Christ’s Touch

I want to speak to you about the touch of Christ—and it concerns you, boys and girls, for boys and girls were touched by Christ when He was here.

You remember how the little children were brought to Him that He might touch them, and how He in His love would not have them sent away. It would seem as if the disciples thought that such would be beneath His notice, and that He would not wish to be troubled by them.

How greatly they were mistaken! The Lord Jesus not only welcomed them, but He did what He had never done for any before—as far as we read—He took them up in His arms, laid His hands upon them, and blessed them, blessed them abundantly.

That was a touch worth having, was it not? And you may be touched too. The Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven, but His hands are extended in blessing, and whosoever will may draw near to receive it, and none are ever refused.

Let us think a little more of that touch. The first letter of the word is T. What word can we think of beginning with that letter? “Tender” will do. It was a

TENDER TOUCH.

What love was in it! What gentleness! What pity! In the tender heart of the Lord Jesus there was room for the little ones, and His tender touch told it out even as in His tender tones He had said, “Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

The letter O may tell us that it was an

OVERCOMING TOUCH.

The Lord Jesus is God. He became man for our blessing, and that we might know God in all His goodness and grace. His touch was all-powerful. Disease fled before it. Death had to depart. The little dead daughter of Jairus was raised by it. The touch of the Lord Jesus overcame all the power of Satan then, and it can overcome all the power of Satan today.

It is an

UNFAILING TOUCH.

Other touches may be without effect, but His never fails.

Do you remember how they brought all sorts of people to the Lord Jesus when the sun was setting one evening? He healed them all. No case was too bad for Him to cure. Often people are sent away from the hospitals uncured, and there are “Homes for Incurables” in some of the great cities. But the Lord Jesus never was baffled, and never had to send one away without relief. What an encouragement this is for us to come to Him, whatever our soul disease may be. Whatever we are suffering from in spirit, we may draw near to Him and find relief and healing.

Do you say, “But I am not fit to come. I am a sinner unclean in God’s holy sight. I have tried to make myself better, but I cannot, and I fear that there is no blessing for me”? If this is what you feel, then you are just the one to come to Him; His touch is a

CLEANSING TOUCH.

Why, in Mark 1:40-41 we read of one—a poor leper—who was just the picture of a poor unclean sinner. And he came to the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be thou clean,” and even as He spoke the leprosy left him and he was clean.

In order that the Lord Jesus might cleanse us He has died, and we read the blessed word from God, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Then, last of all, let us think how Christ’s touch is a

HOLY TOUCH.

He was never defiled by sin—never, like we are, drawn away by it—always holy in His thoughts and words and ways.

Thus we read of Him at His birth—He was the holy babe (Luke 1:35). And this marked Him all the way through. He was pure and spotless—He “did no sin”; He “knew no sin”; in Him there “is no sin.” So He could die for us who were sinners. How wonderful was His love! To touch us He had to die. To reach us where we were in all our sin and distance from God He had to suffer for sins and to lay down His life. His cry, when He took our place and endured our judgment, was, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” It was because He had touched us so that He might bless us.

Come, then, to Him, dear children, now. He can and will bless you. He delights to save us, and the worst boy or girl who reads this may know His

TENDER, OVERCOMING, UNFAILING, CLEANSING, HOLY touch.

I.Fleming

Scattered Seed 1901, p. 79