Cleansed and Resurrected | Matthew 9:18-26

And we'll see how Jesus shows compassion on the sick and hurting how he shows compassion to those of lowly status in the world. But he also shows compassion to those of high status. Jesus. Also, in his compassion, shows his power over sickness. Even over death, these Miracles, show that Jesus is God, that Jesus is the Messiah that he is the son of David, the one promised in the Old Testament to save his people, So we will see two Miracles today. The first Jesus will heal a woman who's been suffering for 12 years. And then the second. Jesus will raise a 12 year old girl from the dead. Both stories call us to have faith in. Jesus is power, and both will call us to trust in Jesus, to trust in his compassion and to trust in Jesus to save us from our uncleanliness to save us from our sins and to raise us to New Life. And this will also cause us to look forward to the day when he will awaken us from our sleep and awaken us into eternal life.

One commentator recounts, the story of how Martin Luther lost his beloved 14, year-old daughter, Magdalena to the Great Plague that swept Europe in the 16th century. Those who knew Luther later recalled, the event this way, they they they spoke of Luther being broken hearted and he knelt beside her bed, and beg God to release her from the pain. Then when she had finally died, the Carpenters were nailing down the lid of the coffin and Luther Cried Out, hammer away, hammer away for on the last day. She will rise again. The commentator goes on to summarize. That is our hope for all who die in Christ. That is our hope as well. Our ultimate. Hope is not to escape death. Who can escape death.

This twelve-year-old girl in our story about to read about, she will be raised but she will die again just as Lazarus who was raised from the dead. Also eventually died. Did. This miracle story is not about how we should trust. That Jesus will save us from an early death or from Death itself. Jesus is not some mystical magical Fountain of Youth. No, he is our resurrected savior. He is saving us from eternal. Hell, Eternal death. That's what we're worried about starting in verse 18. It reads as he was telling them these things. Suddenly, one of the leaders came and knelt down before him. So if you remember from last week, Jesus was just telling the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. How God desires Mercy. How and he's telling John the Baptist disciples. Why now is the time for celebration. It's not the time of mourning and fasting because Jesus is bringing the kingdom of God. He is Healing The Sick He's teaching how God's kingdom won't fit into the Pharisees religious framework. How Jesus is teaching, is not just about external ritual. It's not the mere appearance of Holiness because the leaders of the day, that's what they were concerned about. And they were withholding mercy and compassion from the hurting and the sinful. They wouldn't even go around them. They didn't want to touch anyone who was unclean. Are we see here? Someone responding to Jesus positively from the original religious leaders. This religious leader, got the point. Because he exhibits worship towards Jesus by kneeling down before him. We've seen how the Centurion, the Roman soldier, how that, that Roman soldier had authority over many others and as Authority as a Roman, but the Centurion humbled himself before. Jesus likewise, the religious leaders is not does not consider his high status. As a religious leader of the synagogue, something to stand in his way of humbling himself before Jesus. Because there is no job. There is no status in the world. That would Elevate you above Jesus for. Jesus is the one with all authority. Not you, not me. Not anyone else. So faith in Jesus requires, humble, adoration, and worship of him. The recognition that you can't do everything that you can't control every circumstance. And as we'll see, while this religious leader may have had Authority in the synagogue. He did not have Authority or the power to raise his daughter from the dead. So he goes to the one that does and he appeals to Jesus saying, My daughter just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live. Now, in this account of the religious leader, you will not see him being described as faithful, you will not see the word faith being ascribed to him. Nevertheless, his faith is evident by his actions and his words while many of his fellow religious leaders have rejected. Jesus have looked down on him for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This religious leader does not bound to the fear of, man. He does not go along to get along. He's not pressured by his peers to reject Jesus. But battles, the knee before him because he trusts that Jesus has the power and compassion to raise the Dead. Is also interesting here that the religious leader calls for Jesus, not just to say the word and she will be healed like the Centurion did, but he wants to the miracle to before and performed through physical touch. Now, that's interesting because the religious leader would know that touching a dead body was one of the most defiling actions and Judaism. That if you touched a dead body, you would be defiled. So he knows that Jesus is not just anyone. Jesus is the one who can touch a leper and doesn't become contaminated, but he actually cleanses the leper. Jesus will also be the one who touches the dead and doesn't become defiled but brings life. Doing the same way. Jesus is not afraid to draw near to you or to me. Jesus is not afraid of getting contaminated or defiled. Even while we were still sinners Christ died for us, that he drew near to us and cleansed us from all our sins. Because Jesus has the power to bring life. He responds to the man's actions and words of faith. And he honors. His request was the numbers, 19. So Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. So like we saw the man's faith in Jesus by his actions. We see Jesus response to the man in his actions while Jesus has not raised some. Someone from the dead that's fine. He has shown us that he is the Messiah that he has the power of God that he is, God himself in the flesh. He has perform healings. He's casting out demons. He can control the wind in the sea. So, at this point, the reader of Matthew unlikely, the religious leader, We assume that there is nothing that Jesus cannot do and we expect to see Jesus raise someone from the dead with we will, but just like in life. We are often confronted with interruptions delays changes of plans. Because on his way to do this, miraculous Resurrection, we seeing verse 20 and Interruption does just then a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years, approached from behind and touch the end of his robe. For she said to herself, if I can just touch his robe. I'll be made. Well. So is he here? Jesus is interrupted while on his way to work to raise a 12 year old girl from the dead. We know that the little girl is twelve from Mark 542. And he was interrupted by a woman who's been suffering for 12 years, which is one commentator notes, how this indicates, both the difficulty of the Cure and the despair of the sufferer. Can you imagine suffering with this? This disease is this bleeding for 12 years. How much despair? She must be feeling that she could not get it cured by any means. So, she goes to Jesus. And this illness that she has is much, like leprosy. This would have left a woman ritually unclean according to Leviticus 15-25. So, not only did she suffer physically, but this affected her status in the community. She couldn't go to the temple and worship with others as one commentator explains. She could not join Worship in her contact. With other people would have been restricted because even a touch from her would make people unclean. So while this is an interruption to the journey to the leaders house, it was not an interruption in the plan of God. Or the mission of Jesus to heal and show compassion. We must not see people as interruptions. We must not see people as interruptions, but we must see them as opportunities. See people, for, as opportunities, for mercy and compassion opportunities to share. Jesus is Mercy opportunities to share about how Jesus can heal the ultimate disease of sin, how he can make the clean, the unclean clean. That's how we should see people. We should, we should we could, we can share how Jesus invites, all people into his family. In Jesus. You are no longer an outsider. You are no longer unclean. You are no longer spurned from meeting with God's people. But through faith in Jesus as God Savior and King, you can be gathered into his family into the community of God.

