Revive Community Church

By Pastor Shant Kazanjian

Today I was reading about the woman with the issue of blood, and I was struck again by how powerfully this story shows the heart of the gospel.

Under the Law of Moses, this woman was unclean. Leviticus 15:25-27 says that anyone with a prolonged flow of blood had to be set apart, and anything or anyone she touched became unclean too. This was not only a medical problem. It was a social and religious sentence. The law, holy and good as it is, placed her in a kind of living exile. A closed cell of separation, shame, and silence.

For twelve years, she lived under that weight.

Then, in the crowd that day, something unthinkable happened. She reached out and touched Jesus.

By the law, she should have made Him unclean. Instead, power went out from Him and healed her. Mark tells us Jesus felt power leave Him (Mark 5:30), and when He speaks to her, He says, “Daughter, your faith has saved you” (Mark 5:34). Some translations say healed, others say saved. That overlap is not an accident. In the presence of Jesus, healing and salvation meet.

The contrast could not be sharper. The law named her condition, marked the problem, and set the boundaries. But it could not restore her. Christ did what the law could never do. He did not become unclean by her touch. She became whole by His presence.

This moment broke every social expectation. She refused to let isolation, fear, or public opinion define her. She trusted the Savior for transformation. Her faith was quiet, almost hidden, but it was bold enough to move her forward when everything told her to stay back.

This story is not an argument against the Law of the Old Testament. The law is pure, inspired, and given by God. Its purpose was never to save, but to reveal. It exposes our condition and shows us our deep need for a Savior. As Paul later explains, the law leads us to Christ.

In Jesus, we see the perfect revelation of God. He does not throw out the law. He fulfills it. And in doing so, He shows us that holiness is not fragile. Grace is stronger than impurity. Life overcomes death.

The woman came expecting healing. She left with restoration, dignity, and peace.

And the gospel still works that way.

At Revive Community Church, we read the Bible together every week in Arabic and English. If you are looking for an Arabic church in Los Angeles, you are welcome to join us. Visit our Plan a Visit page to see our service times.