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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 20th November 2005 AMWHAT A
DIFFERENCE JESUS MAKES! Pastor Linton Smith ! Our
motto appears on the Bulletin Sunday
by Sunday. It
reads, Jesus Christ makes THE difference – now and in eternity. What
sort of difference does He make? Today we are looking at an incident that helps us to answer that. For
some time now on Sunday mornings.. we have been working our way through the
gospel of Luke. Next
week.. we will leave Luke to begin a brief Christmas series.. but today..
Luke 8:40-56. In
recent weeks we have seen how Jesus
calmed a storm and then transformed a demon-possessed man. He then crossed the
lake to find a crowd waiting for Him. There He healed a woman and raised a dead
girl to life. Here
we see what a difference Jesus makes. Here we meet.. o
A DESPERATE WOMAN. Jesus
had come ashore – probably
at In
the crowd was a woman in great need. She
was desperate. She had endured persistent bleeding for 12 years.. 12
years of feeling ill.. 12 years of looking for a cure.. and spending all her
money on possible cures.. to no avail.. 12 years of isolation.. because she was
‘unclean’ because of her bleeding.. very likely.. mid 20s.. single.. Luke
writes.. Luke
8:43-48.. A woman was there
who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.
She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her
bleeding stopped. “Who
touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the
people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone
touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 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. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed
you. Go in peace.” She
should not have been there in that crowd.
According
to the laws in use at that time she was unclean because of her bleeding.. and
people knew she was unclean. Perhaps
she covered her face to disguise herself.. but somehow she made her way to
Jesus.. and believing Jesus could heal her.. even if she merely touched His
clothing.. reached out and touched the edge of His cloak.. very likely one of
the four tassels woven from blue and white thread and hanging freely from each
of the four corners of His cloak. Immediately
she felt a change in her body.. knew she was healed.. and started to slip away.. Jesus
stopped.. Who touched me? Peter
pointed out that many people were brushing against Him.. but Jesus said.. Someone
touched me; I know that power has gone out from me. The
woman knew she could not hide.. and came trembling and fell at His feet.. told
Him why she had touched Him.. and how she had been instantly healed.. and then
she heard these life changing words.. Daughter,
your faith has healed you. Go in peace.
She
went away.. a new woman. o
A HEART-BROKEN FATHER. Before
Jesus helped this woman a man had sought His help..
a Jewish official.. a ruler of the synagogue.. prominent in society. He had come
to Jesus in great need. Luke
writes.. Luke
8:41,42.. A man named
Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with
him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was
dying. He
was heart-broken. His only
daughter.. 12 years of age.. just at marriageable age.. lay dying. This
prominent man.. fell at Jesus’ feet.. pleading with Him to come to his house.. Jesus
went with him.. but then He was interrupted by the
woman touching His garment.. This was the last thing this man needed.. his
daughter was critically ill.. every minute was precious.. and then.. just as
Jesus was telling the woman to go in peace.. a messenger arrived.. Luke
writes.. Luke
8:49-56.. While Jesus was
still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.
“Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.”
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she
will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone
go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and
mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop
wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him,
knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child,
get up!” Her spirit
returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something
to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what
had happened. Jesus
knew how this man felt.
Devastated! He said to him, Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will
be healed. How caring! How sensitive Jesus is! They
made their way to the ruler’s house and Jesus went into the house. He allowed
only Peter and James and John and the girl’s father and mother to go with Him.
The
people gathered around the house were wailing.. loudly! It was expected. It was
a custom and a duty to wail when someone died.
Jesus
said, Stop wailing, she is not dead but asleep. They
laughed at Him. They knew she was dead! But in the house.. Jesus
took her by the hand.. My child, get up.. and her spirit
returned.. and she stood up.. and ate some food. Her parents were astonished. Can
we even begin to imagine their joy? What a difference Jesus made! We
meet a desperate woman.. a heart-broken father.. and as we watch Jesus.. we
meet.. o
AN AMAZING SAVIOR. Why
did Jesus stop and ask who touched Him? Because
He wanted to do more for this woman than heal her! She
came.. trembling.. and fell at His feet.. and then she went away with these
words in her ears.. Daughter,
your faith has healed you. Go in peace! Jesus
wanted her to have peace! Here
we have a pointer to what Jesus achieved on a far larger scale. The
Apostle Peter said to a Roman army man and his guests.. Acts
10:36.. You know the
message God sent to the people of The
good news is this. Through Jesus we
can have peace! It
is peace with God.. peace in our hearts.. peace that overflows into our
relationships with others.. We can have it by believing Jesus died in our
place.. to take our punishment.. our guilt.. on Him.. and then by putting our
trust in Him.. Jesus
wanted to send this woman away at peace.. and more.. He wanted to pave the way
for her to be accepted back into the community. In
the eyes of the crowd around her.. she was unclean.. she must live apart.. in
isolation. Jesus wants to end that.. and does so by making it clear to everyone
in that crowd.. she is now healed.. whole.. and clean! Here
we have a pointer to what Jesus achieved on a far larger scale.. Paul
wrote to Gentiles.. people seen as ‘unclean’.. who now believed.. Ephesians
2:12,13,19.. You were
separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in What
a difference Jesus makes.. He
brings the excluded people.. into the family of God.. through His blood.. shed
on the cross. An
amazing Savior.. who gives us peace.. brings us into God’s family.. and
then we see Him in the home of Jairus..
raising his daughter from the dead! Here
is another pointer to what Jesus achieved on a far larger scale.. The
people in Thessalonica were
worried about some of their fellow believers who had died.. Paul wrote to
them.. 1
Thessalonians 4:13,14.. We
do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like
the rest of men, who have no hope. We
believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring
with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. Death
is not final. Death is not the end. There is life after death.
So
though we grieve over loved ones who have died… we do not grieve as people who
have no hope.. because.. we know they are with Jesus.. and know that when Jesus
returns.. He will bring them with Him! What
a difference Jesus makes! By His life,
death, resurrection.. offers us.. peace with God.. a place in God’s family..
and life beyond this life.. with Him! How will we respond? Some.. I need this Jesus.. I will trust Him. Others.. Thank you,
Jesus.. I will live you.. and do all I can.. to make You known to others.. so
that they may experience the difference You make!
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