And Jesus does not see her as an interruption, but he sees her as an opportunity for mercy and also to teach the importance of faith. And not only does Jesus see her for who she is. Jesus has Divine omniscience. He knows everything about her. He knows what she's even thinking. He says, because she says to herself. She didn't say this out loud or anyone else. Jesus knows what she's thinking. She's thinking that if I can just touch his robe. I'll be made. Well. And when she says be made, well, that is the same Bird use many times in Matthew to convey spiritual salvation. For example, Matthew 1:21. When it says, because he will save at the same word, that's translated be made. Well, because he will save his people from their sins, the same thing in Matthew 10, 22 says, you will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved, will be made. Well that the same word. Is there be saved. So that's when she hope to be saved in verse 21. She's talking about being saved from her illness. But this is pointing to something Beyond, just the Salvation from an illness. It's pointing to Ultimate salvation from sin. Well, we have seen Jesus, he can heal from a distance. He can hear he healed the Centurion servant in Matthew 8. Physical touch was not necessary. He has the power to do anything yet. The woman believed that she needed to at least touch his robe or literally The Fringe of His Garment likely the tassels required, in numbers, 1538 and Deuteronomy 22, 12. And as we will see, it is not the physical touch that saves her but it's her faith and trust in Jesus. In fact, Matthew does not even record her actually touching the road, but Matthew puts the emphasis on her face. We singing verse 22. Jesus turned and saw her. Have courage daughter. He said, your faith has saved you and the woman was made well from that moment. So, here we see that she didn't put her faith in Jesus after he healed her. She didn't trust in Jesus because he did something for her, but she had faith in Jesus before he healed her. And that wall, her outward out working a faith was in perfect while she had faith in Jesus. She feel it still felt the need to touch the Garment. So it's it's an imperfect fake but Jesus honors and commends her face. As one commentator points out, the idea of being healed. Or even the garments worn by a holy person, that's not unusual in that culture and you can look at Matthew 1436. I Mark 6 ft 6 in X, 19, 12 for those examples, but it is clear that it was because of her faith in Jesus, not the Superstition mingled with So again, while the context is about physical healing with the same word, used for Spiritual salvation. Jesus points us to the ultimate salvation, brought about through faith in him. Because we are not saved by external, rituals or superstitions, but by faith in Jesus. What Jesus does not rebuke the woman for thinking that physical touch was necessary? We can see a contrast between her face and their greater faith of the Centurion. If you remember from a couple weeks ago. Jesus said in Matthew 810 about this interior, and he says, truly I tell you I have not found anyone in Israel was so great. A faith. The centurions faith was not mixed with Superstition and dust. His face should be the goal of our faith as well. Never the last Jesus is merciful. He meets the woman where she is in her faith. Although imperfect. Jesus shows her compassion and we see and tell her Numbers 22 have courage daughter and emphasizes that it was not the Superstition of her touch, but the power of her face, that saved her. And I think, perhaps Jesus allowed for this healing and others to be done by physical touch because it was not necessary, but he allowed it to emphasize how he identifies with the unclean. Is Dr. Quarles points out. How the Jewish tradition commanded, a Jewish man to inquire whether a woman was in a state of uncleanliness. If even if she accidentally stepped on the man's robe or sit next to him on a boat because that was sufficient contact to leave the man in the state of defilement. Does most Jews would have expected the in direct contact with Jesus to defile, Jesus, rather than the result in the woman's healing? In other words, I think he allows the physical touch to say. I can't be made unclean, but I make people clean. That's what he's trying to say.

