Luke 5:12-15 JESUS MAKES A LEPER WHOLE 12-01-12
Today I want to bring a few thoughts to do with leprosy; let me say that Leprosy is still around in many countries even today, mainly in third world countries. Even though there has been many diseases that have been kept under control because of modem medical advances, an estimated ten million people around the world is said to have leprosy.
One form of leprosy attacks the nerves so that the victim cannot feel pain allowing the Infection to set in, and this leads to degeneration of the tissues and many times causing the limbs to become deformed and eventually falls off. -- We'll see as we get farther into the message that leprosy is a picture and type of sin.
* Listen as I read today's text found in Luke 5:12-15
And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
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Notice, this man not only needed to be healed of this certain death disease, but he wanted to be healed.
When a lost sinner comes to understand that he or she is surely on their way to a devils hell, and are in their right mind will come too Jesus and be healed of this demandable disease. But until they truly understand that they are lost in sin they'll never call on Jesus.
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Lepers were required to keep their distance from other people, but he was so determined that he broke the law and approached the Lord Jesus personally.
Leprosy was very contagious, but we are told in verse 13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, -- which meant that ordinarily that He became unclean Himself.
This is a beautiful picture of what Jesus has done for lost sinners: He became sin for us that we might be made clean. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness.
>>1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
>> 2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
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* Listen as I read verse 1 again;
And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
* Jesus is not only willing to save; but He is also able to save.
>>1 Tim. 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
>>2 Peter 3:9 -- but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
He is also able to save;
>> Heb. 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, --
This poor leprous man was not only made whole physically, but spiritually as well.
>> 2 Cor. 6:2 For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: ** (to come to the aid of) behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation
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Jesus told this man not to tell it until he had gone too the priest and had the priest confirm his healing as was written in the law to do with leprosy in Lev.14: He said that several other times as well.
The reason might have been that if the news of the cleansed leper that was healed by Jesus got too the priest before this cleansed man did, it might cause trouble for the man and even the priest because most of the leaders of the people didn't believe in Jesus.
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Let's remember that Jesus had not come into the world just to heal sick folk of their infirmities, His mission was to seek and to save that which was lost spiritually, He didn't want the people to come too Him just to be healed physically, He wanted the people to be healed of their sin sickness.
And also Jesus' instruction was meant to be a testimony to the verifying priests, causing them to recognize that the Messiah was among Israel.
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* In the bible leprosy is a picture of sin;
>> Isaiah 1:4-6 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
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In Lev.13: the priest would determine if the individual had leprosy or not, and if he found him to be so the person must separate himself from the other people. -- Leprosy would turn the hair WHITE. -- So Leprosy causes a type of preliminary aging.
>> Lev.13:3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
* "White hair" most of the time is a sign of aging.
>>Proverbs 20: 29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
Also a life of sin will causes us to look older, and hastens the cause of death.
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Sin is not just on the outside of a person, and it can not be treated as we might rub some kind of ointment on poison oak, sin will consume a person completely, because it is deep inside and it's not going away on it's on.
Sin is much deeper than the skin and is much more serious than some people seem to think.
>>Rom.7:13 -- that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
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* The only thing that will cure our sin disease today is the Blood of Jesus.
>>1 John 1:7-- and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
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* Leprosy cannot be controlled by normal means; it just keeps spreading, and man cannot control sin; it gets out of control before he realizes it.
>> Prov.14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Listen dear heart, there has never been a drunk that didn't start by taking his first drink. If it takes 10 drinks to make a person drunk, then he's 1/10 drunk if he only takes one.
One sin always leads to other sins.
Many diseases occur just under the skin or on top of the skin; leprosy is deeper than the skin, it also causes raw flesh to appear; it exposes the flesh.
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* The reason sin can never be truly fixed by man is because it is a natural result of his flesh.
>>John 6:63 -- It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing--
>>Rom.7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. ** (evil desires)
>> Rom.8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
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>>Lev.13:7-8 to do with leprosy; 7But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again: 8And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
* Sin spreads and will defile the person inside and out, the same way the disease of leprosy does, it will cause people to be separated in more ways than one.
>>Lev. 13: 46All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
As long as the damning sin remains in a person, he is lost.
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* Lost sinners one day will be isolated in hell, people that wind up in hell are referred too as "dead"
>> Rev.20:12-13 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
* People with leprosy were looked upon as "dead"
>>Num.12: 10 -14--- and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. 12Let her not be as one dead, --
* And lost sinners are dead in their sins and trespasses now.
>>Ephesians 2:1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; --
* The garments of sin as with leprosy are to be burned.
>>Lev.13:52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
* Because lost sinners are declared dead they will be burned in a flame that will never go out.
>>Rev.20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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Like sin, leprosy is deeper than the skin and cannot be helped by any outward works are remedy, call on Jesus while you still can.
