The Authority of Jesus Over Disease 01/29/2023

First Baptist Church Leominster

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The writer is setting forth the new covenant that we have in Jesus Christ and here in Hebrews 8 we have

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Really the longest Old Testament quotation Found in the New Testament from Jeremiah 31 31 and following the new covenant we have in Christ Hebrews chapter 8

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Now the point in what we are saying is this We have such a high priest one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the

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Majesty in heaven a Minister in the holy places in the true tent that the

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Lord set up not man For every high priest is anointed to offer gifts and sacrifices

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Thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer Now if he were on earth

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He would not be a priest at all since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law

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They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things For when Moses was about to erect the tent

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He was instructed by God saying see that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain

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But as it is Christ has obtained a ministry that is much more excellent

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Than the old as the covenant he meditates is better Since it is enacted on better promises

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For if that first covenant had been faultless there would have been no occasion to look for a second

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For he finds fault with them when he says Behold the days are coming declares the

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Lord when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when

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I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt For they did not continue in my covenant.

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And so I showed no concern for them declares the Lord For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days declares the

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Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts and I will be their

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God and they shall be My people and they shall not teach each one his neighbor and each one his brother saying know the

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Lord For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest For I will be merciful toward their iniquities and I will remember their sin no more

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When speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one Obsolete and what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away

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Let's pray Heavenly Father We are so thankful that You made a covenant that you condescended and you approached humanity in their sinfulness and you provided a way of salvation and We thank you for Jesus Christ.

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Who is the priest of this covenant? We thank you for Jesus Christ and all that he accomplished on our behalf

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We thank you that because of Jesus Christ He is able to save to the uttermost to those who draw near through him

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And so Lord, we rejoice that we know you because of Jesus Christ We rejoice that we are saved because of Jesus Christ and we rejoice that we are here together to exalt and worship you because of Jesus Christ And so Lord we pray that that would be the case

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That we would exalt you with our lips that we would exalt you with our lives That everything we do would be to your glory in your honor

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And so Lord, we pray that you would help us now as we open up your word help Lars as he preaches

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We pray Lord that the message would Would be heard and that it would be obeyed

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Lord, we love you, and we thank you for this time in Jesus name. Amen Well, let's turn

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To Luke chapter 5 and today is what the 15th Lord's Day that we're in Luke's gospel

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So we're making progress in the section of Luke's gospel that we're addressing from Luke 3 31 to Luke 4 41 our

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Lord Jesus is shown to have great authority This is the first emphasis

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Jesus has authority Following this since he has authority you ought to listen to him everything he says is true and binding and Then thirdly after we have listened to him because he has authority

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We need to obey him. We need to not only hear him but heed him and so This is the progression of the gospel

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But here in this section, we're addressing the great authority. That is

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That of Jesus Christ, we've already considered in Luke's account that Jesus has authority over demons

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Chapter 4 31 through 41 and then authority over nature Last Lord's Day and in the passage we're considering today.

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We see he has authority over disease The disease that Jesus healed on this occasion was leprosy as one once wrote

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Jesus revealed himself. Not only is the Almighty Disposer over the fish of the lake by causing the miraculous draw to fish is to happen

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He's also the Almighty physician who even heals the humanly incurable disease leprosy

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Leprosy was an especially fearful disease in ancient Israel for not only did leprosy

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Render a person physically afflicted, but it had social and spiritual ramifications for the leper himself his family and the community of faith to which he belonged and so here's

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Luke 5 not many verses Luke 5 verses 12 through 16 and It happened when he

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Jesus was in a certain city that behold a man who was full of leprosy Saw Jesus and he fell on his face and implored him saying

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Lord if you are willing You can make me clean And then he put out his hand and touched him saying

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I am willing be cleansed immediately the leprosy left him and he charged him to tell no one but go and show yourself to the priest and Make an offering for your cleansing as a testimony to them

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Just as Moses commanded However, the report went around concerning him all the more and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities and so he himself often withdrew to the wilderness and prayed

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We'll first give attention to the physical disease itself that Jesus Manifested his authority and healing him and then we'll consider the spiritual application for people in this gospel age for leprosy is a very remarkable metaphor for sin and So Jesus healed a man of leprosy

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There really are four points of emphasis in these few verses that we read

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First we see the fullness of corruption and Luke's description verse 12 a

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Second we read of the fullness of faith in the lepers petition verse 12 be third we see displayed the fullness of authority in Christ's declaration and Then fourth we read of the fullness of proof of healing in the lepers inspection

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Inspected by the priests. Let's take each of these in turn first the fullness of corruption in Luke's description

