TOUCHING JESUS

Touching Jesus

One of the appealing things about Christianity is its historicity. It is a belief-system based on recorded facts with eyewitness accounts. Its message of good news about the anciently promised Messiah climaxes in His historic arrival. The meaning of His birth, death, and resurrection is analysed in Scripture in the light of the whole body of Scripture. Scripture interprets Scripture. The Apostle John interacted with the Messiah. In John’s first Epistle he writes, ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life – the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us – that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ’ 1 John 1:1-3.

John has touched the Messiah. Therefore Jesus is not a philosophy, or an idea, or a figment of the imagination. Jesus is real. He is solid. He is tangible. He is human. But He is also divine. One woman had heard that Jesus was in town. She knew who He was and therefore she knew that He could heal her. She had had a flow of blood for twelve years that no doctor could heal. Matthew and Luke tell of the incident. ‘She said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well”’ Matthew 9:21. So she ‘came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with Him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out of Me”’ Luke 8:44-46.

A crowd is bumping and jostling Jesus and only one lady owned up to having touched Him! She knew what Jesus had meant when He had asked, ‘Who touched Me?’ And there’s no doubt that Jesus knew who had touched Him, but He was going to glorify God. So He healed the lady and had her make her profession of faith in front of the congregated crowd.

Shortly after the birth of the Messiah (or Christ) there was a man who held the baby Jesus in his arms. ‘It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents had brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel”’ Luke 2:26-32.

Perhaps the most famous record of someone touching Jesus is that of Thomas after the Lord had been raised from the dead. After reports of Jesus’ resurrection had started doing the rounds Thomas, like a modern day sceptic, said, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe’ John 20:25b. Jesus met with His disciples again after eight days, this time Thomas was with them. ‘Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”’ John 20:27-28. To confirm that it was His self-same body that had been raised from the dead, and to strengthen His disciples’ faith, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have’ Luke 24:38-39.

Scripture refers to our great God as a ‘consuming fire’ (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29), and that ‘He touches the hills, and they smoke’ Psalm 104:32b. Yet He can be so tender and gentle to those He loves. A young girl had died and God the Son, the Word who became flesh – picture it! – ‘took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which translated is, “Little girl, I say to you arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement’ Mark 5:41-42.

We cannot touch the Lord because He has bodily ascended to Heaven. But, the question is, has the Lord touched you?