Let us turn again to God's Word
in the portion we were considering this morning. It's the end of
the chapter that we just read here in the opening chapter of
the Gospel according to St. Mark. And these last verses from
verse 40 to verse 45 we considered this morning something of Christ
and His dealing with the leper. the man comes and asks the Lord
to cleanse him, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and
the Lord filled with compassion touches him and speaks the word
I will be thou clean and immediately the leprosy departed from that
man and he was cleansed well tonight I want to concentrate
really on the on the charge that the Lord then gives to the man
his commandment as it were the meaning of that commandment verses
43 and 44 here in Mark chapter 1 and he straightly charged him
and forthwith sent him away, and said unto him, See thou say
nothing to any man, but go thy way, show thyself to the priest,
and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded
for a testimony unto them." It is another of those notable miracles
that the Lord Jesus ministered throughout his earthly
lifetime and the guy and of course in the context we see previously
how Simon Peter's wife's mother was sick of a fever and the Lord
heals her, immediately the fever leaves her and then in the evening
how the people are gathering through him all that were diseased
them that were possessed with devils, the whole city, gathering
there at the door of the house of Simon Peter's wife's mother. And he healed many that were
sick of diverse diseases and cast out many devils and suffered
not the devils to speak because they knew him. What a remarkable
life it was that the Lord Jesus lived as he exercises this gracious
ministry. Many miracles, but of course
the miracles are but signs. It is the words that he preaches
that must have the priority. It's the word that is really
the important parts or the most important parts of his earthly
ministry he is that one who is the true prophet of the Lord
and the miracles are signs and we know that that evidence that
this is that one the promised one this is the Messiah the words
of that teacher Nicodemus there in John 3, we know, he says to
the Lord Jesus, we know that thou art a teacher come from
God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except
God be with him. And now, on another occasion,
the Lord will reassure John the Baptist, when John seems to have
had some doubts concerning The identity of Jesus of Nazareth,
is this really the Christ? In chapter 11 of Matthew, verse
2, John had heard in the prison the works of Christ and he sends
two of his disciples and tells them to say to Christ, I know
he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered
and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which
ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight,
and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear,
the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached
to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.
the miracles in our signs identifying that this man Jesus of Nazareth
is the Messiah he is the Christ but also in those miracles he
reveals something of his majesty as that one who as the Christ
is also the son of God He is God manifest in the flesh and
something of his majesty therefore is revealed in the first miracle
there in John 2 the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee where
he changes the water into the wine this beginning of miracles
did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory
And the disciples, his disciples believed in him. They saw that
this is someone who is truly divine. What majesty! What authority! And this morning, of course,
we were looking at this miracle of the healing of the leper.
And I was struck talking with Deacon Martin after the service
he observed and I thought it was a striking observation really
with regards to the manner in which the Lord healed the man. Yes, we see the Lord's compassion
because he touches him. He put forth his hand and touched
him and the leper was unclean. The leper was one cut off from Israel outside the camp
wearing a covering upon his upper lip, having to go everywhere
crying unclean, unclean. Anyone touches him is ceremonially
unclean, tainted by his leprosy. But the Lord touched him. But
this is the observation that Martin made, that it wasn't a
touch, Verse 41, He touched him and
said unto him, I will, be thou clean. And as soon as he had
spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was
cleansed. Oh, it's the Word. Who is this? This is the Word incarnate, as
John speaks of in the opening chapter of his Gospel. In the
beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him. All by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, all
the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He is the Word.
And how does He create the world? By His Word. All God spoke and it was done.
He commanded and it stood fast. God says let there be light,
the light appears. God says let there be dry land,
the dry land appears. Here he is revealing then something
of his glory, his deity, his majesty. He but spoke the words,
and it was that that healed the man. But then also we have to recognize
there's mystery. there's mystery in what the Lord
is doing in this particular miracle because leprosy is a typical
disease as we sought to demonstrate this morning from what we're
told there in in Leviticus in the 13th and the 14th chapters
where these things are spoken of in some detail the leprous
man doesn't consult the physician but he is to go to the priest Why does he go to the priest?
The priest is God's servant, ministering in spiritual things.