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Jesus was ministering in the region of Galilee Probably on the northern side of the sea at this time the town of Capernaum was his home base

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From which he would travel about the region ministering to the populace Luke wrote while Jesus was in one of the towns a

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Man came along who was covered with leprosy Although it was against the law for a leper to come into a town or approach other people because of the seriousness of this man's condition and having the knowledge of Jesus as a

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Great miracle worker. He would come to Jesus in the face of others reaction and rejection

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Leprosy is a dreadful word identifying a dreadful disease

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Known as Hansen's disease in modern medicine this name perhaps Somewhat sterilizes the condition in our minds

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But the terrible symptoms and effects remain the same of course regardless of what you call it Actually the word leprosy when used in the

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Bible describes several conditions or illnesses ranging from skin disorders caused by microorganisms to rashes caused by nerve disorders

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And so it's an umbrella term really There were diseases such as skin cancer smallpox boils as well as leprosy proper

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Leprosy in the Bible may describe first a nerve disorder when nerves cease to function and the body becomes desensitized to pain

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As a result burns injuries infections go undetected Leading to maiming and deformity

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Or leprosy may depict a skin disorder When there are eruptions of sores from within red patches and white scaly patches appear on the skin turning portions of the hair white

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The symptoms of leprosy were quite severe are quite severe and brought great suffering and At the end of your notes.

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I included about a page and a half description of leprosy Put together by John Gill I tell you what it is so graphic.

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I wouldn't read it in front of us It's just incredible What these people suffered and do there's leprosy in the world today

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Leprosy was a disease which rendered one permanently unclean in the eyes of the worshipping community of ancient

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Israel To be found to have leprosy would result in becoming ceremonially unclean and cut off From the people of God excluded from the people of God And so the leper was barred from dwelling and worshipping with the people of God The leper was alienated from the community and from his family.

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He was without hope He was physically set apart from the people of God having to live in a place where other lepers lived

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At the first sign of a skin rash a person knew precisely what steps were to be taken.

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It's detailed in quite clearly in Leviticus 13 and 14 the individual who suspected himself to have the disease was to go to the priest to be examined and The priest would diagnose the condition

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If the disease was not fully discernible the priest would prescribe temporary quarantine for seven days

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Again, if uncertain a second seven -day quarantine was imposed, but once there was no longer any doubt

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The priest would pronounce his judgment steps were taken at once for the permanent separation of the leprous person from the community and also his family

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So one can well imagine the anxiety of say a husband and father the anxiety of his wife and children

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Waiting and watching as to the fate of the father who is suspected to have leprosy They were hoping and praying for a pronouncement of clean

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For this disease again had far -reaching consequences Upon the declaration of leprosy the man would be removed from his family sent to dwell with other leopards

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But the most severe and feared consequence was to be cut off from the people of God refused entrance into the temple

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Cut off from the Covenant and all hope of salvation Upon the discovery of this disease he experienced alienation shame isolation hopelessness

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Upon a verdict of having leprosy he was to tear his clothing cover his face Declare himself loudly as unclean and thus signifying he was as a dead man

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One who would defile all others with whom he came in contact and Cure was regarded as impossible

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There would no hope Remember the words we mentioned this a couple of weeks ago when

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Israel's King Received a letter from the Syrian King on behalf of Naaman the

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Syrian general the king of Israel Thought that the king of Syria was picking a fight with him

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Am I God? Am I God to kill and make alive that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of leprosy?

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It was an impossibility Of course he was healed through the ministry of Elisha Now notice

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Luke the physician's description of this man, he was one who was covered with leprosy Literally, he was full of leprosy

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This man was in the advanced stages of the disease He'd already experienced the defile and alienated effects of the disease.

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He was without pretense He was a leper and he knew it. Everybody knew it. Well, I imagine not all lepers immediately owned up to their worsening condition kind of like sinners

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Try and hide it to themselves and others I Can imagine what might have occurred in any number of people in whom the disease was first detected and spread so consider this scenario

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That might have happened in any number of cases a Jewish man who had been born and lived among the people of God feeling himself a member of the covenant community and A certain inheritor of the hope which was there as a nation

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But then the day came when the first telltale sign that something might be wrong All was not soundness

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Perhaps a patch of skin began to appear red And at first he ignored it dismissed it as a trifle

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He refused to deal with it immediately He failed to follow the legal stipulations properly and thoroughly he hoped against hope it was a minor passing condition

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But before long he couldn't ignore it His condition worsened

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And he came to recognize it for what it was but fearing the consequences He continued to cover up his condition lest he be found out

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And so he began to withdraw socially from the people of God his countenance was fallen

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His condition became more difficult to cover up for now the odor of rotting corruption was becoming more noticeable

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Again can't help I can't help but think about the progress of sin in people's lives and its consequences

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But then one day he's out and about unknown to himself a small patch it appeared on his forehead something he could no longer hide

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And he was noticed by a friend who expressed concern he was encouraged to go to the priest but the man declined to do so The friend insisted brought the man before the priest for inspection

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And so the priest looking at his forehead exclaimed this doesn't look good Perhaps it's not leprosy.

