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The Jesus Touch
Mark 11: 1-10
A little girl received a shiny cross on
a chain for Christmas and on Sunday she proudly wore it around her neck
to church. After church she was approached by an older man who said to
her, “Little girl, I can’t believe that your parents would let you wear
such an ugly thing to church. Don’t you know that the cross Jesus died
on wasn’t beautiful like the one you’re wearing? It was a horrible,
wooden tool of torture.” The little girl looked up at him with her big
green eyes and said, “Yes sir, I know. But they told me in Sunday School
that whatever Jesus touches, He changes.”
The Bible is full of times that Jesus reached out and touched people to
give then what they need. No one has been touched by the hand of Jesus
and ever been the same again!
In Matthew 8 we see Jesus going against social allowances and touching a
man with leprosy. It was his touch that healed him.
Again in Matthew 8 we see Jesus going to see Peter’s mother-in-law and
when he touched her, her fever leaves and she is healed.
In Matthew 9 we see Christ touching the eyes of two blind men and they
are immediately healed.
In Matthew 20 Jesus touches the eyes of two more blind men and they
receive their sight.
In Mark 8 we see Jesus touching and healing a Blind man in Bethsaida
Mark 5 tells us of Jesus breaking a cultural law when he holds the dead
hand of Jairus’ daughter and tells her to get up.
Luke 7 Jesus breaks another social taboo when he touches the dead body
of the Widow of Nain’s son and returns him to his mother.
Luke 8 tells how the touch of Jesus heals a woman who had been
hemorrhaging for 12 years.
And in Luke 22 it is the touch of Jesus that that returns Malchus’ ear
after Peter cut it off.
Truly the touch of Jesus is a powerful thing. But I want to share one
more thought with you today.
It wasn’t until I went to Trista’s parents house and saw my first real
live colt that I understood an underlying point in our scripture reading
today. I was 21, full of vinegar, and by myself in the pasture. Pop had
a colt in a stall that was 4 or 5 months old and I wanted to get a
closer look. So I went into the stall of a horse that had never been
ridden.
My intentions were good. I wanted to pet the horse and then brag to my
girlfriend’s daddy that this city boy did know a thing or two about
horses. Well I won’t bore you with all the painful details but I will
tell you that horses don’t come into this world wanting to be touched
much less ridden.
In our passage Jesus tells his disciples to bring him an unbroken colt.
Can’t you just see the disciples pulling, pushing, dragging, and
carrying this colt against her will to Christ. I am sure they are
wondering what Jesus is going to do with this wild beast.
They have gone all this way fighting this animal and as Jesus walks up
the colt begins to calm down. Jesus touches the colt and it is not only
calm enough to place their coats on but it is calm enough for Jesus to
get on.
I think I realized for the first time this week the source of that
Colt’s peace is the same as our source of peace, the touch of Christ.
You see the touch of Christ not only brings a physical change but a
spiritual change as well. Every one who received the touch of Christ
went on their way rejoicing and full of peace.
Life does have its share of worries & stresses & strains. Wherever we go
they are present. We live in the age of anxiety & worry. But today let’s
look at God’s promise of peace. If you have your bibles turn to
Ephesians 2 and we will see that if Christ has touched your life you
will have peace in at least three directions:
We can have peace with God
Paul says that Jesus is the source of peace between God & us. We can
have peace with God because of Jesus. Listen carefully to the words of
Paul in Ephesians 2:13-14.
But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from
God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of
Christ. For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you
Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of
hostility that used to separate us.
Now here is what Paul is saying: Our sins have taken us far away from
God. As a result, we have no promise. We have no hope. Our sins have
created a wall of hostility separating us from God.
You see, God is a holy & righteous & pure God. And He created us in His
own image. That means that He has given us the ability to live holy,
righteous, & pure lives.
But He also gave us the freedom to choose, & every one of us here, old
enough to understand the difference between right & wrong, has made the
decision at some point in time to do what we knew was wrong. We all have
sinned against God. And not just once, but over & over again.
We who were made in His holy image have fouled that image. We have taken
that which is precious in His sight & stained it with sin. We’ve turned
our back on Him & gone our own way. And as a result, there is a wall of
disobedience & hostility between us & God.
But God still loves us, He took the initiative & sent His Son, that
through Him the wall might be destroyed, & we be brought back to God. So
we have peace with God when Jesus Christ becomes our Savior.
The Bible says that the only way back to God is through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way & the Truth & the Light. There is no
other way to the Father except by me."
There is no other Savior, no other way to God - not through good works
or honest character, or pagan gods - only through Jesus. There is no
other Savior than Jesus Christ.