What do the priests do? They offer sacrifices. A sacrificing
priest in the Old Testament, the priest of Aaron, but they
also pray, they don't just attend to the brazen altar, there's
also the golden altar, and there they burn the incense, which
is of course typical of the prayers ascending to heaven. they sacrifice
and they pray and yet whilst they have the spiritual ministry
to exercise that's the man that the leper is to go to if he suspects
that he has contracted this fearful disease oh there's a mystery
here leprosy is a type of sin and I said not just a type of
sin in general but a type of sin when that sin has in some
way been opened up to the man in his mind and in his heart he's aware now that he's a sinner
and there's something sacred about that or to know that I'm
a sinner all are sinners in the sight of God how many are sinners
in their own eyes aren't we by nature self-righteous creatures
proud creatures Thank God if we've been shown that we're sinners,
but it's not enough to know I'm a sinner. I have to also know
that there is one who is the savior of sinners. There has to be that faith, that
saving faith, that justifying faith that centers in Christ,
that constant looking onto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. Well, as I said, tonight I really
want to concentrate more especially on what we have here in verse
44 and the meaning of Christ's commandments, this commandment
that the Lord is giving to this man. The Lord says to him, See thou
say nothing to any man, but go thy way, show thyself to the
priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded
for a testimony unto them. But what does the man do? He
went out, began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the
matter in so much that Jesus could no more openly enter into
the city but was without in desert places. And they came to him
from every quarter. The man isn't obedient, but there's
a reason why the Lord gives his commands and the meaning of it.
But first of all, I want to say something about the commandments
of Moses, because the Lord speaks of that commandment, those things
which Moses commanded. We read of here at the end of
verse 44. What were those things that Moses
commanded? Well, it's what we read this
morning, the chapters we were reading there, the Levitical
laws. But what do we see here? We see
how the Lord Jesus Christ honors that law. The Lord Jesus Christ
honors the law of Moses. Let us not despise the law of
God. The law is holy. The commandment
is holy and just and good, says the Apostle writing to the Romans.
It's God's law. The problem is not with God's
law, the problem is with us who are the sinners. and how that
law continually, constantly keeps finding us out, but how the Lord
comes to honour that. Remember the words that we have
in His Sermon on the Mount there in the 5th chapter of Matthew,
Matthew 5, verse 17, Think not that I am come to destroy the
law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But
whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called
right in the kingdom of heaven and how the Lord as such a regard
for that holy Lord he was made of a woman he was made under
the law and he honors and he magnifies
that law of God and so the Lord has regard to what had been commanded
And again this morning we observe it's not just in Leviticus but
this law of the leper is also repeated there in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy the second law as it were the law there in Deuteronomy
5 is of course repeated that law that was given in Exodus
20 is repeated in Deuteronomy 5 but also We have these words
concerning the Lord of leprosy, Deuteronomy 24, 8. Take heed
in the plague of leprosy, that they observe diligently, and
do according to all that the priest, the Levite, shall teach
you. As I commanded them, so shall
ye observe to do. And we said this morning there's
an emphasis there on the commandment, doing the commandment, observing
it diligently. it's God's law and the Lord Jesus
Christ has every regard and every respect for it, he honors the
law and that's what we see him doing here it's the law of Moses
and yet though the Lord is honoring it at the same time we see that
the law the Lord himself is above the law, Christ is above the
law For example, we must be aware
of that with regards to the Sabbath day. He's Lord of the Sabbath.
And as Christian believers, we do not observe the Jewish Sabbath
that God instituted at the beginning, of course, the seventh day, after
his six days of creation, the seventh day is hallowed, sanctified,
as a holy day and then it's certainly given there at Mount Sinai to
the Jews. What is the commandment? Remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. But we don't observe that day
that the Jews observe. We observe the first day of the
week, the day upon which Christ arose from the dead, As we read
through the New Testament we see how this day becomes ever
more important in the life of the Christian communities. They
observe that first day. It marks the completion of a
far greater work than that of creation. Even that great work
of redemption and salvation. Christ is the Lord. He is the
Lord of the Sabbath. And so here we see Christ above
the Lord of Moses again. He is moved with compassion and
he puts forth his hand and he touches this man. And yet, what
does the Lord say? This man is not to be touched.
This man is a leper, this man is an unclean person. As I said,
this man is cut off from the congregation of the Lord. He
is outside the camp. Everywhere he goes he pronounces
himself to be unclean. People like to keep clear of
him. And yet Christ touches him. And
far from becoming unclean himself. All this man is made clean by
Christ. The leper is cleansed. And so he sends the man. What
is Christ doing? As he sends the man, it's a testimony. offer for thy cleansing those
things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. Oh how Christ is that one then
who here in the course of his ministry is ever concerned to
observe all that the holy law of God requires even ceremonial
laws Was He not circumcised on the eighth day like any Jewish
boy? And so He teaches these Jews
to have regard for all the laws of God. We are told, aren't we,
when the fullness of the time has come God sends forth His
Son, as I said, made of a woman but also made under the law.
