (power) that caused the woman’s healing!  The healing was unique, not merely because it was instantaneous, but because it occurred without any apparent conscious participation by Jesus.  However, Jesus immediately was aware of what had occurred.  Do not assume that touching the garment had a magical effect, but rather Jesus in His Omniscience (all knowing) recognized the touch of faith and granted the woman’s desire.  You see, Jesus in the limitation of His humanity, was not aware of it until the miracle occurred, the virtue (du’namis [power]) left His body.  Maybe He asked in order to reveal the miracle to the crowd.

The disciples seemed a little tense, verse 31: They said unto him, “Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who touched me?”  Can you imagine how Jairus was feeling?  He had to think within himself my daughter is at death’s door and all these delays.  He was growing more anxious and disturbed with every passing moment that ticked by.  Still, Jesus kept looking round about Himself to see the woman who touched Him.

Why would Jesus take the time to identify this person who touched Him in this thick crowd threatening the life of Jairus’ only daughter who was near death?

THINK ABOUT IT:

God’s timing is not linked to a clock.  He is above and beyond the restrictions of time.  He is eternal, but He uses time.  What we view as an interruption may be exactly what the Lord is doing for us and in us.  The stage was set up for Jesus to perform His first resurrection!

He did it because He wanted to teach her (the woman) something about faith.  Although the woman was healed when she touched the “hem” (Him), Jesus said to her, “Your faith hath made you whole”!  He wanted her to know that she was healed because she heard an official declaration from Jesus and genuine faith involves action!  Faith that is not put into action is not faith at all.

Jesus did it for her sake to be more than a “healer” to her.  He wanted to be her Savior and her friend!  He did it because He wanted her to know that her healing was by her faith and not because of a superstitious touch in and of itself.  He did it so that Jairus would witness HIS power and work and therefore, have more faith for his ill daughter.  He (Jairus) needed all the encouragement he could get.

When Jesus looked and saw her, despite her fear and trembling, she came and fell before Him and told Him the whole truth.  This is faith in action.  She reached out in faith and was healed.  Many times, we think our problems will keep us from God.  He is always ready to help us.  Do not let your fear keep you from approaching God.

Mark 5:34: And he said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made the whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”  Daughter in the Greek is thugat’er, meaning descendant.  She had acquired a spiritual relationship with Christ.  She had taken on a new identity moving from “woman”, to “daughter”, to descendant (or seed) of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Christ!  She transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, from Law to grace, from sterility to fertility, from sickness to health, from death to life!  Jesus said, “Your faith has made you whole”!  Her faith had saved her from her physical affliction!  He said, “Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague!”  He was saying for her to be well, healthy and to continue in HEALTH!!  Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); old things are passed away, behold all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

While He yet spoke, Mark 5:35, A certain came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house and said, ”Thy daughter is dead:  why trouble thou the Master any further?”  A clear indication, that they did not expect a restoration of life.  These were words that Jairus so greatly feared.

The news was painful to Jairus, and perhaps aroused in him resentment against the woman who had interrupted the Master’s plans.

Vs 36: As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, (He ignored the messenger’s remarks), and he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, “Be not afraid, only believe!”  Christ’s power and compassion are unlimited.  This delay looked fatal, but not deniable.  Can you see the tactics of the devil?  He wants to block Jairus’ progress by deactivating his faith.  Fear is designed to paralyze you, make you afraid and leave you without hope.  In Jesus’ mind there was both hope and promise.  The next time you feel hopeless and afraid, look at your problem from Jesus’ point of view.  Jesus is the source of all hope and promise.

Vs 37: And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James, to the ruler’s house.  Upon entering the house, neighbors and professional mourners with high pitched, ear splitting screams, flute players and the noisy crowd was earning their keep.  All this superficial grief moved Christ to ask, “Why make you this ado or uproar?   The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth (Vs 38-39).  Vs 40: And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them out, he took the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.  Jesus knew that it was only temporary, but in the minds of the scorning professional mourners, the girl was dead, and they were sure that death was permanent.  Unbelief laughs at God’s Word, but faith lays hold of it and experience the power of God!

After the notable healing of the woman, Jesus wanted no further publicity.  Doubt and unbelief must flee in the Presence of Christ and His Anointing.  Jesus put them all out.  He drove the jeering crowd from the house.

Jesus takes the father, the mother, Peter (faith), John (love), and James (righteous judgment) to the daughter’s bedside and He and His Anointing, amounting to perfection (7 people in the room).  The stage is set for Jesus’ first resurrection miracle!

He took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, “Talitha cumi”: which is, being interpreted, “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise” (vs 41). Vs 42: And straightway the damsel arose (denotes action), and walked (denotes continuous action); for she was of the age of twelve years.  The parents and the disciples were indescribably astonished at the miracle!  They were beside themselves with amazement!  Vs 43: He charged them to give her something to eat.  Note here, divine miracles never replace common sense human care.

Christ not only demonstrated great power, He also showed tremendous compassion.  His power over nature, evil spirits, and death was motivated by compassion for a demon-possessed man who lived among tombs, for a diseased woman, and for the family of a dead girl.  The rabbis of the day considered such people unclean.  Polite society avoided them, but Jesus reached out and helped anyone in need.

He told the parents not to spread the news of the miracle.  He wanted the facts to speak for themselves, and the time was not yet right for a major confrontation with the religious leaders.  Jesus did not want people following Him just to see His miracles.  His intent was for His power to be used to relieve suffering and to help the needy.  He wanted to avoid mere showmanship.

We can come to Jesus with our request.  Take note that both found their answers at the feet of Jesus (Mark 5:22, 33).  It is one thing to throng Jesus, but quite another to “touch” and trust Him.

You can trust Jesus in life crisis!

You can trust Him in the midst of interruptions, delays, disease, and even death!

No matter how desperate/depressed your situation may appear, “Do not be afraid and only believe”!

“I DARE YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTION”!!!

Evangelist Brenda Hansley