Jesus, Our Compassionate Healer

Introduction

John, Denise, Mikey

Desperate to find a heart transplant for his son.

He sold everything and spent all he had. . . but still couldn’t pay for a transplant.

John was desperate. . . He was willing to sacrifice his life, make himself look like a criminal, and do whatever it took to get his son a heart transplant. . . because he knew that a heart transplant was his son’s only hope. He knew his need. . . and acted in faith.

What are we desperate for?

Are we desperate for Jesus?

Why do we struggle to long to be with Jesus. . . willing to do anything it takes to feel his touch of mercy?

I think for some of us, we have never experienced the life transforming touch of Jesus and don’t see need for him. . . for some of us. . . we have felt his touch, but our hearts have become hard and numb to him. . . that we don’t even notice him anymore.

Sin has hardened our hearts and infected us with a disease that needs healing and restoration. . . . and this is something we cannot do ourselves. . . you see, tonight, we all need the compassionate touch of a healer.

Thankfully, in Mark 5:21-43, We will find one such healer, who’s compassionate and powerful touch can bring healing and restoration to our sin infected hearts. . . Thus, the Key Point in our text tonight is that Jesus’ compassionate touch brings healing and restoration from sin to all who desperately believe in him.

Our passage tonight continues the theme of Jesus demonstrating he is the messiah. . . he has power over natural disasters, power over demons, and tonight, we will see he has power to defeat disease and death!

Jesus’ Touch Brings Healing to an Untouchable and Restoration to a Ruler’s Daughter.

1. The Ruler’s Dying Daughter (v. 21-24)

Jairus was a prominent person in society.

He was a “ruler of the synagogue” meaning he was the president of the Jewish place of worship.

Jairus’ daughter was “at the point of death,” and we see later in verse 35 that she died during Jesus’ detour in healing the untouchable woman.

Bad things can happen to anyone. . . no matter rich or poor, important or outcasts.

After months of Jesus’ ministry, Jairus heard the reports about Jesus’ power to heal.

So, when Jesus came on the shore, even with “great crowds” among him. . . he fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come and heal his daughter.

Even as one of the “rulers of the synagogue” he humbled himself and fell down before Jesus.

Jairus was desperate and knew that Jesus was his only hope. (Implored him earnestly)

2. The Untouchable’s Debilitating Disease (v. 24-26)

A girl who is known to be promiscuous. She makes another bad decision on prom night and someone records it on video and sends it online to the entire school. . . everyone now knows her sin and sees her as dirty and defiled.

Mark tells us this woman has been suffering from a discharge of blood.

Based on Leviticus 15:25, her discharge of blood would make her unclean and an outcast in society. . . . In contrast to Jairus who was the highest in society. . . this woman was the lowest in soceity.

This disease was debilitating because it brought humiliation.

Whenever she entered public space, she would have to shout out “unclean, unclean,” and then others around her were supposed to repeat the phrase.

Walk out into the crowd and shout unclean and get the students to say the same.

This disease was debilitating because it brought loneliness.

Anything the woman touched became unclean and anyone who touched the woman became unclean.

This woman had probably not felt the loving embrace our touch from someone in twelve years!

During COVID, did you ever feel this way when you couldn’t give people a hand shake, high-five, or friendly hug? Imagine that lasting twelve years, with no possibility of it changing.

This disease was debilitating because it brought spiritual starvation.

She could not enter the temple and worship God. She could not offer sacrifices.

This disease was debilitating because it brought desperation.

Mark tells us that she had been suffering for twelve years and did everything she could to get better.

v. 26: She had suffered much under many physicians and spent all she had and was still no better but rather grew worse.

Just as no one could tame the demon possessed man, No worldly solution could solve the woman’s problems. . . she spent everything she had and still came up empty.

How often do we see this play out in our lives and the lives of others?

People spend all their money, time, and talents on things they think will satisfy their desires for acceptance, purpose, and meaning. . . all to come up empty and bankrupt.

We need to ask the question in what ways are we “selling out” to find solutions in the world that only the Savior can provide?

Like the woman, we have this same debilitating disease of sin. . . but do we recognize our desperate need for healing like she does?

