LOJ #67: ‘Hands Off’ Part I
Andover Baptist Church-Date
Opening
A. Text for today is Mark 5:21-29and our sermon is titled ‘Hands
Off’
B. Children’s Sermon(SLIDE)
1. (Ian) Have the kids cover their eyes
2. Have someone come out from the congregation and
touch them on the shoulder
3. Have them try and say who did it
4. Tie this in with today's story
C. Introduction
1. We have quite a list a cast of characters today in what I
will call our Gospel sandwich
a. It all begins with a large crowd surrounding, and
constricting upon Jesus and His ministry
b. In the midst of this we have an important man
desperate for Jesus to visit his home
c. A deathly sick girl slipping through the fingers of
this world
d. The disciples chiding their Lord for His
rhetorical question they did not understand
2. But in the overwhelming cover of the crowd today,
stealthily, sneaks a woman, reaching out to touch Jesus
in a last ditch effort to be freed from the shackles of her
life
3. An interruption that will mean life to one and death to
another
4. Come with me as we too step into the crowd and reach
out to get a touch of Jesus as well
Sermon
READ: Mark 5:21 (Scripture slide)
“When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him, and He was by the sea.”
A. Return to the west bank of the Sea of Galilee (likely back at
Capernaum)
1. What has taken us weeks as Jesus traveled has only
taken Jesus away from here for a little over a day
2. The people had been anxiously waiting His return
(likely they had seen the storm suddenly cease)
Luke 8:40 (NET)"Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, because they were all waiting for Him."
B. Jesus, ironically, the other side of the lake had just sent Him
away because they did not want Him there
1. ‘Please go away’ has transformed on the other shore to
‘Please come’
2. This story is part of what the other side missed out on
READ: Mark 5:22-24 (Scripture slide)
“22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. 23 He asked Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay Your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” 24 Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him.”
A. The Synagogue Ruler
1. The Synagogue was and is the local Jewish place of
worship, like a church for a Jew (except without Jesus)
2. This man who approaches Jesus is a lay leader (i.e. not a
rabbi or priest)
3. Jairus = Ja-I-rus; means 'whom Jehovah enlightens'
4. Greek word is used of those who carried overall
responsibility for and authority in the local synagogue
a. General oversight over the synagogue (like our
deacons in a sense)
b. Would have been in charge of public worship,
reading of Scriptures, setting up preaching and
public prayers, building maintenance, getting of
Scripture scrolls, setting up worship on Sabbath
c. We know in larger towns there could be more
than one (cf. Acts 13:15), so it is safe to assume
that Jairus is one of the ones at Capernaum
d. He would have been a man of considerable
influence in the synagogue and community
e. This was an important endorsement of Jesus
5. Jesus must have often visited the synagogue as was His
custom (see this in Luke 4:16) and was likely well
known to Jairus
6. He approached Jesus not in a prideful way as one in his
position might, but in humility
7. Not all synagogue rulers were so accepting of Jesus
Luke 13:14But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
8. What makes Jairus different?
B. A Dying Daughter
1. Desperation drove him to Jesus
2. Like the demoniac he too fell at the feet of Jesus and
like them he had a request to beg of Jesus
3. But he begged not for himself but for intercession for
his daughter, for his little girl is near death
a. A female child was considered to still be a little
girl until she completed her 12th year of life
b. Luke 8:42 tells us that not only was she still 12,
but she was also his only daughter
4. All natural remedies have been exhausted and time was
running out
a. 'near death' = phrase similar to our 'at death's
door' or 'sinking fast'
b. Simply put the space between life and death is
closing quickly
c. Literally she is at the stage of life that is
buttressed up as close as it can be to death
5. Not fully understanding Jesus' power he asks Him to
come and lay His hands on her (Jesus has authority no
matter where He is)
6. Jairus knows that if Jesus comes to his house death will
have an encounter with Jesus like this (SHOW VIDEO
OF TRUCK HITTING BARRIER)
7. Parents, and especially fathers, what would you do if
this were your child? What would you be willing to do?
8. Jesus seemingly does not say anything and goes with the
ruler (Greek indicates that Jesus went off promptly)
C. Enter the Crushing Crowd
1. The crowds were always slowing Jesus down
Mark 3:9 (NET)“Because of the crowd, He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him so the crowd would not press toward Him.”