And again Jesus shows that he is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 and 5 and which he carries are diseases and he will bear our sins. Now, Jesus will show that. Not only does he have the power to heal and to cleanse the unclean. But he also has the power over death itself as we read on a verse 23. When Jesus came to the leaders house. He saw the flute players and a crowd lamenting loudly. So, from the beginning of our story today, we already knew that the leader's daughter has died. He was not asking Jesus to merely heal her, but to bring her back to life. That's when I get to the house. They encounter the customary, a funeral service, the morning, over the girl's death for that time. That's, that's what to expect. But what is unexpected is what Jesus says in verse 24? It says leave because the girl is not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at him. They laughed at Jesus because they knew she was dead. But he said that she was sleeping. So why did Jesus say that? What is going on? Because Jesus in fact, has come to raise her from the dead. So he says that he's sleeping because in a sense she's sleeping because she is about to be woken up. As one commentator writes death is not the end. And in the case of this girl, it were proved to be only a temporary experience. Her death is real but it is not final. So, since she's about to be raised to life, there is no need for the funeral Gathering to mourn. There is no need to lament and mourn. What is about to happen? Will require a party of Celebration. In the crown responds with disrespectful laughter and Jesus. Nevertheless. Jesus is patient. He is gracious with them. He does not immediately condemned them harshly for their disrespect. However, as one commentator points out, they would not be granted the privilege of witnessing. Jesus is first active, Resurrection. And also, Jesus is not want to give public spectacle, but Jesus is Meek and humble servant. So he tells them to leave. And they're laughing at Jesus, really stood out to me, and it's reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah's laughter, when God told them, that they would have a child. Even though they were in their old age. They were Abraham and Sarah laughed at God. They did not believe God promise. God showed his power then with Abraham and Sarah by bringing forth life out of the barrenness of her womb. Now Jesus, God In the Flesh will show his power Again by bringing forth life out of death.