Always subject to it. And He is that One who is the
end of the law. for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. Why? Because he has so perfectly
observed and obeyed every aspect of it. And God is well pleased
for his righteousness sake. He is honored. He has magnified
the law. Paul, writing in the Galatian
Epistle says, Wherefore then serveth the law What's the purpose
of the law? It was added because of transgressions
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. And
Christ is that promised seed. It has its fulfillment, its accomplishment
in Him, the Lord of Moses. And again in that epistle to
the Galatians, Paul clearly sets forth the great priority of the
gospel over the law, because the gospel is given before the
law. Galatians 3.16, Now to Abram
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds
as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ.
And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of
God in Christ the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of
none effect. Now see what he is saying, he
speaks of Abraham and his seed to whom the promises were made.
And then he tells us who Abraham's seed is. thy seed which is Christ,
to Abraham and Christ where the promise is made. We have to go
right back to the beginning, Genesis 12, Genesis 15, the covenant,
the promise that God gives to Abraham. And in that
promise, in that promise, there was the preaching of Christ. Here in Galatians 3.8 we read, "...the Scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before
the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations
be blessed." That's Genesis 12, the Covenants and then the Covenant
renewed again or spoken again in Genesis 15 and in that promise
It's the Gospel being preached unto Abraham. And that is 430
years before the Lord is given at Mount Sinai in Exodus chapter
20. So the Gospel is first. The Gospel clearly has the priority. And that Gospel altogether centers
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He honors Moses' commandments. He honors the Lord of Moses. Let us turn in the second place
to Christ and His charge, His commandment that He is giving
to this man. Because He doesn't just say that
the man is to observe the requirements of the
Levitical law he says see thou say nothing to any man but go thy way show thyself to
the priest and so forth why does the Lord give that commandment? well Calvin In his commentary
he makes a very interesting observation. He says that Christ makes this
statement because of signs completely swamping
his teaching. You see men are so taken up with
spectacular things. The miracles are such an important
part of the ministry of Christ, how authenticating his preaching. But, says the Protestant Reformer,
there is danger of signs completely swamping his teaching. And we see it several times.
We see, for example, in John chapter 6, where the Lord feeds the 5,000
and then we're told how a great multitude followed Him because
they saw His miracles which He did and we healed them that were
diseased and then after the feeding of the 5,000 we see how that they would come
and take Him and make him a king that's what we are told there
in John 6 and so Jesus departs to a mountain by himself alone
these people are so taken up with the miracles the healing
of diseases, the feeding of the 5,000 and they're impressed and they
want to take this man, they want to make him their king. There
is a danger that the miracles will over-swamp everything. The
miracles are important, we're never to lose sight of that.
They're all authenticating. And it's not just the miracles
of the Lord himself, but In Hebrews, for example, we are reminded
of the significance of the miracles in the ministry of his apostles.
Their ministry has to be authenticated. What does Paul say there in Hebrews? Hebrews 2 verse 3, How shall
we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him? God also bearing them witness
both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts
of the Holy Ghost according to His own will. Or even their ministry,
that of the disciples is confirmed with signs, wonders, diverse
miracles. We're not to decry this aspect
of the Lord's ministry, the disciples' ministry. It is important, it's
certainly very important with regards to the Lord's own ministry. When he heals the widow of Nain's
son rising, that young man to life again. fear comes on all
the people they glorify God they say a great prophet is risen
amongst us and there are those times when
we see that the miracle does cause them to attend more carefully
to the things that this man is saying in Luke 5 and verse 15 for example
great multitudes came together we're told to hear him All they gather to hear in there
is that primacy of the word. We're never to lose sight of
that. And on those occasions we see
the importance of the miracles. But there's always this danger,
this great danger that people wanting spectacular things will
lose sight of that that is all-important. Alas, it seems this to be the
case here with regards to this man. Why the Lord had done a
remarkable thing. We can't be too hard on the man.
He goes out and begins to publish, to blaze abroad what the Lord
has done. And so the crowds now are becoming
so great that the Lord must go aside. He goes into a desert
place. and still they keep coming to
Him from every quarter. What would we have done if we
were in the same situation as that man and the Lord had performed
such a notable miracle upon us? We're not to be too hard upon
the man. And so finally I want to say
something today with regards to the faith of the man himself.