2. Eastern markets even today are like this(picture of an
Eastern Market)
3. The crowed likely knowing that where Jesus goes things
happen tag along for the ride
4. All of them, like a large amoeba, pressing to get close to
Jesus (the Gospels mention crowds around Jesus in
upwards of 5000 people)
a. The word used for pressed in Luke's version is
stronger, means to 'stifle' or 'choked'
b. ‘pressed’ = also used for suffocation
D. Normally would provide the perfect opportunity to sneak up
and touch someone unnoticed
READ: Mark 5:25, 26 (Scripture slide)
“25 Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. 26 She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.”
A. In the midst of all the hubbub a woman was desperately trying
to get to Jesus
1. She too is dying, but has been doing so for years
2. For 12 years she had been bleeding physically, as well
as spiritually (as long as our dying little girl has been
alive)
3. It had been a long and painful prognosis for her:
a. She had bankrupt herself trying to find a medical
cure via doctors
b. One after another they took her money and left
her in an even worse state than she previously
was
B. Jesus refers to her condition as a disease in vs. 29
1. The Greek for that is 'mastix' which is a strong word
meaning 'whip, lash, scourge or torment' (used for
flogging in Heb. 11:36)
2. Likely a menstrual disorder in which she was
continually in a state of flow
3. She would have likely been anemic
a. Fatigue and loss of energy
b. Rapid heartbeat
c. Shortness of breath
d. Difficulty concentrating
e. Dizziness
f. Pale skin
g. Leg cramps
h. And insomnia, to name just a few
C. With this pain came great shame
1. A menstruating woman is unclean for 7 days after her
menstrual cycle and therefore this woman is in a
perpetual state of uncleanness
Leviticus 15:19 (NET) “‘When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening."
2. If she had been married she was likely now divorced as
there would have been no sexual relations allowed
3. She couldn’t go into the temple or synagogue during her
period
4. This woman was cut off from the world religiously and
socially
5. Technically this woman shouldn't have been in the
crowd even (this is why she did not approach Jesus
directly)
D. She was a woman at the end of her rope, no more options, and
she knew Jesus was the answer
READ: Mark 5:27-29 (Scripture slide)
“27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, 28 for she kept saying, “If only I touch His clothes, I will be healed.” 29 At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”
A. 'heard about Jesus'
1. Jesus reputation had spread near and far…it was likely
almost impossible for someone in the area to not know
about Him
2. The healings and miracles of Jesus drove her to Him
3. With medical options exhausted she now goes for the
miraculous
B. Her Faith
1. She had no doubt that simply touching Jesus' garment
would heal her
2. As she struggled through the pressing crowd she kept
motivating her (like me and exercise, fat boy on an
elliptical, I keep saying, 'Donuts are calorie free in
heaven!')
3. Why just a touch?
a. It was believed by some in the ancient world that
by simply touching someone of power and
influence could transfer some of that to you
b. For instance Alexander the Great was often
mobbed by people hoping to touch him for this
very reason
4. But there is something deeper here than just a mere
touch: faith
C. A Stolen Healing
1. Jarius came publically she came through sneaking
2. She wouldn't want to approach a rabbi because her
bleeding would make her unclean, she was afraid to
approach Him
3. And for reason already discussed the last thing she
wanted was attention drawn to herself
4. It would surprise me if she did not have to crawl to get
to Jesus
5. In other healings it was Jesus Who touched the person
who needed healing, this was unique
a .Picture of tassels
b. She likely touched the tassels on the corners of
His outer garment worn by all strict Jews
Duet 22:12“You shall make yourselves tassels for the four corners of the clothing you wear.”
Numbers 15:38, 39“Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel of the corners. 15:39 You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness.”
c. She likely thought it was the easiest thing to
touch and the most unlikeliest to get noticed
6. Regardless what many doctors and many years could not
change, did just that instantly with Jesus
a. And in that moment she felt the change within
her as the bleeding vanished and the pain became
as still as the calmed ocean
b. Lit: 'And at once dried up was the fountain of her
blood'
c. A simple fleeting touch of Jesus and she is
forever changed
D. But she is not the only One that noticed that change. Jesus did
to. And He is about to stop this crowd and find who has done
this to Him. But we will have to wait till next week to see if
her plan works, or is blown up for all to see! And what about
our dying little girl, Jairus daughter? Will she die, live or both?
E. Next Week, Same Church, Same Pulpit, Save the fireworks for
after service
Application (slide)
A. Many people come in contact with Jesus, but only the ones
who approach Him in faith are healed
B. You see the truth will set you free
C. Have you reached out to Jesus to be healed?
D. And for those who are healed spiritually you need to tell others
about it so they too may have spiritual healing, for as we will
see next week there is no hiding to be done in the crowd
Invitation
Let us sing our last song #,
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