Episode Details

Welcome back to our verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. Last lesson we focused on how God wants you to gaze upon Him, to be transfixed by Him, to really study Him, to analyze Him, to look closely at and behold Him, to believe in Him, and to fix your eyes on Him.

In this lesson, we’re going to learn about touching Jesus by faith.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life.

Let’s focus on: touched with our own hands.

When the disciples were with Jesus, they could physically touch Jesus with their own hands.

Jesus was not a ghost or an optical allusion. Jesus had a real body.

Let’s go through some verses that show us the following:

* Jesus wanted His disciples to know He is real through touch.

* Jesus healed people through touch.

* How you can touch Jesus by faith.

Jesus was real. He wasn’t just a spirit. We can see many examples in the Gospels where people touched Jesus.

For example, in Luke 24:38-40 after Jesus rose from the dead, He wanted His disciples to know that He had a real body by encouraging them to touch Him. Just like Jesus wanted the disciples to touch Him to show that He is real, He wants you to reach out and touch Him by faith.

Luke 24:38-40 “Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

Jesus healed people through touch.

In Mark 5:24-34 we read about a woman that suffered from bleeding for twelve years and reached out by faith and touched Jesus and Jesus healed her. Just like Jesus healed this woman, He wants you to reach out and receive His healing touch. He may or may not physically heal you, but He will heal you spiritually.

Mark 5:24-34 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him. 25 And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse. 27 When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who