HOFC Sermon Archive: Gospel of Mark Part 10: Jesus Cleanses Leper

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

3. The Baptism of Jesus

4. Temptation of Jesus

5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I

6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II

7. The First Disciples

8. A Teacher with Authority

9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10. Jesus Cleanses Leper

Today is Sunday. March 9^th, 2025

INTRODUCTION

We have seen the beginnings of Jesus’ public ministry in the Gospel of Mark. After His baptism, withstanding temptation, and rebuking Satan, He had shown Himself worthy of ministry.

He begins His public ministry by going to the Synagogues, preaching that all should repent and place their trust in the Gospel because the Kingdom of God was at hand.

God told Israel He would cut a new covenant with them (Jeremiah 31), and it would not be like the covenant He cut with their fathers when He brought them out of Egypt, which they broke.

The Lord tells them in Jeremiah 31 that in this new covenant, “He will forgive their iniquity and their sin, He will remember no more.”

It should not have been a surprise when Jesus arrived, just as the prophecies said and preached forgiveness of sins, just as the prophets foretold.

And just as Romans 1:16 states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [gentile]”

When we study Jesus casting out demons and healing or performing miracles, notice that in scripture, the focus is placed on Jesus, the authority in which He taught, and the things He said.

Jesus Himself said in nearly 20 verses, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” = The Gospel.

When Jesus left His final command to the disciples, The Great Commission, He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Make disciples, baptize, and teach them to obey all that I commanded you.

Summarize…

God foretold He would come with a new covenant to forgive sins

The “Power of God” is revealed in the Gospel

Share that Gospel with everyone, teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded.

Do what Jesus did…

Tell them to repent…put their trust in the Gospel (for it is the power of God), because the Kingdom of God is at hand.

It is here now spiritually, and when it arrives physically, the second coming, there is a Judgment Day, and we will all stand before God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 1:40-45

“40 And a leper *came to Jesus, pleading with Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He *said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in desolate areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.”

This event is also described in Matthew 8:2-4 and Luke 5:12-14

I. THE LEPERS CONDITION

a. The Lepers Condition

i. Hanson’s bacillus, also known as Mycobacterium leprae, is a species of bacteria that causes Hansen’s disease, or leprosy.

1. Skin lesions, often on the face, hands, and arms.

2. Nerve damage, loss of sensation.

3. Muscle weakness, sensory and motor dysfunction.

4. Respiratory tract infection. In men, reproductive organs are damaged beyond use.

5. The infected would suffer a miserable, pitiful existence.

ii. Suffering, not just from the disease, but from the ritual uncleanness and exclusion from society and family imposed by the Law of Moses in Leviticus 13:44-46.

iii. The leper was truly a wretched man.

b. Our Condition

i. What leprosy is to the body, sin is to the soul

ii. Sin slowly, progressively, and methodically enslaves us

1. John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

2. Romans 7:14-24

iii. Sin separates us from God, and from His people

1. Isaiah 59:2 “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

a. Does it seem God does not hear your prayers?

b. Perhaps He doesn’t.

2. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Paul warns us to “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”

a. This is in reference to the “so-called brother,” or some modern terms, “carnal Christian,” which is no Christian at all, or, to make it simple, a fake Christian, who claims Christianity, but willfully lives in obvious sin.

iv. Sin is universal. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

v. And sin leads to eternal death.

1. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2. Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly (LIT lack of faith) and untrustworthy and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

vi. As long as we are in sin, we, like the leper, are truly wretched.

The leper, hearing of Jesus and His power to heal, cried out to Him.

II. THE LEPER’S CRY

a. The Leper’s Cry for sickness

i. It was earnest and desperate, “…pleading with Him.”

ii. It was reverent, “falling on his knees before Him”

iii. It was humble and submissive, “If you are willing.”

iv. It showed faith, “You can”

v. It acknowledged a need, “make me clean.”

vi. It was specific. Not bless me, “make me clean.”

vii. It was personal, and concise. 5 words in the Greek.

viii. Here we read an example of prayer that God answers.

b. Our Cry for forgiveness

i. We call upon the name of the Lord

1. Acts 2:21

2. Acts 2:37-41

3. Acts 22:16

4. We are baptized as “an appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 3:21

5. We have that “good conscience” through the blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:14

ii. Forgiveness of sin is found through prayer.

1. As Peter counseled Simon after baptism (Acts 8:13,22)

2. And John to the believers (1 John 1:9)

The Gospel describes how we can make our appeal to Christ.

We have all undoubtedly heard the gospel. Have we made our appeal to Christ?

Like the leper wanting to be healed of his sickness, have we desired to be healed from our sin?

Earnest, reverent, humbly crying out to the Lord.

III. THE LEPERS CLEANSING

a. The Leper’s Cleansing

i. Actuated by the Lord’s compassion (Mark 6:34; Mark 9:36)

ii. Immediately, the leper was healed by His words, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

b. Our Cleansing

i. Actuated by God’s love (1 John 4:9-10)

ii. Immediately, through the Blood of Jesus (Romans 6:3-7; Colossians 2:12-13)

The leper received his cleansing. Have we received ours?

IV. THE LEPERS COMMISSION

a. The Leper’s Commission

i. He was sent away quickly with a strict warning.

ii. Jesus told him not to tell anyone but to show himself to the priest.

1. To offer what Moses commanded for his cleansing (Leviticus 14:1-7)

iii. If he had obeyed, this would have been a testimony of Jesus as the Messiah to the priests.

1. Matthew 11:5

2. Luke 7:22

iv. The leper failed the commission Jesus gave him. (Mark 1:45)

v. Because of the leper’s misdirected zeal, it literally forced Jesus out of the cities. It forced people to have to find Him in deserted places.

vi. This hurt Jesus’ ministry.

b. Our Commission

i. Jesus gives us a commission

1. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)

2. Preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15-16)

3. To proclaim repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:47)

ii. We see, unlike the leper, the early church was faithful to the commission Jesus gave them.

1. Romans 10:18

2. Colossians 1:5-6

3. Colossians 1:23

iii. What about us?

1. Are we remaining faithful to the commission Christ gives us?

2. Or, perhaps, like the leper, in our misplaced zeal, we do what we think is best for the Lord?

Too often, we lose sight, and our misplaced zeal builds and feeds material and social rather than spiritual needs, as we are commissioned by Jesus to do.

With misdirected zeal, like the leper, we hurt rather than help Jesus.

CONCLUSION

The cleansing of the leper provides insight into the compassion of Jesus.

The humble faith needed to receive the benefits of the Lord’s compassion.

It also shows the dangers of misdirected zeal, which can hinder the cause and ministry of Christ.

Though we may not suffer from leprosy, we face a greater problem, sin.

The spiritual disfigurement and isolation caused by our sin require the same compassion from Jesus. That compassion is released through our HUMILITY and FAITH.

HUMILITY and FAITH are also how we receive forgiveness.

Matthew 23:12 “whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Romans 12:3b “…say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think…”

1 Peter 5:5b “all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The first sin was not in the Garden of Eden but the pride and arrogance of Satan.

Shall we then be prideful and arrogant as Satan or humble and meek as Jesus?

Depends on which master you are serving.

NEXT WEEK: “Part 11: Jesus Heals a Paralytic”

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