Sermon Tone Analysis

The Raising of a Question — (Vs.

14)

Application — Worry about your own relationship with the Lord.

The Response of the Lord

(Vs.

15) — Illustration # 1 — The Children of the Bridechamber

William Barclay — A Jewish wedding was a time of special festivity.

The unique feature of it was that the couple who were married did not go away for a honeymoon; they spent their honeymoon at home.

For a week after the wedding, open house was kept; the bride and bridegroom were treated as, and even addressed as, king and queen.

And during that week their closest friends shared all the joy and all the festivities with them; these closest friends were called the children of the bridechamber.

On such an occasion, there came into the lives of poor and simple people a joy, a rejoicing, a festivity, a plenty that might come only once in a lifetime.

So Jesus compares himself to the bridegroom and his disciples to the bridegroom’s closest friends.

How could a company like that be sad and grim?

This was no time for fasting, but for the rejoicing of a lifetime.

(Vs.

16) — Illustration # 2 — The Patch

What Jesus was trying to explain in this illustration here is that He had come to do a completely new thing.

Not to patch the legalistic ideologies of Judaism but to be a totally new garment.

The new garment would be woven with a crimson thread of grace through faith in the one and only Son of God.

There would also be a new institution called the Church and this would be the vehicle through which this message of salvation would be shared.

(Vs.

17) — Illustration # 3 — The Wineskins

Wineskins were made out of goat skins.

When they were new, the skins had some elasticity to them but after a while they would begin to dry out and harden.

New wine put off gasses due to fermentation and therefore, if you put new wine into old skins, the skins being hardened, would crack and you would lose the skin and the wine.

That’s why it was imperative to put new wine into new skins.

R. T. France said it this way, “Jesus has brought something new, and the rituals and traditions of official Judaism cannot contain it.

The explosive exuberance of the new era … must break out of the confines of legalism and asceticism.”

John Phillips — The old was right for its day and age.

But now it was time for the new—a new dispensation, a new covenant, a new dynamic, new principles, new life, new methods, a new “container.”

Christianity was to replace Judaism altogether.

The church is not Israel, but something entirely new and unique in God’s dealings with men.

Those who would equate the church with Israel introduce Judaistic forms, ceremonies, and rules into Christianity.

The result of trying to make a patchwork quilt of Judaism and Christianity is confusion.

The outcome of such a misconception of Christianity is Christendom with its priests, sacraments, feasts, fasts, holy days, rituals, calendars, and liturgies.

The Lord envisioned no such thing.

He gave the disciples of John a lot to think about as they went away.

As the question and answer session with John’s Disciples is coming to an end, Jesus is approached by a most unlikely candidate with a dire request.

Look down with me at the requesting of the Lord.

The Requesting of the Lord — (Vs.

18-33)

Request # 1 — Jairus Daughter — (Vs.

18-19)

Matthew tells us this man is a ruler but when you look at all the gospels collaboratively, you will find this man’s name is Jairus and he isn’t just any ruler but the ruler of a Jewish synagogue.

William Barclay — The ruler of the synagogue was a very important person.

He was elected from among the elders.

He was not a teaching or a preaching official; he had ‘the care of the external order in public worship, and the supervision of the concerns of the synagogue in general’.

He appointed those who were to read and to pray in the service, and invited those who were to preach.

It was his duty to see that nothing unfitting took place within the synagogue; and the care of the synagogue buildings was in his oversight.

The whole practical administration of the synagogue was in his hands.

It is clear that such a man would come to Jesus only as a last resort.

He would be one of those strictly orthodox Jews who regarded Jesus as a dangerous heretic; and it was only when everything else had failed that he turned in desperation to Jesus.

So, we have this ruler of a synagogue named Jairus and undoubtedly, he’s exhausted every other measure available to help his daughter but now that all else has failed he swallows his pride and does the only thing knows left to do.

Come to the one who has proven that He has the power to heal!

So, here’s Jairus and he’s come humbly, we don’t need to miss that, he’s come humbly to Jesus (he came and worshipped him) and requested His help and Jesus obliges his request.

Now, before I move on I need to say this…if you are to come to Jesus you must come humbly!

There’s no room for pride in the life of a believer or in heaven therefore, when a person comes to Jesus they must come with a humble attitude and make their request.

The Bible tells us that Jesus and His disciples began to follow Jairus to his house.

Now, keep in mind, at this point his daughter is near death but not dead.

Then as they head to Jairus house, something unexpected happens.

Request # 2 — The Woman w/ the Issue of Blood — (Vs.

20-22)

Just when Jairus thinks all is good and they’re going to make it back in time and his daughter is going to be healed, Jesus makes a very unexpected stop.

In order to gain the full picture here we’re going to need to employ Dr. Luke and Mark to help us out.

Matthew tells us that as they were on their way to Jairus house, a woman with an issue of blood for 12 years makes her way up behind the Lord and touched the hem of his garment.

And the reason she did this is because she said within herself that if she could but touch the hem of Jesus garment she would be made whole.

Now, when you look in the other gospels you begin to get a little clearer picture of this woman's dire situation.

Here was a woman who had exhausted every measure but could not be healed by mortal man’s hands!

The Bible actually tells us she had spent everything she had seeing physician after physician and had only gotten worse!

Here was a woman at the end of her rope!

Because of her condition and the letter of the law she was rendered unclean meaning she couldn’t touch anyone or anything without that person or thing going through a cleansing process.

She couldn’t attend the synagogue because of her condition and after 12 years of dealing with this plague, she hears of this man named Jesus!

And having exhausted every other measure and coming up short, and hearing of the miracles this man named Jesus had been performing, she decides in her heart that if she can but touch Him, she would be made whole!

I don’t need Him to see me, I don’t need to make a scene, and I know there’s probably going to be dire consequences if they find out what I’m hiding but this is my last chance, my last shot at being healed of this awful disease!

So, she braves the crowd she’s not even supposed to be in.

She pushes through and makes her way to Jesus and then, just at the right time, when no one is looking, she thinks no one will ever know, she reaches out and touches the hem of Jesus garment!

At that moment, though she didn’t mean to cause a scene, cause a scene she did!

Jesus knew the very second this woman laid a hand on Him.

He could tell that healing power had went out from Him!

He stops everything and turns about to see who had touched Him.

He asks, who touched me?

I believe for split moment, time stood still as Jesus asked this question.

His disciples thought He was crazy and say, “Lord there are people everywhere what do you mean who touched you?

It could have been anyone in this frenzied crowd!”

But Jesus, knew more than they knew.

He knew there was someone there who needed to confess what they had done.

Someone needed to confess their faith in Him!

Can I tell you this morning that there is no thing such as a silent Saint!

In order to trust in Jesus there must be a confession of such!

There must be belief and confession!

This woman had exuded belief but had tried to skip out on the confession but Jesus wouldn’t allow it to be so!

I love how Luke’s gospel adds in the little detail...

Listen to me this morning friend, try as you might, there’s no hiding from God, Amen!

Maybe you’re here this morning or watching online and you’ve been trying to hide from God!

God sees you right now, at this very moment He knows your heart and what you need to do!

Maybe you need to believe?

Maybe you need to confess?

Stop playing hide and go seek with God because you can’t hide from a God who sees all!

This lady confesses her situation and what she had done and then Jesus responds with these beautiful words...

“Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Notice what He calls her?

Daughter!

She had believed; she had confessed; and now she had been made whole…in more ways than she even knew, amen!

She was now whole physically and spiritually!