Cleansing by Christ

CLEANSING
OT & NT
Holy Unholy; Clean & Unclean
Only the Clean can be Holy; but, in order for the clean thing to be holy, it must be sanctified by the altar.
Jesus said that the altar sanctifies the gift. The clean vessels had to be sanctified by water and blood.
For example, clean and unclean animals.....

Interestingly, about animals etc.. Jesus declared them clean by His word
Acts 10:15
And, they are sanctified made holy by word and prayer (1Tim.4:5)

Jesus made it clear that the things from outside don't make us unclean; but, uncleanness proceeds from inside and corrupts a man.
(Matt 15:11)

The OT contained shadows of the NT. It foreshadowed NT truth. In other words, material symbols were used to teach us spiritual truths.

E.g. The Temple; but, the real temple is our body.

In Jesus, the physical and the spiritual blend into unity. Col. The OT is the shadow; but, the Body is Christ.
OT - Leper unclean; Jesus cleansed (The word cleanse the lepers can be understood in physical, social, and spiritual sense too)
Dead body (unclean); Jesus raised a 4 day old corpse to life...

By His word were all things made clean; by His Word the disciples were made clean.

If we want to understand cleansing, the pictures God gave us in the OT can help us understand it a little.

In Matt 8:2, a leper came to Jesus and asked if He could heal him

The Leper was unclean according to the OT law.
Lev. 13:45 "The leper who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, `Unclean, unclean.

Sin is like leprosy. Jesus said that sinful things come out from inside and make our vessels unclean. He wants us to be clean inside out.

1. Begins as a small spot; but, spreads.
Little Leopards become big...

2. Turns the hair white or yellow: Cannot be hid
You cannot cover it up for long.
The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.(1Tim.5:24)

3. Turns the skin insensitive
Lack of sensitivity; callous..

4. Consumes flesh
Eats up the organs one by one...
Makes ineffective

5. Contagious
Infects others

OT - No method of healing; only method of cleansing
Cleansing by Priests was just a declaration

NT- Jesus commanded His disciples to go and cleansing
The healing of Jesus has a dual effect: it heals and it also cleanses at the same time

But, still he asks to go and show to the priests.... After healing, he only tells the leper to go show to the priest as a proof.
Lev. 14: The birds; the sin offerings..
Guilt - inadvertent... Adamic
Sin - sins

There is no cleansing without blood.... The OT sacrifices were in order to declare as cleansed..
The NT sacrifice of Jesus cleanses by eliminating leprosy and sanctify .

Caveat:
Miriam - Struck with leprosy for rebelling against Moses
Gehazi - Struck with leprosy for lusting after the world and lying to God's servant (to God)
Uzziah - Struch with leprosy for disrespecting the Temple and its ordinances.

Good News:
The Story of Naaman
Skin as like child..
Lost sensitivity and innocence; He will restore...
Lost effectiveness; He will open a new door....

Remember: Sin is like leprosy... If you dread this diseases, sin is more dreadful.
But, will you ask Jesus to cleanse you