Despite the woman’s debilitating disease she demonstrated forceful faith in Jesus in verses 27-28.

3. The Untouchable’s Forceful Faith (v. 27-28)

Jesus has been carrying out his teaching ministry for at least a few months now and has performed many healings for people who had diseases.

Mark 3:10 says, “for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.”

So, Mark tells us in verse 27 that the woman had “heard reports about Jesus,” most likely referring to his miraculous healings.

Based upon this report, the untouchable believes that she can be healed by the touch of Jesus.

She believes that Jesus has the power to heal her.

But, her faith is not just intellectual, but it is demonstrated by actions.

She forcefully makes her way through the “great crowd” that is thronged around Jesus.

Again, remember the embarrassment and humiliation she would face by doing this (“unclean, unclean”). . . but she did not care. . . she did not care what people thought about her. . . she did not care what people said about her. . .

Instead of fearing the crowd, she had strong faith in Jesus. . . like Jairus, she was desperate for Jesus and knew that he was her only hope for healing.

Are we this desperate for Jesus? Do we see him as our only hope?

Do we cower in fear of the crowds around us or do we live out our faith in Jesus not caring what others may say about us?

The woman’s forceful faith was demonstrated by her reaching out in desperation to touch the end of Jesus’ garment. . . and this one touch of Jesus brought the woman healing and wholeness in v. 29-34.

4. The Compassionate and Healing Touch of Jesus (v. 29-34)

Mark says that the woman’s flow of blood stopped immediately when she touched Jesus’ garment.

Twelve years of suffering. . . but one touch of Jesus brought healing.

Twelve years of going to physicians. . . but one touch of Jesus brought healing.

Twelve years of spending all the money she had. . . but one touch of Jesus brought healing.

Jesus was not unaware of what happened. . . but stopped walking with Jairus to have compassion on the woman.

It is amazing for Jesus to stop what his is doing and tend to someone who was on the lowest place of society instead of tending to Jairus’ daughter who was in the highest place of society.

It would be like Jesus driving to heal the President of the US’ daughter and stopping in between to heal a homeless drug addict on the streets.

Jesus sees all people as equally important and worthy of his time. . . because all people are made in God’s image.

**Do we treat people like Jesus did? We must see people like Jesus sees them and never exclude helping and serving others, regardless of how they are labeled in society.**

Jesus has the power to heal because he is God and has authority over all sickness and disease.

HANDS: Deeds: Isaiah 35:4–6 says God will heal the sick.

Jesus also showed his deity because instead of being made unclean by the woman’s touch, he made the woman clean while himself remaining clean.

v. 30: Power went out from Jesus. He was not simply a human. . . but the power of God flowed from inside him. . . and notice this. . . even though many people were around him, he knew power had gone out of him to one specific person.

Jesus did not ask “who touched him” because he did not know, but wanted to speak and have compassion on the untouchable woman. He wanted to publically affirm her before all the crowd.

Once more, we see the woman’s great faith by falling down before Jesus and confessing she had touched Jesus’ garment. She was not ashamed before the crowds to acknowledge her faith in Jesus.

As she comes to Jesus, Jesus demonstrates abundant compassion to this woman by calling her “daughter.”

This woman is an outcast in society, but the Son of God calls her “daughter.”

This is the only time in the gospel where Jesus calls someone daughter.

Jesus then declares her clean and that her faith has made her well. He takes the place of the High Priest by declaring her clean, because he is the great high priest!

He gave her the shalom she had been longing for. . .

Jesus is the only one who can heal us and declare us clean. He is the only one who can make us clean from our sin and guilt.

So Jesus’ touch has the power to bring healing to an untouchable. . . but he also has the power to bring restoration to a Ruler’s daughter. .

As Jesus and Jairus were walking to his dying daughter, Jairus faced multiple obstacles to trusting in Jesus . . but despite these multiple roadblocks, he persevered in his faith and knew that Jesus could help her live.

5. The Ruler’s Persevering Faith (v. 36-38)

As Jairus and Jesus went on their way, they were delayed by the episode of the untouchable woman. . . after this time had passed, Jairus was told the news that his daughter, who was at the point of death, has now died.

