Will You Make Me Clean ?

Life of Christ • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Introduction: Imagine with me today that you had a disease so terrible that you would be required by law to leave your family, friends, and loved ones. A disease that would condemn you to poverty, as you would not be able to live in your home or even work.

Leviticus 13:45–46 CSB

45 “The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46 He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

Leviticus 14:1–30 CSB

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “This is the law concerning the person afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing. He is to be brought to the priest, 3 who will go outside the camp and examine him. If the skin disease has disappeared from the afflicted person, 4 the priest will order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest will order that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay pot. 6 He is to take the live bird together with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, and dip them all into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. 7 He will then sprinkle the blood seven times on the one who is to be cleansed from the skin disease. He is to pronounce him clean and release the live bird over the open countryside. 8 The one who is to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; he is clean. Afterward he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days. 9 He is to shave off all his hair again on the seventh day: his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; he is clean. 10 “On the eighth day he must take two unblemished male lambs, an unblemished year-old ewe lamb, a grain offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil, and one-third of a quart of olive oil. 11 The priest who performs the cleansing will place the person who is to be cleansed, together with these offerings, before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 The priest is to take one male lamb and present it as a guilt offering, along with the one-third quart of olive oil, and he will present them as a presentation offering before the Lord. 13 He is to slaughter the male lamb at the place in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and burnt offering are slaughtered, for like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is especially holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 Then the priest will take some of the one-third quart of olive oil and pour it into his left palm. 16 The priest will dip his right finger into the oil in his left palm and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17 From the oil remaining in his palm the priest will put some on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 What is left of the oil in the priest’s palm he is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the Lord. 19 The priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Afterward he will slaughter the burnt offering. 20 The priest is to offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. The priest will make atonement for him, and he will be clean. 21 “But if he is poor and cannot afford these, he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be presented in order to make atonement for him, along with two quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one-third of a quart of olive oil, 22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whatever he can afford, one to be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 23 On the eighth day he is to bring these things for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. 24 The priest will take the male lamb for the guilt offering and the one-third quart of olive oil, and present them as a presentation offering before the Lord. 25 After he slaughters the male lamb for the guilt offering, the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 Then the priest will pour some of the oil into his left palm. 27 With his right finger the priest will sprinkle some of the oil in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28 The priest will also put some of the oil in his palm on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the same place as the blood of the guilt offering. 29 What is left of the oil in the priest’s palm he is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord. 30 He is to then sacrifice one type of what he can afford, either the turtledoves or young pigeons,

A disease that slowly ate away at your body. A disease that couldn’t be cured. This is the account we find ourselves studying today, a man desperately needing healing from Leprosy.

Through out scripture leprosy was used as a picture for sin. In Literary terms we call this a “type”.

Leprosy a type for sin

1. It was an internal disease that manifested itself outwardly - We are not sinners because we sin. Our sin is a manifestation of a inward problem, We are sinners therefore we sin.

2. Just as the law demanded a leper to have zero contact with people. Our sin violates the law and holiness of God. It creates separation between God and man.

3. A Leper could not save himself. Leprosy was a death sentence.

Mark 1:39–45 CSB

39 He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.

I. The Leper Understood the Gravity of His Condition.

A. He was unclean

B. He was dying

C. He couldn’t save himself

II. His Desperation Resulted in Humility

A. He ran to the savior.

B. He begged for cleansing.

C. His actions and words proclaimed His faith.

III. His Humility was a precursor to intervention

A. Without humility he would have never sought out the savior to satisfy his great need.

B. Without humility he would have never have fallen on his knees and begged for healing.

Application: It takes humility to admit that one is a sinner who needs a savior.

It takes humility to reach the conclusion that one cannot save themselves.

It is only in this humility that one will ask the savior to be made clean.

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 CSB

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Mark 1:14–15 CSB

14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

IV. The request was unrealistic

Mark 1:40 CSB

40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

V. The Intervention was unimaginable, unconventional, and amazing.

Mark 1:40–41 CSB

40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.”

A. Those who were clean didn’t touch the unclean. People were not to go near them.

Leviticus 13:46 CSB

46 He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

B. Jesus having compassion on the man’s impossible situation reached out touched him and made him whole.

Application: In the same way Jesus the Holy son of God looked down on mans unclean condition of sin. He didn’t choose to stay away from us instead he reached out and became one of us . Although he was perfect he didn’t stay us who were unclean. Scripture tells us he came near to us.

James 4:8 CSB

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.