Miracles

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Mark 5.24-34 (The Bible)

Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Example of How Jesus Changes Things

Jesus is still in the miracles business today. He never changes and the world is full of the miracle power of Jesus today. He calls us to do the same (see John 14.12 for example).

You’ll need… (test this at homes first!!)

  • Water in a glass bowl
  • Add 3 drops of food colouring into the water and stir in to colour the water
  • Then add some bleach – the water colour lightens but doesn’t go clear
  • Finally add some baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) – water goes clear

The point is that this is what Jesus does when he changes us and heals us – he takes the ‘discoloured water’ in us (the sin / rubbish in our life) and he changes it back to be pure coloured water.

Miracle Stories

I have seen some miracles and so have my family / others close to me. Here are what I’ve seen Jesus do (maybe you can share some other examples / ask for some examples?) I’ve also seen people not healed after prayer which shows the mystery of God, that we don’t understand everything. God’s will is to heal but sometimes there is a bigger thing that he’s doing.

  • Instantly heal someone’s eyes when a migraine came on and she lost her vision – after prayer
  • A woman who was bleeding internally see her bleeding stop and the baby was born perfectly healthy – after prayer
  • A woman who was completely blind get back perfect vision – after prayer
  • A couple who needed hundreds of pounds to pay off debt received a cheque that week for the exact amount from a surprising source. The lady’s toe was also healed – after prayer
  • Someone’s leg grew out to be the same length as the other leg – after prayer
  • A soldier was prayed for after having mobility problems after being hit by shrapnel in his knee – after prayer he was able walk properly saying there was no feeling of shrapnel in his leg any more

Breaking Down the Bible so we can understand it

Jesus was in a crowd. A woman needed a miracle. Medicine couldn’t help, money couldn’t help – but she knew that Jesus could and would help. Without Jesus, things had just got worse and she got more broke! She didn’t know how Jesus would help. She didn’t care how. But she knew he would help. She was focused on Jesus. He alone was the answer. So she fought her way to Jesus. She pushed through every obstacle. She knew who Jesus was and something of his power so she knew that just touching his robe would be enough. So that’s what she did. She touched his robe and power went out from Jesus. It wasn’t like he lost some of his charge, it was more like she caught some of what Jesus had. Immediately she was healed. She wasn’t prayed for and she didn’t even ask Jesus for healing out loud! We can pray for others and not be near them and God will heal them, change them, move their hearts to love him and others.

Jesus wants to heal us in every area of life

But Jesus went one step further and encouraged the woman to not just be healed but to be completely set free.

When Jesus said ‘your faith has made you well’ he said the word ‘sozo’ which meant made thoroughly / completely well. She was healed in every way.

In Matthew 9.22, relating to the same incident, the Bible says ‘your faith has healed you.’ And it’s that same word ‘sozo’.

Then in Luke 8 the same word is used when a troubled man was healed – so sozo also relates to mental health.

Later in the Bible, in 2 Timothy 4.18 the same word ‘sozo’ relates to God looking after us too.

In Matthew 14.35-36 the word ‘sozo’ is used when Jesus healed people – ‘as many as touched Jesus were made ‘perfectly well’ (or ‘thoroughly rescued’ (as in someone being made safe from danger).

Then in Mark 16.16 the same word ‘sozo’ is translated as ‘he who believes and is baptized will be saved.’ That same word ‘sozo’ relates to God changing our hearts and lives when we say yes to Jesus.

(There’s more examples of the word ‘sozo’ if you look them up!)

So the word ‘sozo’ is pretty complete when we think about the healing and miracle working power that is Jesus! Jesus wants to help and heal us in every area of our lives and he wants that for all people too.

What Can We Learn?

  • Jesus has the answer to everything – physically, emotionally, mentally etc
  • Sometimes we have to push through fear, other people’s opinions and crowds
  • Jesus doesn’t just heal, transform (change us) and do miracles – that is who he is. As the song ‘Way Maker’ says, He is a miracle working God
  • When we touch Jesus, even in small ways, it can set us free and change us
  • When we meet with Jesus, we catch a bit of what he has and is
  • Jesus doesn’t just want to do incredible things, he wants us to be whole
  • The ultimate destination of miracles, healings etc is not the miracles , it is Jesus himself – he is the end point and the purpose
  • The biggest miracle is when Jesus changes us from the inside to the outside (we call this ‘being saved’ or ‘becoming a Christian’ or ‘coming to faith’ in Jesus – it means making Jesus boss of your life)

Response

Is there an area of your life where you need a miracle?

Is there anything that holds you back that you’d like see a change?

Do you making whole in any area of life? Do you need ‘sozo-ing’ ?!!

If you’re not sure about miracles, does God want to challenge you today?

When God sets us free, we get to help others be free. How can you do this?

Prayer

Lord I thank you that you are a God who changes things and wants to make things right. Lord I ask that you would do something amazing in me and through me. I specifically ask that you would (tell God what you need and what you’d like – don’t worry, if it’s not right for you, he’ll give you something better!) Thank you that you are a miracle-working, way-making all-powerful God. Amen!