In our church, we are going thru the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 5 there is the wonderful account of a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. According to Lev 15, this meant that this woman had spent those 12 years in an experience of walking death. Everyone she touched became ritually unclean. She was prohibited from engaging in activities in the Temple, which represented the presence of God and the worship of Him. It is hard for us to comprehend what her life must have been like.
Added to that, Mark tells us that she had spent her everything she had on doctors in an attempt to be cured from this affliction (Mark 5:26). Clearly, a cure was not to be had. Eventually, we could assume this malady would lead to her death.
But she had heard about Jesus’ ability to heal, and He had come to her region. Perhaps she had even seen Him heal others. In Mark 3:10 it says that the sick were touching Jesus and were healed. She decided she would do the same.
She thought if she could touch His clothes she would be healed. My guess is that this would be a scary undertaking for someone who made others unclean by simply touching them for the last 12 year. When she touched the Lord, she was healed completely and instantaneously.
Jesus knew that someone was healed by touching Him. When He saw her, He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34). He wanted her to know that it was her faith, not magic clothes that caused her healing.
The part of the Lord’s statement that caught my eye was when He told her to “go in peace.” For 12 years she had had no peace with anyone. She had been afflicted in every area of her life. The fact that she had been set free from her “affliction” meant more than she no longer had a physical ailment.
Recently, GES had a regional conference in Charlotte. The topic was Romans 5–8. That section starts off with this statement: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). When a person believes in Jesus for eternal life, he is declared righteous by God. Prior to that, the unbeliever is under the wrath of God. His experience is the opposite of being at peace. He is under the power of sin with no way out. His experience is one of death. But with faith in Christ, he has peace with God.
I cannot help but see this woman in Mark 5 as an illustration of what happens to the believer. She knew what had happened to her. She knew what a difference her faith in Jesus made. Before, she was alienated from the Temple and the presence of God, but the Messiah had changed everything. It is interesting to me that this is the only place in the NT where Jesus calls someone by the tender title of “daughter.” She was now at peace.
When we believed in Jesus we went from enmity with God to peace. We were set free from the power of sin. Prior to that, we were afflicted in ways we did not even realize.
Don’t you know that that woman walked away from her encounter with the Lord full of joy? She knew what the peace Jesus brought her meant. Do we?
Barry Blundi
Yes Kenneth, Lord Jesus has delivered me from the fear of death all my life, that kept me in bondadge! He is the only real peace that matters because, it is for all eternity. My/our assurance, and joy. He really is the only true God and eternl life. My/our rescuer, PRAISE HIM FOREVER! He is ALIVE! Also,our anticipation that becomes harder and harder to wait for. Very exciting! As time goes by we really sence that it is “far better to depart and to be with Christ.” Our exceeding great reward, HIM! Eternal peace, daily peace, and finally face to face peace when we see Him as He is. As that woman did, we soon will look into His eyes, and talk with Him. The Lord Jesus give you peace in every way continually. Love to you all there because of Him.
Alvin
Ken, thank you for the good word~! Maybe there is someone reading this blog who feels their just too unclean for Jesus to touch.
Just as this lady was unclean the Woman at the Well in John 4 was considered unclean but Jesus asked her for a drink in which she would do all the work of drawing the water. He would simply drink from her cup.
In the same way Jesus offered her a drink of living water in which He would do all the work upon the cross taking away the sin of the world. She would just simply take one drink of the living water and never thirst again.
To simply take Jesus at His saving word in a childlike verse, like John 3:16 is to drink the living water that with simple faith springs up into everlasting life~!
You must take it freely, and at the moment you do you pass from death into life, and have peace with God.
(John 1:29;3:16; 4:7,9,27 see also verses 4:10,13-14 the giving and receiving of a gift)
Leo Z
Pastor Ken, yes indeed! What a wondrous sense of peace it brings to anyone who is assured and secure of their eternal destiny hinging solely on Jesus’ promise of life everlasting to those who believe in Him for it. However, practically, while we are still living in this body of death, the experiential quality and fullness of this “life” (eternal life) depends on how a believer responds to God’s command and exhortation to live by and walk in the Spirit. For believers who live in the flesh there will be no peace, but those who live by the Spirit experience life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Continuing to earnestly pray for you and GES.
Suresh Budhaprithi
There is no peace in this earth. Though people are in desperate need of peace and working for it, it is never possible to have peace on earth in spite of doing our best from humans’ perspectives. So, where can we have peace? Who can bestow us peace and security? Only Jesus can give us peace. He is the prince of peace. Jesus told that woman to go in peace meaning, only he can give peace. Thus, our attempts and deeds to achieve peace will go in vain if we do not have faith in Christ. Only with faith in Christ, we have peace with God. What an insightful article professor Ken Yates!
Diane
I just loved this post~!!! Thank you Ken, and wishing you and your family a life time filled with the joy of the LORD~!!! 🙂
marilyn m gleeson
“Don’t you know that that woman walked away from her encounter with the Lord full of joy? She knew what the peace Jesus brought her meant. Do we?” John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who [a]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.” Has the Father drawn you that you have heard of Jesus? You cannot conjure up faith.` Mark 5:30, Jesus looked to see who had touched Him as it was the Father who drew her. Because the Father drew her, Jesus tells her to go in peace as it is a sure thing.
Alvin
Every person is held responsible before God to believe the testimony of God concerning His Son. And faith is not a gift but it is being persuaded by the evidence what God says is true. You cannot just give one side, or you will have an unbalanced view which ends up with the lie of Calvinism.
The other side: Jesus told the Jews John 5:39-40: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. “But YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO COME TO ME THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE.
Just as in Matthew 13:13-15 Jesus spoke to them in parables, why~? And their eyes THEY HAVE CLOSED.
God wants everyone to seek Him, but left to themselves they won’t. But, He does not leave them to themselves. That is why He tells them if they seek Him they will find Him.
Psalm 69:32b And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
Isaiah 65:1 who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am.’
Matthew 23:37 but YOU were not willing.
There is a certain amount of mystery to this, but the Scriptures give us a balance. So, let’s give both sides, no one will seek God left to themselves, but He does not leave them to themselves. No one standing in the judgement will be able to say, ‘But I wasn’t one of the elect.’
marilyn m gleeson
Alvin, Your last sentence IS what Calvinism teaches, THE GOSPEL. The LIE of Calvinism?!!! What is that? It is a personal misinterpretation. I am not a Calvinist, but have nothing against their doctrine. Millions have been helped by the writings of Calvin, Spurgeon, Augustine. They all belonged to God and were mere humans, just as all of us are. God is able to speak to us, much more that man’s opinions, thoughts, etc. Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.
Alvin
I stand on what I said, which is giving a balance of what Scripture says. A good example is John 3:16. It’s a childlike verse and no Scripture in the Bible contradicts it, not even Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
We know God loved Esau from John 3:16, and we have every reason to believe from Scripture that he was born again.
Calvinism is built on a narrow view of Scripture, that is taking Scripture out of its context.
Calvinism is NOT the Gospel but a LIE right out of HELL which Augustine, Calvin, and Spurgeon will give an account for, along with every other false teacher.
If a person comes to the Scriptures as a child, and takes the childlike Scriptures by simple faith they will be saved. Then they let the light of those Scriptures shine on the more difficult ones, then they won’t find themselves in a quagmire, as Zane would say😊