Mark 5 relates three encounters Jesus had with people who needed dramatic, supernatural healing. These give evidence that Jesus is not like us, in that while He appeared for a little while in human form to explain God to us (John 1:18) and to accomplish our forgiveness and redemption, He also retained His deity as the Son of God, possessing all the power of God.

Incidentally, this fact, that He retained within Himself His inherent power as Creator God makes the cross even more amazing. Which of us would willingly choose to suffer and die for wicked people who hated and rejected us, when it was within our power to avoid it, and even destroy our enemies with the bare minimum of thought?

While the circumstances of these three individuals were quite different, their need was the same. They needed to be rescued from certain death.

The demoniac was living in tombs, unable to be restrained. The unclean spirits, the demons who possessed his body had driven him away from society and left him trapped in a body that was destined to eventually do enough self-harm to kill himself. He was literally mad, insane, spending his days screaming, naked, and in pain.

Until Jesus.

Jarius’ daughter was at death’s door – sick to the point of death. All hope was lost. The doctors could offer no hope, and the father’s heart was breaking as he faced the loss of his little girl.

Until Jesus.

The woman with the issue of blood had suffered for twelve years and faced a shortened lifespan filled with more suffering until she died. Having spent all that she had, having given herself to the failed experiments of many physicians, she saw no way out.

Until Jesus.

This need to be rescued from certain death led to the same response of all three individuals when they came into the presence of Jesus. Their posture changed, an indication of a surrendered will and a believing faith.

Mark 5:6 – Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him.

Mark 5:22 – One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet.

Mark 5:27 – After hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. Matthew and Luke tell us the woman touched the fringe of His cloak, revealing she, too, knelt down at the feet of Jesus.

Regarding the demoniac, the KJV says, “he ran and worshipped Him.” I like how Matthew Henry clarifies this encounter, noting it was the man, not the demon, who ran toward Christ.

He usually ran upon others with rage, but he ran to Christ with reverence. That was done by an invisible hand of Christ, which could not be done with chains and fetters; his fury was all of a sudden curbed. Even the devil, in this poor creature, was forced to tremble before Christ, and bow to him: or, rather, the poor man came, and worshipped Christ, in a sense of the need he had of his help, the power of Satan in and over him being, for this instant, suspended.

Our posture upon meeting Jesus has a direct influence on the results of our encounter.

Many people were in the presence of the living Son of God while He walked among them, teaching the Words of God, and revealing His power. They witnessed the effect Jesus had on the lame, the blind, the sick, the dying, the demon-possessed, and the dead.

Yet, not everyone was saved – even though they saw.

It was only those who knew they had no hope of life unless Jesus did something who felt the power of His healing touch.

You have to know you’re dying before you can be rescued from death.

 What is your posture before Jesus?

Do you run to Him and prostrate yourself before Him in humility and surrender, knowing that unless He looks upon you with favor and mercy and grace, you are surely destined to die both spiritually and physically?

Or do you follow the crowd around Jesus, hoping to see a miracle in your own life, but never willing to get on your knees before the only One who can save you?

Jesus has the power to rescue us from certain death, whether it is a sickness unto death, a lingering disease, or the addictions Satan has placed over our minds and bodies that have made us raving lunatics.

He may choose to heal sickness and disease in this life and give us a few more days on earth, or He may choose to heal us completely so we can receive our new, glorified body in heaven. The ultimate outcome is the same for those who are willing to lay everything down and give up all control and bow before Jesus. He gives physical and spiritual healing that leads to eternal life.

Have you been in the presence of Jesus?

Your posture will tell the world what you truly believe.

Psalm 95:6 – Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.