Looking at our text, Jesus had just finished his Sermon on the Mount. And in chapters 5-7 give us all the great teachings of Jesus as he stood on the mountainside and spoke to the multitudes that followed him. Noticed that His words were spoken with authority and power that none has ever known before.??In fact, it had been a long time since a prophet had entered the land of Israel and spoke the oracles of God with such power.
John the Baptist had come preaching, but even his powerful preaching could not compare with the power behind the words that Jesus spoke.??In fact, when Jesus spoke, not only did Israel listen, but the whole world listened and all of creation stood at attention until the commands were given and the words that he spoke had come to pass.
It is said that when Jesus spoke, demons tremble. Because here we see the creator of all things: who spoke the worlds into existence, standing upon a hillside, speaking to the hearts of every man who would hear him.??Have you ever wondered what it may have felt like if you had been there to hear Jesus speak? Have you ever thought about the power and anointed there must have been in his voice.
This was God in the flesh, not some mortal man. This was God wrapped up in flesh, whom had come down to save humanity. ??The bible says as he descended from the mountain to enter into the city of Jerusalem, the crowds pressed in to hear and see what he would do next.
They wanted to see if he would perform some great miracle, they wanted to see if he was going to heal some sick body, they wanted to see if he was going to raise someone from the dead. They were looking to see what he would do next.
However, as he is taking a walk, along there came a leper and fell at his feet with a humble spirit, seeking to be healed and cleansed. What a great case for Jesus, this circumstance, this situation, and this incident, was a Jesus fixer, and a Jesus fixer only.??
There was no hope for the leper; in fact, he was caught in a prison of flesh that was slowly, but surely killing him. And unfortunately there are no medical doctors that could help him. There were no priest that could help him, nor was there any power on earth that could release him from this prison body sentence of death.
You see Leprosy, also known as the Hansen`s disease, this is an infectious disease that damages the skin and nervous system.
Leprosy is caused by infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae that could lead to amputation.
In the days of old there were no immunologist, there were no dermatologist, and there were no specialized vascular surgeons available, no one could help this man.
But then there was on Jesus. Jesus can – Oh how I love that phrase. When everything thing seem impossible, and there is no more hope, remember that phrase, “but Jesus”.
Know that He can when no one else can, Jesus can. Know that when no one else will, Jesus will. That’s why I love that song:
Who opens doors that I cannot see?
Who will make all my decisions for me?
Jesus will, Jesus will
It says: when I'm in trouble, He gives, he gives me a song
In the night season and all the day long, who makes me do
right, when I would do wrong?
Jesus will, yes he will, Jesus will.
Know that Jesus is your answer, when there is no answer. Jesus is hope when there is no hope. Jesus is the solution when there is no problem. There is nothing too hard for him and nothing impossible for him.
?This leper was unclean. And according to the Law of Moses he could never enter the gates of Jerusalem for it was the Holy City, dedicated to God.
This leper knew that he had to get to Jesus before he entered the gates, so he came as fast as he could. And that’s a lesson all by itself, get to Jesus before he get into the gates, in other words, work while it’s day.
You ought to seen him, with every step he took, his faith would grow a little stronger. With every step that he took, his hope grew strongerand stronger.??When this leper who was representing the absolutely hopeless condition of the sin-sick soul, when he came to Jesus and fell down before him, and worshipped the Lord, and confessed that Jesus was the only one who could set him free, and he cast himself upon the mercy of Christ, he was showing us just what it takes to be set completely free from all the bondages of the sins that holds us back.
?Saints know that you can’t whip the devil on your own, but Jesus has already conquered him. You can’t defeat all the powers of darkness in your own power, but Jesus blood has already beaten them once and for all. You can’t defend everything on your own, we must have the power of God to reveal to you everything that the devil is trying to set against you.??We must cast aside everything that holds us back.
We must cast aside our pride. Cast aside our own abilities. Cast aside our hopelessness. Cast aside the teachings that you can’t be delivered, cast aside every little weight and every sin that so easily try to drags us down, and then learn to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.??I believe that Jesus not only has all power in Heaven and on earth to set us free once and for all, but I also believe that it is his perfect will do to just that. ??The leper needed help, and he asked Jesus will he help him and Jesus looked back at that leper and said, “I will, be thou clean.”