And this is also true spiritually as Paul says in Ephesians 2:1. It says and you were dead in your trespasses and sins and inverse poor. But God, who is rich in Mercy? Because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ, even though we were dead and trespasses you are saved by grace. And Jesus also has the power to raise and a wake-up. Waking us from our sleep into eternal life, 1st, Thessalonians, 4:13. We do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. For, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again in the same way through Jesus. God will bring with him. Those who have fallen asleep. That's for those in Christ. We won't stay dead, but we will be raised again, one day. And US Christians can be said to have nearly fallen asleep for a death is but temporary. And why we celebrate now? Because Jesus is with us, we celebrate now, because Jesus has brought the kingdom. He has saved us. He has made us alive to live for him. Now. We still await his coming again. We still await the fullness of God's kingdom. When God will make everything right? Will? There will be no more sin. And on that day, when we awaken from our sleep, our celebrations will make our celebrations here on Earth. Look like retirement parties. I was thinking I would like the real most lame party. I don't know. That's the example. I thought I haven't retired yet, but maybe one day. What's 25? After the crowd have been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand and the girl got up. He raised her from the dead. Unlike Elijah in 1st Kings, and Elijah and 2nd Kings. Jesus did not cry out to God, for God, to raise the girl from the dead. Elijah, and Elisha were mere prophets praying for God to do the miracle. Jesus. Merely takes her by the hand, and she gets up showing that Jesus is God showing that he has the power and authority to raise the dead. He is not a mere profit. And he could have raised her from the dead without the touch. They could have just said the word, but he honors her father's request. And shows that when he touches someone on clean, he is not like every other person who also becomes unclean as one commentator notes corpse. Uncleanliness was the most seriousness, most serious on cleanliness. Anyone could control rendering a person unclean for 7 Days. Numbers 1911. So Jesus is touch brings healing. His touch brings cleansing. It brings life. Showing yet. Again, that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Christ promised in the Old Testament. As well. See a Matthew 11 verse for Jesus, replied to them. Go and report to John? What you hear and see the blind. Receive their sight. The lame walk, those with Leprosy are cleansed the deaf here. And here it is. The dead are raised. This is evidence is telling John, John's are in. Are we to expect someone else? And Jesus? Like, no. Look, what's happening. I'm the Fulfillment of all the Messianic prophecies. I'm the one come to save to save you. I'm the one that come to save my people from their sins. And so, since Jesus is the Christ, who has come to save his people. One commentator points out the raising of this little girl points to our ultimate. Resurrection of the Dead by Jesus Is Power. Let me see numbers 26. The news of this spread throughout the whole area, the news indeed, spread not only to that area. But over the two thousand years, this story about Jesus has power in his resurrection power. In his power of healing has spread all over the world. And his message is again being spread here in Zebulon, North Carolina or wherever you may be listening today. And this news requires a response.

How will you respond to Jesus's power to heal and raise the debt? Will you respond and scornful laughter thinking that, you know, better than God that, you know better than Jesus like the people that were at the funeral here in the in the story. Or will you respond? Like the girl's father who humbled himself before? Jesus worshipped him and placed his faith in him. Will you respond like the suffering? Woman? Will you respond in faith in Jesus to cleanse you from your sins?

Hear the the warning of Jesus in Luke chapter 6, verse 25. He says woe to you. Who are now laughing for you, will mourn and weep. Jesus is referring to Temporary laughter here, for those who Revel in their sin, those who do not repent of their sins. Those who have continued in unbelief and Rebellion against God. They may be laughing now. Jesus is gracious and patient with in his we have seen over and over again. There will be a day of judgment. And on that day. There will be many weeping many morning. But there were also be on that day. Many laughing and rejoicing, as Jesus says in verse 21 of Luke chapter 6. He says blessed. Are you who weep now? Because you will laugh. And hear Jesus, is referring to weeping over your sin weeping over your Rebellion to God. And turning to him for forgiveness, turning to him and faith in humble submission for salvation, and that response result and everlasting laughter Everlasting. Joy and everlasting. Life of Celebration. So respond in Jesus and faith today. Trust in his power to cleanse live, a life of Celebration because God has raised you from the dead of sin and he will raise you into eternal life on the final day. Will you pray with me?