He has faith this man. He has real faith. What do we
read concerning the way in which he comes to the Lord? There in
verse 40, he comes a leper, beseeching him, kneeling down before him, pleading with him, If thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean. Now, in the other accounts, we
find different wording of course for example in Matthew, Matthew
8 verse 2 it says that this man worshipped him he came in a spirit
of worship to the Lord Jesus in Luke 5 we are told he fell
on his face he didn't just kneel down he is prostrate before the
Lord or this man As real faith, we see something of the faith
of this man in the manner of his approach. He doesn't come
like that rich young ruler, does he? Remember the rich young ruler,
he comes and he says to the Lord Good Master, What shall I do? What good thing shall I do that
I may inherit eternal life? He's very respectful in the way
in which he addresses the Lord. He calls him Master, calls him
Good Master. But it's interesting, isn't it,
the way the Lord responds to that young man, because the Lord
says, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God. Strange response we might think,
and yet you see the Lord in that sense is rebuking him. He's not
recognizing that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, is the Messiah. Oh, he sees him as an important
rabbi, a great man. a master in Israel, but he doesn't
seem to recognize that this is that one that Peter confessed
at Caesarea Philippi. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. He doesn't see that this is God
manifest in the flesh. And so the Lord says there is
none good but one that is God. He doesn't recognize Christ to
be God. and then the Lord goes on doesn't
he? not good but one that is God thou knowest the commandment
all the man had said what good thing shall I do he speaks in terms of what he's
going to do there's something for me to do Lord what should
I do and thou knowest the commandment the Lord speaks in terms of law
very much in terms of law and what does the man say all these
have I kept from my youth up Oh, there's nothing of that spirit
in this man. This leper, he comes recognizing
Christ as true worship. He humbles himself before Him.
He acknowledges the sovereignty of Christ also. Look at his request. If thou wilt, he says, or thou
canst make me whole. He knows that Christ has the
power to make him whole, to heal him. But is the Lord willing
to do that thing for him? Again, another of the Lord's
miracles when He heals the man born blind in John chapter 9
and they cast him out of the synagogue. And the Lord finds
him. Oh, he's excommunicated. He's
cast out. He's been cast out. because of what the Lord had
done, giving him sight and the Lord finds him and says to him,
does thou believe in the Son of God? Who is he, Lord? He asks,
that I might believe in him. It is he that speaketh with them. And the man worshipped him, saying,
Lord, I believe. He believed. And this man believes. He believes in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Again in In Matthew's account
he actually addresses him as Lord. He calls him Lord there
in Matthew 8. No man can say that Jesus Christ
is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Let us not be too hard on this
poor man, he's a believer. We know that Christ is able but
is Christ willing? If thou wilt thou canst make
me clean. oh remember the law, the law
condemns sinners the law condemns this leper pronounces
him unclean but the Lord, the Lord cleanses
him oh the law was given by Moses
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and we see it here oh
we see it here What are leprous souls to do? We don't look to
the law. There's no salvation in the law of God, though that
law be a good law. Though those commandments be
holy, just, good commandments. But we find no comfort there.
Why, the law is the knowledge of sin. It's that awful ministration. It ministers condemnation, it
ministers death. Oh, it shuts our mouths. Isn't that what it says? Whatever
things the law says, it says to them who are under the law
that every mouth may be stopped. And all the world become guilty
before God. It stops the mouth. We can only
plead guilty. Ah, but sinners, leprous sinners
can come boldly to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask cleansing from
all their sins there were a number of hymns in the book that bring
out the significance of leprosy as a typical disease and I want
to conclude tonight by just turning to one
of them, it's a long hymn 306 it's a it's an eight line or
it's a it's a it's eight line verses and six verses in all
that's a lot of singing but those final well the opening verse
all the pangs by Christians felt when their eyes are open when
they see the gulfs of guilt they must wade and groping when the
hell appears within causing bitter anguish and the loathsome stench
of sin makes the spirit languish. I don't think it's really ideal
for public worship, but it's one of these hymns. There are
so many of them in Gadsby's, aren't there, that we can use
profitably, I would say, in our devotions. But I think, having
read then that opening verse, the last verse, what is the sinner
to do? Leprous soul. press through the
crowd in thy foul condition, struggle hard and call aloud
on the great physician, wait till thy disease he cleansed,
begging, trusting, pleading, when and where and by what means,
to his wisdom, leaving. And I like that line, how are
we to approach, what are we to do as we come to the Lord and
seek his face, and seek the pardon of all our sins. We are to come
begging, trusting, pleading. Oh, the Lord grant to us then
something of the faith of this man whom the Lord did cleanse.
For he spoke that all-powerful word, I will be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken,
immediately the leprosy departed from him. and he was cleansed. Amen.