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Let's wait and see but before you go Let me inspect the rest of your body And with the opening of the garments the extent and true nature of the problem was discovered

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And with horror at the sight the priest pronounced him unclean He was sent away from the presence of the people the presence of God As the scriptures say he that covers his sins will not prosper, but whosoever confesses them shall find mercy

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Can you imagine though? the absolute change in life For everybody with whom he was related we read in Luke 5 12 this man was full of leprosy he knew his condition

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But this man was not as some other lepers who never ventured from their leper colonies This man knew his condition, and he wanted healing and it drove him to the one person who he knew could deliver him

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And so we see him coming to Jesus the one who had authority over disease

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The worst of cases was no problem for our Lord and so this account should give each of us hope and faith that if Jesus could bring hold us to this person and He can restore you and me as well

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There's no hopeless condition for the Lord Jesus And so we see the fullness of corruption in Luke's description

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Nevertheless we see in verse 12b the fullness of faith in the in the leper's petitions

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We read of this leprous man when he saw Jesus He fell with his face to the ground and begged him

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Lord if you are willing you can make me clean That's an incredible statement

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This man not only had fullness of leprosy he had fullness of faith Not all have faith

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Not all who have faith have saving faith. There's much faith so called which is not saving faith

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There's what we may call phony faith, which is a faith that fails to dictate the way one lives in life

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That's the faith of a hypocrite There is a faulty faith which believes some truths, but not all and therefore it falls short of saving faith

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There's what may be called fainting faith which believes only for a time But that's not saving faith only true continuing faith is saving faith

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But there's also full faith, which is fully blessed of God and this man had fullness of faith

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And therefore it would do as well to examine his faith closely First this man believed what

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God said regarding his condition Lord if you're willing you can make me clean.

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He knew he was unclean He knew he was a leper that he was cut off from the people of God.

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He was unclean Whenever he came around people he had to express that even while covering his lips

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He didn't try to redefine and lower God's standards of inclusion into the community of faith He knew that he was on the outside and he needed healing and cleansing this man believed what

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God had said about his condition and that he'd be forever banished from the people of God and All blessing that they enjoy unless he was healed of this terrible condition many people in sin have the same comprehension as to their spiritual condition and Yet many do not have this understanding as well

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Secondly this man believed in Christ authority alone to heal. It was a fixated faith on Jesus He said

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Lord if you're willing you can make me clean He'd know no one else could cleanse him of his foul disease, but Jesus He alone could heal this condition

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The greatest problem that exists in our bringing people to Christ as they do not see their condition as bad as it really is

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Only Jesus has the power to deliver from sin Your psychologist doesn't have that power

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Your physician doesn't have that power. Only Jesus has the power to deliver from sin

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And so this man came to Jesus for he knew that only Jesus could heal him Jesus is a great physician and that he alone can deliver from great disease of this nature of this type

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And third he believed in Christ authority to heal him Lord if you're willing you can make me clean

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That's a that's another level of faith, isn't it? It's one thing for a person to believe that Jesus can heal others.

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It's quite something else to believe that Jesus can heal me Some are quick to see the uncleanness of their leprosy

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But they're slow to see the cleansing fountain that is in Jesus Christ to make them clean to cleanse them of their sin

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They're quick to believe the threats of God's judgment, but they're slow to believe the certainty of God's promises

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This man was not like that. This man knew that Jesus could heal him And then for this man believed in Christ's sovereign authority to grant or withhold

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Mercy if you're willing You can cleanse me Christ can save anyone but he will not save just anybody

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If people come to him humble broken believing petitioning him he'll not turn them away

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But if God but God is under no obligation to grant any sin or any favor It's of grace we speak of free grace or sovereign grace

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And when we do we're referring to the freedom of God to grant or withhold blessing He's not under obligation to show favor to any of us

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We've read in Luke's gospel that the

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Lord Jesus had not long before spoken of God's sovereignty and bestowing or withholding his blessing

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It nearly got him killed. They tried to kill him took him out to the brow of the hill would have cast him down And that was in his hometown of Nazareth on another occasion.

