October 23 2024

Wednesday October 23

The Touch of Jesus

Luke 5:12-16

12 And it happened when He 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, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 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, just as Moses commanded." 15 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. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

In Luke chapter 5:12, a man came to Jesus in a certain city and he was full of leprosy. He sees Jesus and he falls on his face and implores him, saying, “Lord, if you're willing”. This happens right after Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, and to become fishers of men. Leprosy is a picture of sin. Here is a man who is an untouchable leper, an uncurable disease, but he sees Jesus. That's the first thing we need to help people do and that is to see Jesus.

Seeing Jesus will never fail to awaken hope in the darkened, sin-crushed heart. This leper had doubtless heard of Christ's "mighty works", and now his dull, despairing eyes suddenly brighten with a new light as they gaze upon the living Person of the merciful Wonderworker. He believed the report, and his faith has been turned into sight. What a contrast is here between the Man, Jesus, "full of compassion", and the man, "full of leprosy." A seeking Savior and a seeking sinner come together and a miracle takes place!

Notice the prayer of this leper. His prayer reveals he had a knowledge of the character of Christ. Out of this knowledge there springs up an intelligent faith in His power. “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Genesis 18:14 asked the question, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"  And of course, the answer is no! To doubt His divinity and almightiness is to knock at a locked door. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

This man recognizes his desperate condition and knows he needed to be cleansed, and when he came to Jesus, he came to the right person because the Lord is always willing to save the lost. Jesus “is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter how much sin you've committed. It doesn't matter whether it's murder, adultery, or any type of immorality. It doesn't matter whether it's stealing, lying or cheating. It doesn't matter what your sin is.

We are all guilty of breaking the law of God (Romans 3:23). We are all under the condemnation of sin. And my friend, you can come to Jesus, and you can ask him, “are you willing”? And you know what, he'll always answer, “I am willing, be cleansed”. And Jesus “put out His hand and touched him”, and immediately the leprosy left him. This is important to understand and to see. Jesus “put out His hand and touched Him”.  In the Old Testament to touch a leper was to be unclean yourself. If anyone touched a leper, they became unclean in the sight of the law and God.

Now remember, Jesus didn't come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Did you notice how after he got healed that Jesus to him to go show yourself to the priest and make an offering just as Moses commanded. Why? Jesus recognized the law, the law of sin and death. Jesus is making it clear, “I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to fulfill the law”. When Jesus touches the leper, it was a beautiful picture of Jesus taking our sin upon himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us: “For God made Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.

My friend, the touch of Jesus makes all the difference in the world. Why? Because He was first touched with our sin. Jesus was punished for our iniquities. He was bruised for our guilt. He went to a cross and took our transgressions. He paid the price in our place for our sins (Isaiah 53). I love the invitation in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”  No matter how bad your sin is against humanity or against God, Jesus will forgive you. He will cleanse you. He'll wash away your sin. He'll cast them behind His back, and as far as the east is from the west He will remove your transgressions from you. Why? He already took them on Himself and paid the price. Jesus satisfied the wrath of God through his death on the cross and his resurrection. You can trust Him today.

What a beautiful picture. This is what the disciples were sent out to do. That is, to bring sin sick sinners to Jesus to receive His touch!  And that's what we can do today too. And I trust that's what you're doing for the glory of God.

God bless!