1/27/12 JESUS’ POWER TO HEAL

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Friday, January 27, 2012
Luke 8:40-48             Key Verse: 8:46

“But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for the hope and the clear path you instill in my heart each morning. I pray that you help the conference team in Pittsburg to get vision and direction and clear plans can be made for the international summer Bible conference. I pray for the middle school Bible club to meet and help Hope to lead the group. May your word be a light unto my path this morning. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Desperate people (40-44).

Verses 40-44, “Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped”

Jesus returned to a welcoming crowd that made way for a ruler to come to Jesus. This ruler prayed as a desperate father for his dying daughter. At the very same time, a desperate woman also made her way to Jesus with quiet determination and incognito. No one could help her either, but only Jesus. She believed a mere touch of his clothes would heal her. She believed holiness and God’s power surrounded Jesus and would make her body clean.

I can see that both of these people had conditions that no human being could solve. They were both in desperate situations. What amazes me is that they came to Jesus for their solution. Too often we sit in our failures and our own desperation, thinking that there is nothing we can do or we feel sorry for ourselves or we simply wait for thing to go from bad to worse and we say, “Oh well, at least I still have my health and I am not in prison and I still have a roof over my heads.” When we think like this we are basically waiting for the end to come. Through this passage, I discover that we can come to Jesus Christ to be saved. We should not come to Jesus as a last resort but if we do, Jesus accepts this. Jesus is the creator God. (John 1:3) He can affect real positive change in our lives under any circumstance.

I have good health. I am not desperate materially. But I am in desperate need in several others ways. I need to have godly wisdom on how to relate to those close to me, my family. I need God’s wisdom and long suffering patience on how to deal with my kids growing independence. I am also helpless in being able to communicate the gospel and raise disciples among the young people of this generation. I also fall into despair and fatalism from time to time. Sometime I get depressed. These are areas where I feel helpless. But I don’t have to roll over and die. No…I can come to Jesus with faith. He always gives me a way out. He always shows me the most fruitful path. He gives me strength to do the right thing and the right thing is the route to change.

I can also see how Jairus was able to come to Jesus on behalf of his daughter. He was a man of standing. To come to Jesus, a dusty, unschooled country preacher would be below him. But he came to Jesus and humbled himself in order to save his daughter. Parents should take heed. When they see their kids going astray of succumbing to the elements of death, they need to come to Jesus on behalf of their kids. This means praying for them, teaching them the word of God, and setting the example for them and going to church, even if the kids don’t go. If they want their kids to do well in school they should set the example of reading at home or signing up for a course themselves. If you want your kids to eat right and exercise, then the parents must eat right and exercise. Do we really want to do all we can do to help our kids? There must be something else we can do? Come to Jesus and set the example even if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient to do so.

Part 2. Power from Jesus (45-48).

Verses 45-48, “ Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Jesus knew this touch of faith was blessed by God. He wanted to meet her and bless her personally. She overcame her shyness and explained everything. People then could also come to know the power of God. Jesus restored her as a daughter of God and gave her peace. She was truly healed.

I learn hear that Jesus wants us to share the grace of God publically. It is not right to keep our mouths closed about Jesus. We need to share what Jesus has done with our voice. This is part of the healing process. How many times in the Bible did Jesus say, “Now go to your family and tell how much the Lord has done for you.”? It was not easy for her to share. She was bleeding for 12 years. In the legalistic society she was making hundreds of people unclean as she pushed through the crowd. She needed to confess. It was not easy. It is not easy to confess the grace of God. You need to reveal who you were, a lost sinner, and how Jesus saved you in the midst of your helplessness. This takes faith and it is not a comfortable thing to do. I believe this one reason we should give a testimony when we are baptized. Private baptisms are not Biblical.

Prayer: Lord, help me to come to you in desperate times for healing and real change. I come to you so that you may help the ones I love and care for.

One Word: Humble ourselves and come to Jesus.