Luke 5:12-15 Jesus Makes A Leper Whole

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.