Now in a world that embraces virtually everything, that says that "one
religion is as good as another," or "one way of life is as good as
another," that’s very difficult for some to accept.
And when Christians say, "There is only one way back to God," the rest
of the world says, "If that is what you believe then you are the most
narrow minded, bigoted people who have ever lived."
How are we to answer that? I don’t want to be perceived as being narrow
minded & bigoted. I want to be as open as I possibly can be. But I
suggest that whenever we are telling the truth we are not being narrow
minded or bigoted. We’re being loving & compassionate.
If you go to the doctor & he tests your blood & then he says, "You have
diabetes. But, I have good news for you. You can take insulin and it
will permit you to live pretty much a normal life."
But you say to him, "I don’t want to take insulin. Why can’t I take two
aspirin instead? Or why can’t I take penicillin? Or why can’t I take
some other drug? Why do I have to take insulin?"
So he tries to explain to you that insulin is the only thing that helps.
And you say to him, "You are the most narrow minded & bigoted doctor I
have ever seen."
No, he is not being narrow minded or bigoted. He is being loving &
compassionate because the only thing that will help you is insulin. So
he tells you the truth.
When the church preaches the truth the world may perceive that as being
narrow minded & bigoted, but it is loving & compassionate because it is
the truth.
So we must preach the good news that peace with God comes only through
the Prince of Peace whom He has sent.
We can have peace with one another
Secondly, Paul says that Jesus is the source of peace among men. We can
have peace with each other & live together in harmony because of Jesus.
Now in vs’s 17-19 the Apostle Paul was talking about the division, the
animosity between Jews & Gentiles. And he reminds us that the touch of
Jesus brings peace & unity & brotherhood between people & nations &
races. Here is what he says:
" Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away from God, and
to those who were near to God. Yes, it is through Christ we all have the
right to come to the Father in one Spirit. Now you who are not Jewish
are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together
with God's holy people. You belong to God's family."
It is estimated that in all the history of humanity less than 8 percent
of recorded history can be described as times of peace. In the last 32
centuries there have been fewer than 300 years of peace.
Historians tell us that within the last 300 years there have been 286
wars in Europe alone. And that from 1500 B.C. to 1860 more than 8,000
treaties of peace were signed, meant to remain in force forever. But the
average time they actually remained in force was only two years.
The truth is on our own we do not get along with each other. Our courts
are full of people who cannot get along. So they go to court to find
someone to resolve the differences between them. We fight & we bicker.
We criticize each other. We tear each other down. On our own we have
difficulty living in harmony & peace with one another.
And into this squabbling war-torn world, God sent His personal, visible
representative of "peace on earth, good will toward men."
Now notice particularly what Paul says in vs. 19, " That is why you are
no longer foreigners and outsiders but citizens together with God's
people and members of God's family."
You know who he is talking about? He’s talking about the church. He’s
saying, "In the midst of a war-torn world there is an oasis of peace, &
it’s my church." People have come from different nations & cultures &
races.
But they have come individually to the Prince of Peace, & they have
emptied themselves before Him. They’ve said, "God, we can’t seem to live
in harmony with one another. We can’t handle the pressures & stresses &
strains. So we empty ourselves before you. Please touch us and fill us
with your peace."
Then, because we have made peace with God, we can begin to live at peace
with one another as brothers & sisters in the family of God. Jesus said
to His disciples, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
We can have peace with ourselves
Then, finally, Paul says that Jesus is the source of peace within. We
can be at peace with ourselves because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
I love vs. 14 of the first chapter of Ephesians. Paul says that the Holy
Spirit "... is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his
glory. "
The stock market might crash, the doctor may tell you that you have a
terminal illness, the world may come crashing down around you, but you
have an inheritance that is guaranteed, & there is no power anywhere,
powerful enough to take that inheritance away from you. You are secure
in your relationship with God.
And here is our guaranteed inheritance – we have a home in heaven with
God forever. Now that ought to bring peace to our hearts, & to our
lives.
The touch of Jesus brings a peace that keeps you calm even though all
the circumstances around you are changing. Even though people are
critical, even though events are changing, you have the peace of Christ.
And there is no peace like that found anywhere else, except in Him.
So are you at peace with yourself?
You’ll never have it as long as you’re just flirting with Christianity,
playing with God, lukewarm in your faith.
You see, as long as we are just flirting with Christianity we’ll never
be at peace with God, we’ll never be at peace with one another, & we’ll
most certainly never be at peace with ourselves.
Now where does it start? It starts with the touch of Christ. This
morning, if you find yourself still fighting the battles of life, & at
war with yourself, the good news is that there can be peace, Jesus can
touch you and fill your life with peace.
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