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A CURE FOR THE UNCLEAN
Matthew 8:1-4 (King James Version)
1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
- Who He Was. "A leper."
- Diseased, not sound
- Unclean, polluting
- Separated, shut out from fellowship and privilege
Leviticus 13:45-46 (King James Version)
45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
46 All 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.
- Incurable, beyond all human skill and hope.
- the leper—
- the most defiled and unclean person.
- dramatically PROVES that no person is too
unclean, polluted,
dirty, or sinful to come to Jesus Christ.
- What He Did.
- He came despite what people thought
- he came in the presence of the crowd, not ashamed
- The leper asked and trusted Jesus for cleansing
- He came to Jesus, the fountain of living waters
- he came worshipping Him, in deep, unfeigned reverence
- he came confessing his need
- "Make me clean;"
- he acknowledged his real condition;
- he came believing, "If Thou wilt, Thou canst."
- What He Received.
Matthew 8:3 (King James Version)
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
- The touch of Jesus, identification
- THIS WAS PERSONAL –TOUCHED HIM
- Jesus "touched" the leper before saying a word
- When no one else would, Jesus reached out for the most defiled.
- How long had it been since anyone had touched him Weeks Months Years
- The word of Jesus, illumination
- I will." The mission of Jesus Christ is to seek and to save that which is lost, no matter how defiled
- Every man must be cleansed and washed from his sins
- The power of Jesus, salvation
- The leper did two things that we must all do when we ask Christ to cleanse us.
- He genuinely trusted Christ: believed in Him and His power.
- He offered himself to Christ: bowed and received the love and power of Christ to cleanse him.
- Not every leper came to Jesus for cleansing.
- Every generation has its unbelievers who do not come to Him for cleansing.
- Some just do not trust Jesus.
- They do not believe in Him nor His power.
- Some know about Jesus, but are just unwilling to offer themselves to Him.
- They are unwilling to bow and to receive His love and power