Luke 8

[0:00] Luke chapter 8, I'll read verse 43 down to verse 48. It's a story that we'd all be familiar with, but it falls at the latter part of Luke 8.

[0:12] The first part is the, many times we call it parable of the seed. I think it's better aptly called the parable of the soil, but the last half of the chapter is four miracles that the Lord does, and all four of them show His display of power.

[0:29] He is omnipotent. He's able to do all things. We see those in succession here, but let's look at verse 43 real quickly.

[0:39] The woman having an issue of blood 12 years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind Him and touched the border of His garment, and immediately her issue of blood staunched.

[0:52] And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude thronged thee, and pressed thee, and sayest thou who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me, for I perceive that virtue has gone out of Me.

[1:08] And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before Him. She declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.

[1:20] And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace. And so we have these four miracles that happen. Jesus rebukes the wind and the storm.

[1:32] He has power over the weather. He then casts the demons out of the maniac of Gadara. He has power over the spirit world. And many of you will be working in areas where that will be a very big impact in your ministry.

[1:45] Can I just give you a verse and just carry this with you for the entire ministry? Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. And friend, you will be exposed to things that you have never thought about.

[1:57] And yet, He has power over the spirit world as well. And then He has power over death as He walks into Jairus' house, his 12-year-old daughter already dead. And He walks in there, Talitha Kumi, young maid arise.

[2:11] And we have an awesome Savior. Not only is He omnipotent, He is omniscient. He is able and powerful and able to do all things, but then He also knows what it is that we need.

[2:23] And that gets displayed with this lady here in verses 43 to 48. In verse 43, it says that the lady came behind Him. She had an issue of blood for 12 years.

[2:34] She is at the end of herself. I believe that she has spent all of her money, it says, is gone. She has suffered many things at the hands of physicians. She's desperate. I can't help but wonder if she's now been separated from her family.

[2:47] Definitely, according to Leviticus 15, she would be unclean and she'd be separated from the synagogue. She's not a part of the, no spiritual life for 12 years. I doubt she even bothers to comb her hair anymore.

[2:59] I doubt that she, I doubt she's together with her husband anymore at this point, 12 years. Good gracious, if she touches the bread and passes the bread across the table and he touches it, he's unclean.

[3:09] But this is very important within that culture. Jesus was asked the question, is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any cause? Is that okay? That was the culture of the day.

[3:21] They would divorce very quickly. And here's a lady all by herself. I really believe she's all by herself. And she is coming towards the Savior. I can just imagine, says that the people are thronged there.

[3:32] Verse 45, Peter said, they're pressing in. That's the same word as pressed for grapes. They're squeezing in. And this lady tries to get to Jesus and she just reaches out with desperation.

[3:45] And she touched him and she was healed. It could have been over. That could have been the end. That was verse 44. Immediately, her issue of blood staunched.

[3:55] And the only ones that needed to know about it was Jesus and her. And it could have been finished. And can I remind you, he is powerful enough to heal her. And he also knew what it was that she needed.

[4:08] All right? Can we establish that? But then he stops the crowd and he asks a question. Look at verse 45. Jesus said, who touched me?

[4:22] Can we, again, can I just, can we establish he knew? He knew who touched her, who touched him, right? As we look through scripture, Jesus, God does this over and over.

[4:32] He did it with Adam. Adam, where art thou? God didn't walk into the garden. I wonder which tree he's hanging out behind. No.

[4:43] What's God doing? He's getting Adam to confess. And it's the same thing he's doing with this lady. Who touched me? He's getting her to confess. I can just imagine this crowd around the Savior as Jairus is dragging him to the house and he's dragging his feet because he knows this lady's catching up.

[5:01] And I can just imagine as he says, who touched me? I think maybe the disciples went into defensive bodyguard mode and pushed the crowd back. Who touched the Savior?

[5:12] And those of us that live in other places know that if there's a crowd, there will be pickpockets in the middle of it. Perhaps they think. Somebody just picked Jesus' pocket. I don't know what's going on in their minds, but they're pushing people back.

[5:23] And you notice in verse number 47, it says, the woman saw that she was not hid. I can't help but wonder when maybe they pushed the crowd back if she's left outstretched.

[5:37] She's not going to be able to hide. And so the Lord asks her, who touched me? He's trying to draw it out, a confession. And guys, can I remind you that when God brings us to a point in our life where we are desperate and we must have Him, He's not looking for us to just lean on Him quietly.

[5:56] He's looking for some confession. Lord, I need You, and I don't care who it is that knows that I need You. I'm going to reach out to You. And I told you He does this all throughout Scripture.

[6:10] He asks Adam. He asks Cain. Cain, got it wrong. Cain, where's your brother? Cain, could have. Lord, I'm... Boy, how different that story would have ended.