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The Lord spoke of God's free or sovereign grace and bestowing salvation This is in John 6

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Let's consider what is set forth there and again people hate God's sovereign grace

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Because it means that they don't have the power they don't have the authority to determine their own destiny it's in the hands of God It's in the hands of Jesus Christ, and he's under no obligation to show favor to you or me

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Thankfully, he's willing to show favor to sinners, but only those who acknowledge their sin

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Let's consider the setting of John 6 the day before the Lord Jesus performed the great miracle of Multiplying bread with which he fed a multitude 5 ,000 men

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It's one of the two miracles that are found in all four Gospels The other miracle is the resurrection

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Well this miracle of feeding the 5 ,000 caused a great gathering quite a large following and so they had their physical needs met

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They had been hungry they wanted more of the same and this will always gather enthusiastic crowds

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But it will not ensure genuine converts to Jesus Christ Our Lord knew this and told them so John 6 26 most assuredly

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I say to you you seek me not because you saw the signs Revealing who he truly was but because you ate the loaves and were filled

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There's a lot of people that just seek the Lord just out of pure selfish reasons They want to have their their problems solved, you know a little assistance in life and whatnot

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They're not seeking him for who he is the Lord He then told them they should be seeking him for higher ends

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Even the salvation of their soul Jesus said to them do not labor for the food which perishes

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But for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the

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Father has set his seal on him But further Although the miracle of multiplying the bread was like God working through Moses long before to give

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Israel Daily bread manna. They were to recognize it in Jesus Christ was available true bread

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The true bread that he was offering would result not merely in sustaining physical life for a day But would enable them to receive eternal life

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He stated that in verse 32 Well, of course they wanted some of that they said to him

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Lord give us this bread always And so the Lord holds forth the promise that all who truly come to him will receive this glorious gift of eternal life

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We've got to get to him Like this leprous man. He had to get to Jesus And They will be forever blessed they will never hunger or thirst again spiritually speaking

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But herein lay the problem, although they had heard from Jesus and seen him with their own eyes.

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They would not believe in him Jesus said but I said to you that you have seen me yet.

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You do not believe They believed he was a miracle worker. They believed he could feed them

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The point is this all of the miracles that Jesus performed were not sufficient to save anybody from their sin

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Signs and wonders do not convert souls. They might gather a crowd it might really enamor them

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But it takes a work of God's grace in the soul to bring people to a true saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and God is sovereign in the bestowal of this gift of grace

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God bestows life upon those of his choosing And that'll bring out the sin in people when they hear that and this is what we mean by free and sovereign grace

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Even in the days of my rank Arminian ism back in the 70s and I argued for everybody's free will all over the place.

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I Knew with regard to my soul. It was sovereign grace It wasn't because of anything in me it was what

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Christ did in coming to me and saving me And so when the

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Lord Jesus declared he came to give life to the world He did so only to impart life to certain ones in the world

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And this is what he said in John 6 all that the Father gives me will come to me all of them

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Every one of them and the one that comes to me I will in no means no way cast out for I've come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him

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Who sent me and this is the will of the Father who sent me? That of all he's given me talking about from eternity

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All of his people God the Father gave him as a gift now you go redeem them Of all that he's given me

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I should lose nothing but should raise it up the last day That's the future bodily resurrection

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And this is the will of him the Father who sent me that everyone which sees the Son and believes in him

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May have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day God's sovereign grace

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You didn't find Jesus Jesus found you Jesus wasn't lost and you had to go find him somewhere you were lost he came and found you

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You know we need to put put things from the right perspective, don't we? But people don't like sovereign grace

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It's because they're really God haters is what the Bible says. That's what sinners are They didn't like it when

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Jesus preached it in his home synagogue of Nazareth They didn't like it when he preached it here at John 6 and the point is this this leprous man knew he had no claims on God He knew that if Jesus was to heal him

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Jesus must be willing to do so Lord if you're willing you can make me clean this man was humble.

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He wasn't presumptive He came with no claims. He knew he had no right to receive what he desired from the

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Lord Lord if you're willing It's not a question of my will We're not saved by our own will we're saved by his will

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Lord if you're willing you can make me clean, and this is the attitude This attitude is the foundation of all true godliness

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Jesus is Lord you're not Well fifth we see in his faith.

