The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Context & Setting

• Main Biblical Reference: Mark 5:25–34; Matthew 9:20–22; Luke 8:43–48
• Location: In a crowd as Jesus travels after returning by boat (Mark 5:21), on the way to Jairus’s house (Mark 5:22–24; Luke 8:41–42)
• The Need: A woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, had suffered under many physicians, spent all she had, and was not helped but grew worse (Mark 5:25–26). Luke adds she “could not be healed by any” (Luke 8:43).

⚡ The Miraculous Act

The Encounter:
As Jesus was pressed by the crowd, the woman came behind Him and touched His garment, saying to herself that if she touched even His clothes, she would be made well (Mark 5:27–28; Matthew 9:20–21; Luke 8:44).

The Divine Intervention:
Jesus perceived that power had gone out from Him and asked who touched His garments (Mark 5:30; Luke 8:45–46). The woman then came in fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth (Mark 5:33; Luke 8:47). Jesus addressed her: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34). Matthew summarizes: “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22).

The Immediate Result:
Immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction (Mark 5:29). Luke states “immediately her discharge of blood ceased” (Luke 8:44). Jesus publicly identified the healing and attributed it to faith, sending her away in peace (Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48).

What This Miracle Reveals About Jesus

This healing shows Jesus’ divine authority over sickness and His ability to restore what human means could not. The miracle functions as a sign: power goes forth from Him, and He knowingly brings the hidden sufferer into the open, not to shame her, but to confirm her restoration and peace by His word. He is revealed as the One in whom saving power resides and who grants wholeness (“made you well”) through faith.

Historical & Cultural Insight

In the Law of Moses, a continuing discharge of blood rendered a woman ceremonially unclean, affecting what and whom she could touch (Leviticus 15:25–27). Against this background, the woman’s approach highlights both her long exclusion and the significance of being publicly declared healed and restored.

Key Memory Verse

“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” — Mark 5:34