However, Jesus encouraged Jairus to “not fear but only believe.”

Only believe here can be translated “keep on believing.” (Journey-Don’t stop believin)

Jesus commanded Jairus to persevere in the faith that he already demonstrated by coming to Jesus at the beginning of the story.

Sometimes circumstances or situations can arise in our lives that make us afraid and struggle with doubt. . . when these times come. . . we must remember the words of Christ: Don’t be afraid, but keep on believing.

Like the crowd, people will challenge us and oppose our faith. “Why bother Jesus anymore, he does not care about you.” But we must not fear them but have faith in God.

Despite the opposition, Jairus continued to believe in Jesus and his faith allowed him to see Jesus’ restoring and powerful touch in raising his daughter from the dead.

6. The Restoring and Powerful Touch of Jesus (v. 37-43)

When Jesus and three of his disciples arrived at the house, there were professional mourners who were wailing loudly.

Similar to the woman who had a disease for twelve yers, Mark tells us that this girl was twelve years old.

Mourners would have been expected for a death of a girl at this age because she was probably soon to be married. To die unmarried or before one’s wedding day would have been an immense tragedy.

Yet, Jesus says she is merely “asleep” because he knew he would soon “wake her up” by rising her from the dead.

Jesus is mocked and ridiculed for this statement, which shows he can sympathize with our weakness when we are mocked and laughed at for our faith. Yet, this does not distract him.

Look at the compassion from Jesus. . . Similar to the untouchable touching Jesus, Jesus grabs the dead daughter’s hand and restores her back to life.

Like the untouchable woman, dead people were deemed unclean. . . yet Jesus was willing to touch death and brought into this girl restored life.

“He who laid hands on her to form her from nothing, once more lays hands upon her to reform her from what had perished.” -Church Father from the 5th century.

Once more, Jesus demonstrates he is the Messiah and one with the Father by having authority over death and the power to raise someone from the dead.

Jesus is the compassionate healer who’s touch can heal and restore us if we put our faith in him.

I believe there are four responses to our text tonight. . .

Response

See our need and the power Jesus has to heal and restore us from our sin.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are a few days away.

This story tonight is a reminder of the power Jesus has to heal and restore us from our sin.

But, for this to happen. . . Like Jairus and the woman we must see our uncleanliness. . . we must see our sin. . . and know our need for the healing touch of Jesus.

Even though Jesus did not become unclean when the woman touched him or when he touched Jairus’ dead daughter. . . Jesus did eventually take our uncleanliness.

Galatians 3:13 “13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus has the power to make us clean because he is perfectly clean and lived a perfect life for us.

Jesus has the power to raise us from the dead because after paying our sin debt on the cross, he conquered death and rose from the grave on Sunday morning.

This is why we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday. . . because our debt has been paid. . . because the tomb is empty. . . because Jesus has saved us from sin and death!

2. Feel the compassion Jesus shows to the least and the greatest.

This story shows us Jesus’ abundant mercy and compassion to all types of people.

Jesus loves the outcasts and untouchables, but he also loves the rulers and “prominent” people in society.

Jesus loves all people because all people have been made in his image.

Jesus loves all people because all people are sinners in need of a savior.

3. Fear or faith?

Are we desperate for Jesus or desperate for the crowds?. . . Do we fear the crowds or do we have unwavering faith in Jesus?

We must have a faith that acts. . . we must have a faith that is unashamed.

We must not let our uncleanliness stop us from coming to Jesus.

We must not let our seemingly hopeless situations stop us from coming to Jesus.

What would this student ministry look like if we decided to act in unwavering faith and not fear?

4. Cruelty or Compassion?

We must show compassion to untouchables and the prominent.

How do you treat kids with special needs in your schools?

How do you treat the kid who sits by herself at lunch?

How do you treat the popular guy in school?

How do you treat the stranger that shows up to church on Wednesday or Sunday?

We must bring the loving touch of Christ to all people because this is how he loved us.

We are the body of Christ. . . how can the body of Christ not act in accordance with Jesus. . . who is the head of the body?

What would your school, sports team, or theatre society look like if you showed people compassion like Jesus?