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He believed in Christ's willingness to show mercy This is evidence, and it's coming to Jesus Think of what this leper had to do to get to Jesus Jesus was in the city

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The man was dwelling in a leper colony, which was always located outside of cities

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Jesus was among the crowds this man would have to venture boldly into the crown

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This would incur their disgust and their displeasure But get to Jesus he must so whether or not anybody saw him or shamed him he'd do it

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He'd get to Jesus and he knew I don't know how he knew but he knew that Jesus just might be willing to cleanse him

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He Knew he had no claims on Jesus. He had nothing to bring to offer him as a payment for his service a

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Leopard defiles everything he touches as far as God is concerned But God be praised that he was

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God is full of mercy Christ It's full of mercy, and it would seem that this man knew this was so or at least he believed it had better be so But regardless he would go to Jesus and beg him for mercy

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Any sinner that comes to Jesus with that attitude and that faith will never be turned to rape turned away

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Well, then we see the fullness of a thought in Christ's declaration Verse 13 in verse 13.

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We see our Lord's compassion and mercy Then he put out his hand and touched him saying

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I am willing be cleansed Mark's account gives the additional detail that this man's condition and appealed to him caused

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Jesus to be moved with compassion Jesus first touched him while he was a leper in God's law we read that when an unclean thing comes in contact with something or someone that is clean the result is uncleanness

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You don't transfer cleanness to uncleanness, but uncleanness always

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Results in that clean thing becoming unclean, but not here Here we see the opposite effect

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When Jesus comes in contact with one which is unclean He cleanses him of his uncleanness here are the words of John Calvin under the law the touch of a leper was infectious

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But as Christ Possesses such purity as to repel all filth and defilement

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He does not by touching either pollute himself with leprosy or become a transgressor of the law

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When he took upon him our flesh He did not only deign to touch as with his hand but was united to one in the same body with ourselves

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That we might be flesh of his flesh Nor did he only stretch out his arm to us but descended from heaven even to hell and yet contracted no stain from it

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But retaining his innocence took away all our impurities and sprinkled us with his holiness and By his word alone

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He might have healed the leper but he applied at the same time the touch of his hand to express the feeling of compassion and Nor off this to excite our wonder since he chose to take upon him our flesh that he might cleanse us from our sins

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The stretching out of his hand was there for an expression and token of infinite grace and goodness

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What we indolently read and coldly pass by cannot be duly weighed without great astonishment

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The Son of God was so far disdaining to talk to a leper that he even stretched out his hand to touch that uncleanness

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Amen While the cleansing of this leper occurred upon our Lord voicing the words of Sovereign omnipotence the

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Lord Jesus declared. I am willing be cleansed just took a word and As soon as Jesus spoke the word the man was healed

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There is not a long -term healing process in order. He would heal him then and do so completely

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Our Lord made all things new for this man and this man knew it He restored the poor decayed putrefied body of this man, and he was cleansed at once wrote

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Spurgeon We see free and sovereign unlimited power authority coming forth from the

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Lord Jesus And then we read of the man immediately the leprosy left him I didn't put it in my notes, but notice here again just as the fever left

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Simon Peter's mother -in -law the leper. It's like it's an obedient person getting up and left him

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It's personified To affect to show really the leprosy being obedient to Jesus.

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He got up and left him And that's what we ought to do. We ought to be obedient to Jesus with his word

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As one wrote the healings brought about by Jesus were complete instantaneous Peter's mother -in -law did not have to wait until the following day to be cured of a fever the paralytic

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Immediately begins to walk away carrying his little bed We're there next week or two weeks from now

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The withered hand is restored at once the pneumoniac while the moment earlier all at once is fully cured

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The same holds with respect to the woman who touched Christ's garment Even the dead daughter of Jairus is in one moment restored to life so that she arises and is given something to eat

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Let the healers of today imitate this Good challenge let them cure every illness immediately

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Yes, let them even raise the dead For their claim to be able to do what Jesus did and what he commanded his apostles to do is valid They should certainly raise the dead

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So far, however, they have not succeeded in doing this Well, then we see the folders of proof in the lepers inspection versus 14 and 15

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We read that Jesus gave clear instruction to this renewed man Jesus told him

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He charged him to tell no one but go and show himself to the priest make an offering for your cleansing as a testimony to them just as Moses commanded and so Jesus Under the law of Moses was affirming the command in the ceremonial law of the

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Old Testament Now granted the ceremonial law was a case of pictures and shadows of the reality that we now enjoy in Christ But let us not neglect entirely the lessons that those laws still give us as Christians JCL Ryle wrote about this

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There's a lesson here for Christians Which we shall do well to remember let us take heed that we do not despise the ceremonial law because its work is done

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Let us beware of neglecting those parts of the Bible which contain it Under the idea that the believer in the gospel has nothing to do with them

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It is true that the darkness has passed and the true light now shineth. We have nothing to do now with altered sacrifices or priests

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Those who wish to revive them are like men who light a candle at noon day Good illustration, but true as this is we must never forget that the ceremonial law is still full of instruction

