The Power Of Touch

“The Power of Touch”

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you.'" Zechariah 8:23 NIV

Intro: Today I want to talk about what is most likely a familiar story in the bible to you.

And yet a story that has its beginning in a very unfamiliar place in the bible.

The story in Matthew chapter 9 verse 20 is the familiar story.

The story in Zechariah 8:23 is the unfamiliar story that is surrounding the story in Matthew 9:20

And if it is the Lord’s will…, I want to tie these two stories together

Because the two go together

And together they are much bigger than just the healing a woman who is very ill

Together they reveal to us the identity and means of healing of the sin-sick world

500 years before Christ ever walked the streets of Jerusalem

A prophet in Israel named Zechariah

Who was born a slave in Babylon

A member of the family of High Priests

His family returned to the land of Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua.

You can trace Zechariah’s genealogy, in the book of Nehemiah 12:16

His prophecy plays a significant part in this story of the healing of the woman

we know as the woman with the issue of blood

who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was made whole

Matthew 9:20 “Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus was walking down the street of Jerusalem.

He was surrounded as he made his way through the crowded street.

It was impossible to get through the crowd without touching other people.

There was one woman who desperately fought her way through the crowd in order to touch Jesus.

As soon as she did,

Jesus knew, “Somebody” hath touched me.

It doesn’t say who

It doesn’t give a name

It just says she came up “behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.”

Underline: “behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.”

Jesus turned and saw her He knew somebody had touched Him

The virtue of Jesus had been transferred from Him to her

The healing power of Jesus had been transferred upon her

Jesus knew that Somebody got something from him

Jesus knew that somebody had touched him and that he had touched someone

The woman was healed at that moment.

Now hang on to that thought

While we turn over to Zechariah 8:23

If you can’t find Zechariah in your bible just fake it till you make it.

If you look down and you are over in the book of Zephaniah instead of Zechariah.

At least you got the Z right.

At least you are not in Revelations you are somewhere in the Old Testament. Right?

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you.'" Zechariah 8:23 NIV

Notice it the phrase “will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe”

Underline: “by the hem of his robe.”

This is where we connect the dots so to speak.

Both verses are about touching the hem of a robe or garment.

So, that is what’s going to tie these two verses together

and hopefully bring an important truth to us in this message this morning.

So we have the action of “touch”

Touch…

“The Power of Touch”

There is power in the touch

There is power in the touch of Jesus

Touch

In 2013 there was an article in Psychology Today that talked about the “Language of Touch”

and the Power that Touch has in the world we live in.

The first example was the need for an infant or toddler to feel the touch of its parent as soon as possible

Studies show that babies who for perhaps some medical reason,

something prevents them from immediately be placed in the mother's arms

Babies respond more quickly to treatment when they have the human touch

Then those who have no contact whatsoever, except that which is necessary

they have no human touch

They do not respond to treatment as well as those who are rubbed and patted and held

Even when that touch is through some glove or another garment.

Still, that touch is essential for nurture and healing