There was power in those words, because instantously the prison bars of leprosy were broken. Instantously, that leper wasn’t a leper anymore. Instantously, he was made whole. And I know that He may have been told that once a leper, always a leper, but Jesus set him free, and he wasn’t a leper now.
And I know that somebody may have told you that once you are crook always a crook. I know that somebody may have told you that once you a lair, that you are always a liar. Once you are bomb, once you are a hypocrite, once a backstabber, fraud, once a hater, once a sinner always a sinner, but I’ve got some good news, and that is if we would just humble our self, and fall on our knees before the master, and ask him for help. In return he will say I will.
And I’ve got to tell you this morning that Jesus doesn’t just deliver halfway, he will deliver you all the way. ??Jesus told that leper to go and show himself to the priests so that they could verify his healing, and allow you back into the mainstream of life according to the Law of Moses.
But he said to him tell no man, but show yourself to the priest was the command. ??Why did Jesus tell him to do so? Why didn’t Jesus want the leper go through town announcing to the whole city that he had been healed? Did Jesus want this deliverance to remain a secret? No, that’s not the reason.
I believe that the first natural reason that he didn’t want him to tell anyone is because Jesus knew that people wouldn’t believe it. Jesus knew that people would water down your healing. Because everybody can’t get with what God has done for you. Everybody can’t celebrate you some people will say aaaah it wasn’t all of that.
2ndly on a spiritual level Jesus told the leper to go to the priest and keep quiet about it because Jesus didn’t want attention drawn only to the miracle of healing and cleansing. But He wanted the focus to be on the fact that all men were in need of deliverance and that though this man was a leper; that all men were sinners and needed the same cleansing touch.
He wanted us to know that all of us had such a great spiritual need that we must go to him in faith, repenting and believing, or life would remain hopeless.??And my question is what do you need from the Lord right now?
If it’s Healing? If so Jesus says I will - Isaiah 53:5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
If it’s Rest – Jesus says I will - Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."??If it’s Deliverance – Jesus says I will - Isaiah 46:4, "And even to your old age I am he; and even to gray hair people I will carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."?
If it’s Encouragement – Jesus says I will - Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, because he that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
??If it’s Salvation – Jesus says I will - John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
??If it’s Cleansing – Jesus says through the Apostle Paul, I will 1st Corinthians 6:11, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."?
If it’s Wisdom – Jesus says, I will - James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally.?If it’s Faith – Jesus says I will - Romans 12:3, For I say to every man that is among you. God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
If it’s Power – Jesus says I will - Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.
??If it’s Guidance – Jesus says I will - John 16:13, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..."??Jesus says I will meet your needs, but don’t just focus on the miracle, focus on the Miracle Worker.??
This leper was in a prison that he didn’t choose, and that he didn’t want, but it was one that he could not get out of on his own, but Jesus had the key.??What do you need from the Lord right now? Are you willing to cast yourself at his feet in total surrender?
?If you are willing, then Jesus will give you the desires of your heart.
I’m reminded of a Story. There is an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting on a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy, and gave him some gentle instruction. He said Son, if you're waiting on the bus, you need to move to the street corner. That's where the bus stops for passengers."
The boy said it's OK, I'll just wait right here, and the bus will stop for me."
The man repeated his argument by saying, look son I’ve been catching this bus for over 30 year and the only way to catch this bus is to go to the corner, but the boy never moved.
Just then, the bus appeared, and amazingly, the bus pulled over to where the boy stood, and the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway and said, Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, because the bus driver is my dad, and I know he will stop everytime and pick me up.
The record is when you have a family relationship with the bus driver; you don't need a bus stop. If your father is a U.S. Senator, you won't need an appointment to slip into his office, you can just walk in.
If you've given your heart to the King of Kings, you're in a royal family of unspeakable quantities, and unspeakable joy.
And since Jesus is my captain.
Since he is my Saviour, and my Lord, I don’t need a
appointment to see the Lord.
I can call him in the morning
I can call him in the noonday
And I can call her late in the night and he will say I will.
I will take care of you
I will be with you
I will help you in troubled times