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It contains the same gospel in the bud which we now see in full flower Rightly understood we shall always find it throwing light on the gospel of Jesus Christ The Bible reader who neglects to study it will always find it at last that by the neglect of his soul has suffered damage

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Let's remember that as we start reading through Leviticus before long Well when this man went to the

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Jewish priest for inspection they would have to acknowledge this leprous man was now holy clean from his former leprosy

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The man would relate to them how Jesus had instantaneously healed him of his disease and the priest would have had to declare this man

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Was restored to the professing people of God he could rejoin his family Jesus Christ would be glorified by this man's healing and by the temple priests inspection

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Well, then we read the responses Due to Jesus's miracle however the report went around concerning him all the more and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities and so he himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed

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So large crowds and saw them swelled to great multitudes Mark's account relates how the cleansed leper had failed to follow precisely the

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Lord's instruction He he wasn't quiet just going to go went to the priest but Mark tells us

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However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter what resulted so that Jesus could no longer openly enter

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The city but was outside in deserted places and they came to him from every direction

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And so the gathering multitudes moved Jesus to withdraw to the wilderness to pray and this he did often

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The words of Charles Spurgeon respecting Jesus healing this leprous man Jesus restored the poor decayed putrefied body of this man and he was cleansed at once To make him quite sure that he was cleansed the

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Lord Jesus bade him to go to the priest and seek a certificate of health He was so clean that he might be examined by the appointed sanitary authority and Come off without suspicion

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The cure that he had received was a real and radical one and therefore he might go away at once and get the certificate of it if our converts

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Will not bear practical tests. They are worth nothing Let even our enemies judge whether they are not better men and women when

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Jesus has renewed them If Jesus saves a sinner, he does not mind all men testing the change

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Jesus does not seek display, but he seeks examination from those able to judge Our converts will bear the test

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Come hither angels come hither pure intelligences able to observe men in secret

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Here is a wretch of a sinner who came hither this morning He seemed first cousin to the devil, but the

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Lord Jesus Christ has converted him and changed him now Look at him ye angels. Look at hit him at home in his chamber.

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Watch him in private life That's a wonderful application Well now let's draw a more direct parallel with sin being like leprosy

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The Bible contains of course many metaphors For the spiritual nature and presence of sin in the lives of his people sin is set forth as a thief

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That seeks to rob and harm its victim sin is a great debt that needs to be paid in full

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Sin is a heavy burden to bear under which people are crushed sin is like the sting of a

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Venomous serpent the poison that the snake delivers Sin is a deep wound which has been untreated and festers with corruption

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We might say Isaiah 1 there too sin is sickness which needs a special kind of physician to affect the cure sin is compared to vomit and uncleanness and sin is also likened to the disease of leprosy and Leprosy is used in the

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Bible to picture to be a picture for sin, especially of the defiling and damning effects of sin

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Leprosy is like sin in many ways Like leprosy sin all in any sin causes defilement

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What this means is that it causes us to become impure less than holy This results in harm and damage to our relations both vertical with God and horizontal with one another

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Sin like leprosy severs us from our sense of belonging to God and having fellowship with him

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It has the same effect in human relations causing tension division Separation and isolation.

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It's a sad thing to witness a divorce And I often think about how this man and woman on the day of their marriage were so much in love

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Dedicating themselves solely fully by oath before God to love one another until death do we part and See them departing because of sin basically

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It's sad Sin separates us from God from those. We love those who love us sin effects in how we view ourselves

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Our consciences condemn us when we sin and this results in us feeling guilty for we know

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Intuitively we are guilty and we warrant we deserve God's just judgment

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And so leprosy very clearly depicts the nature and spiritual consequences of sin

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Leprosy is a metaphor for the spiritual malady of sin It very aptly described someone who is spiritually dead

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Unclean separated from God as one under his wrath one who's without hope without God in the world

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And we realize of course as Christians every one of us were born into this world in this condition we were spiritual lepers and And Would have remained in this condition if not our risen

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Lord Jesus one by one healed each of us of this miserable spiritual condition

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Outside of Christ there's no hope outside of Christ we were all is this leper

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Separated from God at all hope of salvation We were all at one time as this man a diseased leper in need of healing and cleansing from sin

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Not one of us is an exception to that We were born into this world sinners

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Benjamin Keats was quite a notable Reformed Baptist in in England in the 17th century.

