This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.”
Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share be sharing with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
We just spent four days on the story of Jairus and his daughter. In the middle of that story, there was a woman who had an issue of blood. We will discuss her issue over the next few days.
As Jesus and His disciples walked with Jairus to his home, the crowd walked with them. Jesus was coming from ministering a breakthrough (casting out a legion of demons in the land of Gad), and He was heading towards ministering a breakthrough (bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life). Sandwiched between the two is a woman who is looking for a breakthrough herself.
The Bible says that she had an issue of blood for 12 years. This meant that her menstrual cycle had literally not stopped in 12 long years. She was physically debilitated because of the constant loss of blood. She was psychologically scarred because of the legal parameters surrounding her condition. The Hebraic Law considered her “unclean,” and she would make anything or anyone she came in contact with “unclean” as well. This meant the woman had to stay away from everyone while she was bleeding. This was hard enough for a woman to deal with for a few days a month, but it was unbearable for 12 long years. This woman was basically a prisoner in her own body (see Leviticus 15:19-31).
Take a moment to identify with this woman. She was physically drained, emotionally scarred, and socially outcast. To make a bad situation worse, she spent all her money on doctors and did not get any better. She grew worse. So there she was: financially broke, physically bleeding, and psychologically distraught. But when she heard about Jesus and the Lord deposited a crazy idea in her heart, she mustered up the faith to attempt it.
She spoke the language of faith to herself, saying, “If I can only but touch His clothes, I shall be made whole!” She said that to herself over and over again. She then took her chance. Jesus was coming by. He was walking with the local synagogue ruler. Jesus’ team was with Him, but a large crowd surrounded Him. The woman knew she was not supposed to be in the crowd. Whenever she touched anyone, she was supposed to cry out and say, “UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!” to warn people of her condition. But after 12 years, she was sick of rules. She needed a breakthrough. She pressed her way through the crowd without saying anything. And when she finally got close enough, SHE DID IT! She reached out her hand and touched Jesus’ clothes. Immediately the bleeding stopped! She knew she was changed. She knew she had received her breakthrough.
I will stop here today, and we will pick it up from here on Monday.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. One of the reasons why I hate religion.
??For Jews, the Laws of Leviticus were considered sacred and were closely followed to maintain religious and cultural purity. The laws outlined specific actions, rituals, and behaviors that were considered unclean and could cause impurity, including menstruation. According to Leviticus 15:19-30, a woman who was menstruating was considered ritually impure for seven days and had to undergo a purification ritual in order to regain her purity. During this time, she was considered to be a source of impurity and was required to avoid contact with others and refrain from participating in religious and community activities.
This is why the woman with the issue of blood who approached Jesus was considered unclean. Her prolonged bleeding would have made her unable to participate in normal social and religious activities. Being in this condition for 12 long years would have made her an outcast in her community. When she reached out to touch Jesus in faith, her healing marked not only a physical restoration but also a mental, spiritual, and social one. After her encounter with Jesus, not only was she physically healed, but she was able to reintegrate into society.
— Religion was forcing restrictions on this woman without giving her an answer to our situation.
— Religious leaders wanted her to obey the rules, but they were not giving her an out.
— She spent all her money on doctors, and she did not get any better. She actually got worse.
— People were praying for her, but she was stuck in her condition for 12 long years. She was living as a prisoner in her own body, and religious people would rather focus on her obeying the rules than getting her breakthrough.
— When she got a glimpse of an opportunity to get out of it, she took it. Beyond religion, she took a leap of faith!
— Rules cannot make you right. Rules can only show you when you are wrong.
— Jesus offered what the rules never could. Jesus offered love and He offered power! One touch from Jesus and this woman’s life was changed forever.
— You will never experience intimacy with your heavenly Father by focusing on rules. Rules, rituals, routines and religion were introduced to show you the need for a true relationship with God.
2. God will give you a glimpse of His will in your heart, putting His grace on display, and when He does, you must have the faith to believe it and launch out into it!
— God will reveal His will to you as an act of His unearned grace. When He does, Your job is to then believe it, openly, declare it, and then take actions of faith toward it.
— God gave Jairus a glimpse of the miracle worker, Jesus, going to his house, laying hands on his daughter, and causing her to live. Jairus had no way of understanding how or why. He just had to have the faith to believe it. He did. He believed it in his heart, and He spoke it out loud at Jesus’ feet. That’s faith. That’s how your faith taps into God’s grace.
— I don’t believe the woman with the issue of blood came up with the idea of touching Jesus’ garment in her own heart. I believe God deposited that idea in her. Her job was to believe, receive it, DECLARE IT, and then launch out into it. If she did, her faith would tap into God’s grace!
— In the case of Jairus, doing what God was leading him to do was going to cost him some personal relationships. In the case of the woman, doing what God was leading her to do, was going to put her at risk of being stoned to death (for violating The Law). In both cases, they took the risk. In your life, you will need to take the risk as well!
— Living by faith is risky. But it’s also exciting. God will give you a glimpse of something in your heart, and you know that for you to attempt it, it will cost you something. God will require you to launch out, in faith, without wavering at the risk of looking foolish. But if you have the faith, you will tap into God’s grace, and you will experience God’s best.
— Meditating and daydreaming about the image God gave you is great. But to live by faith, at some point, you are going to have to DO SOMETHING. Faith is an action word!
— Living by faith will cause you to get beyond your limits, beyond your comfort zone, at the risk of looking foolish. This is how you will get to experience the supernatural. You will never walk on water if you are too afraid to get out of the boat!
3. Faith is voice-activated.
— Notice how Jesus used the power of words to stop a storm. Then Jesus used words to cast out a legion of demons.
— The Roman Centurion believed that Jesus did not have to visit his house to heal his servant. He just needed to speak the Word only. Jesus did. He spoke words, and healing went to the man’s house and healed the servant.
— Jairus spoke words of faith. He said, “Mr. Jesus, if you would come to my house and lay hands on my daughter, she shall recover and she shall live.” Guess what? He got exactly what he said.
— The woman got an image of her being healed when she touched Jesus. She kept SAYING IT. Then she touched Jesus. Guess what? She got exactly what she said!
— I will pick this up on Monday. For today, I will close by telling you that, good or bad, you will have what you SAY!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
As I study the miracles of Jesus, my faith is increased!
This is my season! This is my time! This is my year!
I am no longer focused on ritual, routine, or religion.
I have a relationship with You and I am committed to experiencing You and Your power.
I am not afraid of attempting whatever You lead me to do.
I will do what You tell me to do, even at the risk of looking foolish. Even when it is something I have never done. Even when it is something that cannot be done in the natural. My eyes are upon You.
My confidence is in You! My life is all about You! I am ready to launch out IN FAITH to experience Your best this year! GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
