Touching the hem of Jesus` garment

Sermon notes from 30 April 2017
Matthew 14 verses 22 - 36 

Here in these verses we read of a visit of the Lord to the land of Gennesaret.  The voyage of course was a difficult and dangerous one.  Jesus constrained his disciples to get into the boat and he went into the mountain to pray.  In the boat the disciples realised a storm was brewing.  When the Lord stepped into the boat a calm and peace came on the disciples that made them cry out that surely he was the Son of God.  Now they have arrived in Gennesaret.  What a great privilege for this land to have him.  They sent out all around about who was sick and he touched each of them and they were healed.  There was an urgency about these people.  They didn`t waste a second, they brought friends and families just to touch his hem.  What a wonderful picture of the gospel message.  God in his great love and mercy would take his only begotten son and sent him into the world that he might die for you.  Look at the hem of this garment.  The man who sent out for those to come and as they came then they turned around to the Lord.  They besought him.  They were men of vision and prayer.  When the people came they prayed that they might be able to touch the hem of his garment.  What does this hem speak of?

The preparation of this hem.  The work of the Lord as he comes to Gennesaret, his garment had something special about it.  My mind and thoughts were drawn to the preparation work.  Some lady sitting down at the table had a plan in her mind to make a garment.  She began to measure out the shape of it.  As she designed it no doubt in her mind this was something very important to her.  She would be thinking of that final stitching.  The hem, the finished product of the garment.  It was the last thing she would make.  These people touched the finished product.  Thought of the life of Christ.  Many important features.  "Whereforth when he cometh into the world he saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not accept but a body thou hast prepared me." (Hebrews 10 verse 5) Joseph in the New Testament was espoused to Mary.  Realised she was expecting.  Word came from the throne room of heaven not to be concerned, that which was in her was conceived of the Holy Ghost.  As I think of forming that body in Mary, one that was spotless and sinless would come to take away the sins of the world on a rugged cross.  When she not only conceived but brought forth her firstborn son.  She and Joseph had to make way to Bethlehem no room was found for him except in a stable.  Mary had no-one to help her as she delivered that baby.  She took him and laid him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.  Tremendous prophecy fulfilled by prophet Micah so many years ago.  The angels heralded the shepherds to come down and see this thing that had come to pass.  Then we see the Lord in his infancy.  The wise men from the east saw the star in the sky and came to find this baby.  Followed it until they came to where he was.  Presented him gifts.  Think of him at 12 years of age sitting in the temple talking to the rulers and wise teachers, couldn`t understand how he has received such a thing.  They are sitting in awe of him.  See him as comes down to the Jordan river where John the Baptist baptises him.  The heavens opened the spirit descends on him like a dove "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.  In the mind of God when that baby was formed in the virgin Mary all thoughts were on the day he would die on Calvary because that was the finished product.  That was the reason why he came to this world.  He was finishing the work his father had given him to do.  Dying as a sacrifice for your sin.  Every sin was laid on him.  Tonight you sit in an unfinished state.  You have never taken him as your Savour and Lord.  If you were to die in sin you would be lost and lost for all eternity.

The presentation of the hem.  Notice when the sick began to gather what would they touch?  Verse 36 "only touched the hem".  These men were not pointing to those who were diseased or sick but pointing to the hem of the garment.  They must touch that which was presented.  I see that lady making that garment with her own hands and coming to the final piece she takes that hem and folds it back lining it up.  She comes with her needle and thread and starts to stitch it in place.  That is what was to be seen.  It had to be perfectly done.  No different from this woman.  We come to Calvary, it is perfect for you and I.  John the Baptist whenever he was baptising Jesus he presents him to the crowd  "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world."  Pilate presented him "behold the man" but John presented him as the Lamb of God.  We are presenting Christ in all his fulness tonight.  Will you not trust him and take him as your Lord and Saviour?  The apostle Paul was sent to present Christ.  Paul was sent to present the gospel.  "Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words."  I am sure he could have used great words.  He said "if I used them the cross of Christ would be made of no effect."  If we present the gospel without the cross it would be worth nothing to point to the Saviour. 

The precision of the hem.  The price of healing was precious - only touch the hem of his garment.  Why touch the hem?  Someone who was small in stature could touch it.  For those who are unwell and sick.  Maybe those who could only creep along they could touch that hem.  That precise point for the gospel of saving grace is the cross.  That is where we must come to.  To receive salvation for the rich and poor, healthy and sick, young and old you must come to the cross of Christ.  There is no other way of salvation.  Jesus Christ has died and risen again.  Woman in scriptures sat along the street for 12 years.  She was so sick, nothing worked for her.  One day the Lord came along.  She reached forth and touched the hem of his garment and was gloriously saved.

The power of the hem.  It is not the hem, it is the person, it is the power of Christ that heals.  When the woman touched Jesus` hem the virtue flowed from him.  She touched the hem by faith.  As she was touched she was healed.  None went away disappointed.  What will you find tonight - peace with God, take away your sins, reconcile you, bring you into a relationship with God.  You have got to come though.  That is the power of the hem.  They were sent into all the country and brought all that were diseased.  Imagine that one touch healed all the young and old, rich and poor and they all received healing.  When you think of the power of the cross - think of that old thief dying on that cross and one moment later he was going out into heaven`s glory totally transformed.  Think of Barabbas, the crowd cried out for the death of Christ.  Barabbas was set free.  Soldiers at the foot of the cross said "surely this was the Son of God" as he watched him die.  You will only find Christ if you seek him with all your heart, soul and mind, not to be halfhearted in your efforts.

As men touched the hem it was personal.  When those who were sick came he healed them.  They probably mocked and scoffed the very idea of touching the hem to be healed.  Many look at the cross and say I cannot believe that if I come and acknowledge my sins, take Christ as Saviour, I wll be saved.  The problem with sin is that it is in the heart.  We might try to polish it with all the good works we do but the problem is on the inside.  Only way to deal with it is opening up the heart and letting Jesus in.