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He wrote of sin of spiritual leprosy. I've had his book on my shelf I bet you for 40 years preaching from the types and and types and parables of our

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Lord Republished by Creagle publications. And so I looked up the other day and found his setting forth leprosy or spiritual leprosy as In the types found in the

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Bible. And so I wrote I Wrote it out. I typed it out because I thought it was so well done

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These are Benjamin teaches words What prayer and supplications whoever be made by any man or by all thy people

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Israel Which you'll know every man the plague of his own heart King James Version describes leprosy as a plague

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And spread forth his hands toward his house And when a man shall have in the skin of his flesh arising a scab a bright spot

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It shall be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy By The plague of leprosy let all expositors agree we represent was represented the hateful nature of sin note sin may fitly be compared to the plague the plague of leprosy and then he draws parallels between leprosy and sin and then certain inferences from leprosy as sin as a metaphor of sin

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Leprosy proceeds from poison and corrupted humors and that would have been blood any bodily fluids bile whatnot

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This is leprosy comes forth. So sin is nothing else but the poisonous and corrupt humors of the soul

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Second plague of leprosy spreads over every part of the body So sin itself over the whole lump of mankind and over every faculty of the soul

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Third no disease is more stinking and hateful to men than the leprosy So nothing is so abominable and detestable in the sight of God and sincere

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Christians than sin Sin is far worse than leprosy

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No disease is more contagious and infectious than leprosy the plague of pestilence

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Saith the divine is not so infectious as the plague of leprosy It infected houses walls vessels garments and so nothing is as infectious as sin

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Five the plague of leprosy separated the infectious person from the fellowship of all men whatever they were if incurable

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Although Kings a reference to King Uzziah Although Kings they were utterly and forever excluded the host as Uzziah Neither were they admitted to come into the temple to join in holy things and so sin unrepentant of Separates from God and Christ and from the fellowship of the

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Saints it shut souls out of the church nay out of heaven itself Six no disease is more painful and mortal or more incurable and therefore they were joined to put the mournful apparel and garments

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It was so rarely and seldom cured that most carried it to their graves. And so sin is very painful and tormenting as we before have showed and Seventh the symptoms of the leprosy agree with the symptoms and effects of sin and then he lists six

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There is a debility and weakness of all parts in them that have this disease because the spirits are exhausted

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So sin makes feeble weakness and debilitates the powers of the soul hence

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Jacob when blessed of Reuben cries out as weak and unstable as water because of his sin

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Saints have weak hands and feeble knees of times nearby Knocks the motivation out of you the zeal out of you the concern out of you

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Second there's a leper tumor and swelling of the flesh and so sin swells up a man in pride and vain glory and self -conceitedness

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Third there is in them saith my author a burning thirst through the a dust and burnt blood of melancholy

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Wherever it arises so sin causes an inflammation burning of anger and lust and vehement lust after the world preferment pleasures riches

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And for there is in them filthy putrid matter breaking forth in a most loathsome manner

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So such as are greatly infected with the plague of sin cast forth nothing but horrid pollution

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Hence wicked men are likened to the troubled sea that cast forth miry dirt Five they have a horse and weak voice so sinners cannot pray or if they do they cannot be heard

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God. Here's not sinners John 9 31 and 6 they have a stinking breath and mouth and therefore they must cover their lips lest by their breath

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They should infect others and so sinners have a filthy breath. Their mouths are full of unclean and adulterous speeches belching forth nothing but vile and abominable oaths cursing slanderous accusations

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Against the godly and sometimes against each one another but these seldom cover their lips in contrast to the leper who would cover his lips and then some inferences

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What a horrid disease plague of plagues is sin Every man hath a running plague sore upon him.

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Who is it that is not a leper from the womb? We were all born of this plague We brought it into the world with us every man as he is in himself may cry out unclean unclean

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Sin has spread itself over us like a leprosy Second Wicked men are miserable whoever they are if not cured of this plague sin renders a man more hateful to God than an ugly toad to us

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Third it may caution saints to shun the company of a vile sinner and dread sin and fly from it as from the plague

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Nothing that sinners touch, but they defile infect and taint it till they are cleansed

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Whether earthly or heavenly things all creature comforts and actions are unclean to them

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Thereby the very plowing of the wicked is sin Yea, the sacraments prayers or alms all is polluted.

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So long as they are unconverted Unto them that are defiled. Nothing is pure Titus 1 a

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Wicked man can converse with no man, but as a leper he infects him by his ill example He endangers the lives and souls of men.

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He affects others infects others with their sin It may teach the

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Saints to bless. God admires grace who have delivered them from the contagion of sin But art thou made whole sin no more

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Jesus said Six none, but the high priest pronounced a person clean from leprosy so none

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But Christ can discern our uncleanness and pronounce us clean Every sinner has to get like get to Jesus just as this leprous man had to get to Jesus and if you don't

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You're gonna live in sin and die in sin and be damned forever in sin We need to get to Jesus Well down a little further in your notes

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Matthew Henry wrote Some directives. What are we to do?

