Knowing our Identity in Christ

In Mark 5:25-34 this woman had an issue of blood for 12 years. Verse 5 starts out with “a certain woman”. No name. The Bible identifies many people by their name, but not this woman. Why?

Mark 5:25-34, ²⁵And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, ²⁶And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, ²⁷When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. ²⁸For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. ²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. ³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? ³¹And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? ³²And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. ³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

The Old Testament tells us what this woman’s life was like, for 12 years!

Leviticus 15:19–23, ¹⁹And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. ²⁰And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.²¹And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. ²²And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. ²³And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

That was for a normal menstrual cycle! This woman bled for 12 years! Her life had to be a living hell. It doesn’t say if she was married, but if she was, he probably left her. That would be difficult for her, let alone anyone else living through that!

Mark 5: ²⁶And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

She lost everything. She had nothing left. She had to be dealing with depression, frustration, hopelessness…

Leviticus 15:25-31 ²⁵And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. ²⁶Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. ²⁷And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. ²⁸But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. ²⁹And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. ³⁰And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness. ³¹Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.

Again, this went on for 12 years and nothing the doctors did helped!

She was most likely ostracized and isolated. She was known by the identity of her issue. The Bible tells what her issue was. It talks about the suffering she endured by doctors and going broke but continued to grow worse. Our issues must be addressed. We have to deal with them.

After the “certain woman” touched the hem of Jesus’s garment, it said in Mark 5, “²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” She felt it.

In Strong’s Concordance, the word felt means; to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of.

Mark 5; “³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.” (Bold font and Italics were added by me).

Mark 5:35 … thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Other Bible versions say disease, scourge, affliction.

Jesus told her she had been healed. In fact, more than just healed of the plaque. She knew what had happened and nobody could take that away from her. Her past, her issue, how people identified her, none of that could take away what she knew had happened. And it wasn’t just the issue being healed.

Because in Mark 5: “³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Jesus gave her the identity that had been taken from her. (Bold font and Italics were added by me).

Strong’s concordance describes “daughter”; a daughter of God, acceptable to God, rejoicing in God’s peculiar care and protection.

Even if we don’t know a name, we know that she became much more that day. She became a daughter of God. We were made in His image in Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

As His sons and daughters, God has given us our identity.