[6:21] But instead, bucked up. He did it with Abraham. Sarah's in the tent laughing. Is there anything too hard for God? There's no answer for that. Job, at the end of the book of Job.

[6:32] Job, this is the Matt version. 38 chapters of Job going, I am right, and I wish that God would just show up so I could tell Him what's wrong.

[6:45] And instead, God does show up, and God asks Job a question. Job, where were you when I created the foundation of the earth? There's a question that doesn't get an answer. And yet, what does that question do?

[6:58] It causes us to confess our own inadequacy. Lord, I absolutely need You. I must have You. Here's a lady with desperation, and the Lord drew it out of her.

[7:10] But then look in verse number 47. Now, I want you to see what her confession is. Verse 47, The woman saw that she was not hid. She came trembling and falling down before Him.

[7:22] She declared unto Him, before all the people, two things, for what cause she had touched Him, and second, how she was healed immediately. Do you realize that in order for her to be to that point, she had to push through the crowd, and when she pushed through the crowd, she made everybody she touched unclean.

[7:41] And now, in front of all of those people, the Lord just asked, Who touched me? I did. I know that there's no way that I can get away from this, but let me tell you why I touched you.

[7:52] It was because for 12 years I've been unclean. And as soon as she confessed that, everybody in the wake just realized that they were all unclean. Sometimes, I said the Lord brings us to points in our life where we have to lean on Him, and it's those times when we confess, Lord, I need You, that perhaps it hurts because those people that will be around us will realize that we're not as great as we thought we were.

[8:22] Lord, I need You. But then, I got You, and because I got You, the second thing that she says, how she was healed immediately.

[8:34] Lord, I need You desperately, but in my need for You, I reached out for You, Hebrews 11, 6. He that cometh to Him must believe that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him.

[8:47] And so, Lord, I come to You, and You have healed me. Now, it's not here in the text, but I can hear it in her voice. I was very unclean, but now, You've changed me.

[9:02] And I can't help but wonder if she's, she says she's terrified, she's trembling. Please don't take it back. Please don't take it back.

[9:13] Because 12 years was hell. I don't want to go back there. Now, guys, can I just, let's look at the words that Jesus gave her. 48.

[9:24] And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace.

[9:35] I'm so thankful that He doesn't take it back. It doesn't matter how many times you stumble. He doesn't take it back. He's a gracious God.

[9:48] Daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace. Go on with your life, lady. Enjoy the rest of your life. And I won't take the time to develop this, but I certainly believe that perhaps this is Jairus' wife.

[10:02] 12 years being sick. 12 years, a daughter that's, and then she wasn't there before and she is there after. I mean, there's a lot of coincidences that happen in, oh, by the way, all three of the Gospels that it's recorded.

[10:14] It gives those details. But can I hone in on one word here? In the middle of verse 48, He said unto her, daughter. This story is in Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8.

[10:29] And all three times, Jesus calls her daughter. And there's nowhere else in the New Testament that He ever calls anybody daughter. There's an unclean lady that absolutely was desperate for the Savior.

[10:43] And while Jesus was on His way to go heal, slash raised from the dead, Jairus' daughter, Jairus was the VIP. He was the ruler of the synagogue. He's the most important person in the scene that day, except for Jesus Himself.

[10:56] And while Jesus was on His way to go take care of that guy's daughter, He stopped and took care of His own. And guys, I'm so thankful that our Savior does care for us.

[11:09] But can I encourage you tonight, reach out, grasp, and I don't know what it might be that you're going through. No idea. I shared with you tonight a little bit of ours.

[11:25] We, our co-workers, our missionary co-workers, we spent two years with them on the field. Absolute best friends in the world. Went through a home invasion. Things that they did to his wife.

[11:38] Unspeakable. Guys, I want to tell you, the last year in ministry, out of 15, have been a little tough. I want to share with you that when you reach out for the Savior, He's there.

[11:53] And He doesn't turn His back. And I don't know what it is that you're going through, maybe quietly, husband and wife at the house, not getting along and nobody else knows about it. Can I encourage you?

[12:04] Just confess. Just open up. He's a comforting Savior who's ready to help. Just confess it. Lord, I need you.

[12:16] I don't know. Maybe your besetting sin is just a little too besetting. God, I need you. Perhaps there's health issues or you're wore out, exhausted.

[12:30] Maybe their joy is gone. He's there. Reach out. Grasp Him. Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters tonight. God, would you encourage us in the Lord.

[12:42] Oh, we have an omnipotent, almighty, powerful God. But God, you are so much more than just able to take care of those things.

[12:53] Lord, you know about those things. Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters tonight. Lord, would you help us to look to Jesus and help us to cling for you.

[13:06] In your name, I ask these things. Thank you.