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Regarding our spiritual leprosy first. We must seek Jesus Inquire after him acquaint ourselves with him reckon the discoveries made to us of Christ by the gospel

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The most acceptable and welcome discoveries that could be made to us seek Jesus Second we must humble ourselves before him as this leper seeing

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Jesus. He fell on his face We must be ashamed of our pollution and in the sense of a blush to lift up our faces before the

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Holy Jesus And third we must earnestly desire to be cleansed from the defilement cured of the disease of sin, which renders us unfit for communion with God and For we must firmly believe

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Christ's ability and sufficiency to cleanse us Lord thou can't make me clean

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Though I be full of leprosy No doubt is made of the merit and grace of Christ and five we must be importunate

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In prayer for pardoning mercy and renewing grace. He fell on his face and besought him they that would be cleansed must reckon it a favor worth wrestling for and Six we must refer ourselves to the goodwill of Christ Lord if thou wilt thou can't

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This is not so much the language of of his diffidence or timidity or distrust of the goodwill of Christ as of his submission and reference of himself in his case to the will the goodwill of Christ and Then Matthew Henry set forth what we may expect from Christ if we thus apply ourselves to him

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First we shall find him very condescending and forward to take cognizance of our case

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He put forth his hand and touched him When Christ visited this leprous world

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Unasked unsought on to he showed how low he could stoop To do good.

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He touched he is touching the leper was wonderful condescension But it is much greater to us when he himself touched with the feeling of our infirmities

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That's the word describing his high priesthood in Hebrews Second we shall find him compassionate and ready to relieve us

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He said I will Never doubt of that whosoever comes to me to be healed.

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I will in no wise cast him out He is as willing to cleanse leprous souls as they can to be cleansed and Third we shall find him all sufficient able to heal and cleanse us though We be ever so full of this loathsome leprosy one word one touch from Christ did the business

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Immediately the leprosy departed from him if Christ said I will be thou justified be thou sanctified it is done for he has power on earth to forgive sin and power to give the

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Holy Spirit and Then I thought we would close with his appeal

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Charles Spurgeon made to his congregation in London back in the 19th century there comes to him one an

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Extraordinary being condemned to live apart from the rest of men Lest he should spread defilement all around a leper comes to him kneels before him

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Expresses his confident faith in him that he can make him whole Now, it's the

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Son of Man glorious in his power to save The Lord Jesus Christ at this day has all power in heaven and earth

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He is charged with the divine energy to bless all who come to him for healing All that we may see today some great wonder of his power and grace

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All for one of the days of the Son of Man here and now and to that end It's absolutely needful that we should find a case for his spiritual power to work upon Is there not one here in whom his grace may prove its omnipotence?

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Not you ye good ye self -righteous You yield him no space to work in you that are whole have no need of a physician in you

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There's no opportunity for him to display his miraculous force But yonder are the men we seek for forlorn and lost full of evil

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Self -condemned you are the characters we seek You that feel as if you were possessed with evil spirits and you that are leprous with sin

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You are the persons in whom Jesus will find ample room and verge enough for the display of his holy skill

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Of you I might say as he once said of the man born blind

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You are here that the works of God may be manifested in you You with your guilt and your depravity you furnish

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You furnish the empty vessels into which his grace may be poured the sick souls upon whom he may display his matchless power to bless and say be hopeful then ye sinful ones look up this morning for the

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Lord's approach and Expect that even you even in you he will work great marvels

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This leper shall be a picture. Yeah, you hope a mirror in whom you will see yourselves

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Amen How could anybody turn away that that glorious appeal?

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Jesus is a great Savior of great sinners and You know if we go forth from here and we perish we've only got ourselves to blame

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Because he receives every everyone who comes to him humbly believing who sees their sin and Their need to be cleansed of it.

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Amen Thank you our Father for your word for the glorious Illustrations we have in your word of your power

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Lord Jesus The Father has given you all authority in heaven and earth and we see this wonderfully displayed

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We thank you our God for doing this great work of mercy and grace in our lives

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Lord and breaking the power of sin that once Governed us controlled us

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Granted we still sin, but we fight against it our Lord Yes, it still has an appeal to us at a measure and yet whenever we commit it we do it with regret

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And we look forward to the day when Jesus returns and will be completely delivered for the bodies of this these bodies of death

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May we be prepared and ready standing in faith when Jesus comes for we pray at his name.