Why was the woman's condition significant in the sermon?

In the sermon, the woman's 18-year affliction serves as a powerful allegory for the spiritual state of mankind apart from Christ. The preacher emphasizes that just as the woman could not lift herself due to her physical condition, so too are all people born into a condition of spiritual bondage and helplessness without God's grace. The healing she receives from Jesus not only restores her physical health but also points to the greater reality that only Christ can release us from the bondage of sin. This illustrates the need for the gospel — that we are incapable of saving ourselves and require Jesus to intervene in our lives to restore us fully.