"And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him for they had all been waiting for Him."
What a sight that would have been to see, a city or maybe even a whole town waiting for the arrival of Jesus to come. I'm sure the crowd heard all of the mighty things that Jesus was doing; from healings, to casting out demons and raising the young lad from the dead. Aren't you glad that Jesus' ministry was not just to preach salvation unto us, but He also intended to get personally involved in our lives, a forever mentor, teacher to guide us down the straight and narrow. For how would the ministry of Jesus spread if He had not invested first in the 12 disciples who later became apostles. And so His ministry was people oriented, He loved them and although it wasnt mentioned in verse one you can assume that some of the people came not just to see the miracles of Jesus, but also to experience and engage in with this extraordinary Man with extraordinary love. And so, "...the people welcomed Him for they had all been waiting for Him."
"And there came a man named Jairus, he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus' feet and began to implore Him to come to his house for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying..."
Things just turned for the worst here, a man named Jairus had a daughter that was dying but notice what Jesus does, He continues on walking! Why? So picture this man crawling on his knees imploring Jesus at His feet as Jesus continues to walk on! What a radical and vivid picture that the bible is portraying for us.
"But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him."
In Titus 3:14 Paul gives one of his personal concerns concerning Christian conduct, "Our people must learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful." Christ came to meet pressing needs. I was lifting weights one day and decided to go a bit heavy on the bench. And as I lifted the bar off and brought it to my chest I realized that the weight was too heavy and it was pressing down harder and harder on my chest, squeezing the breath out of me. I needed that weight to get off my chest in order for me to breathe again. Christ came to lift the pressing weight on our chest so we can breathe again meeting our pressing needs. So here is Jesus surrounded and pressed in by the growing crowd of people.
"And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped."
Quick recap; so we have now a man named jairus and a woman with a hemorrhage. Jairus had experienced 12 years of great joy with his daughter while the woman had experienced 12 years of pain and sorrow with her hemorrhage. But lets focus first on this woman who was literally dieing from the inside out.
She must have gone to every doctor in the land seeking for healing and comfort for her internal bleeding. But none had come to her aid to heal her completely. So where do we find her going? She goes to seek out the Doctor of all doctors, Jesus Christ. Bible says that she came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, but lets not forget that she is in great pain. A crowd is pressing against Jesus and this crowd is not going to stop this woman from getting to Jesus, from getting where she needs to be. So she pushes and fights her way through the crowd while her pain increases yet in it she draws closer to Jesus.
Exodus 33:23 it shows Moses having a conversation with God abot seeing His glory but God says in v23, "Then I will take away My hand and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."
God was showing Moses that it is He who goes before him to give Him victory and the promise. I am the one who goes before you, the Ancient of Days, the Almighty God. I am the one who performs wonders before you. And so this lady saw as Moses saw, the trail of glory, His marks of love that Jesus had left behind as He walked forward in victory. And so she clinged and touched the fringe of His cloak reaching out, and coming to the end of herself she found the beginning of God.
"And Jesus said,'Who is the one who touched Me?' And while they were all denying it, Peter said,'Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on you.' But Jesus said,'Somone did touch me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.'"
This brings a smile to my face. I believe the key part in this verse is when Jesus said 'someone did touch me, for I was aware that power had gone out of me.' He took notice of the needy one who needed Him desperately!!! It wasnt that Jesus had no idea who had touched Him, Jesus asked because He wanted to acknowledge the one who had come in faith, tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. Oh what a wonderful, personal God He is. To notice a sinner like me and yearned to have a relationship with me, to address me personally. This woman experienced grace first hand and the power in grace that comes from Christ. And when she saw that she had not escpaed His notice she knelt at the feet of Jesus and testified of His power, the immediate healing, and the reason why she came to Him.
And in the most loving tone and reaffirming voice Jesus spoke tenderly to her, with words that were as apples of gold in settings of silver...
"And He said to her,"Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."
So after 12 years of heartache and internal bleeding and struggles on a daily basis, this woman was finally at total rest, in total peace physically internally, and spiritually. But God did not leave her empty handed, as she came to touch Him He came seeking to touch her. As Christ has reached down from heaven so our faith should stretch up to heaven as well. But you see He wanted to speak to her, and to reassure her that she was well and that she may go in peace. We all go through the spiritual highs and the spiritual lows, times where we experience great amounts of faith and soon after we feel alone and unwanted and unloved. But Jesus comes to us while we are on our knees and almost has to convince us through His words, that our faith in Him has made us well and that we may go or continue on in peace.
Dearest Christian walk in peace and know that you are well. For God has not only touched you He has spoken over you, even rejoiced over you. Be diligent as this woman was to seek the Lord in the midst of her pain and obstacles that stood before her. To know that when you do reach His feet you will find peace and be made well.
Colossians 2:10 "...and in Him you have been made complete..."
