President's Report: Jesus Changes Everything

By David Jamieson

UCC President

There’s an incredible story found in Matthew chapter 8:1 where it says, “When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.”

Now if you know your Bible at all, you’ll recognize that in Matthew chapters 5 through 7, Jesus had just preached the greatest sermon that was ever preached on planet earth. He had just preached a sermon to thousands of people up on a mountain, a message we call the Sermon on the Mount.

The Gospels indicate He came down from the mountain to the edge of the sea of Galilee near the village of Capernaum, and the crowd was so large that He had to step into a boat and use it as a pulpit.

But there was someone at the back of the crowd listening to every word that fell from the lips of Jesus. In fact, he also watched breathlessly as Jesus healed the lame, deaf, and blind, and soon something happened in his heart that caused him to not just be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word, and he quickly decided to come to Jesus.

The truth is that it doesn’t matter when you come to Jesus, where you come to Jesus, or how you come to Jesus. The only thing that matters is that you do choose to come to Jesus at some point in your lifetime. Matthew 8:2 says a leper came to him and bowed down before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Well, the crowd panicked and parted like the Red Sea, because of all diseases known in the Middle East two thousand years ago, leprosy was most dreaded. It was contagious, incurable, and its’ horrible effect upon its victims filled the bravest man with fear.

But notice how Jesus responded because He still responds the same way today toward every human being who has ever lived, to every one of His children.

Matthew 8:3 says, “Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him.” Now let me ask you, Did Jesus need to touch this man to heal him? No. He could have healed him in any number of ways, but Jesus deliberately chose to touch him. Why? Because Jesus had much more in mind for this man than he even asked for.

First of all, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him to heal him emotionally. It’s possible this man had not experienced the touch of another human being for years. So, when Jesus touched him and embraced him, He healed him emotionally.

Secondly, Jesus reached out and touched him to heal him socially. The leper was not permitted to be in the crowd. He was supposed to be in isolation. He wasn’t able to attend the synagogue on Sabbath morning. Does that sound familiar? He was an utter outcast, but when Jesus touched him, He made him whole socially.

Thirdly, Jesus touched him and healed him financially. A leper was not able to work to make a living because he wasn’t able to associate with people. His family likely had to bring him food on a daily basis, just so he could survive, but Jesus touched him and healed him financially.

Fourthly, Jesus touched him and healed him physically. Luke, a physician, said that the man was covered with leprosy. (Luke 5:12) His fingers, toes, and nose were likely rotting away. His larynx was under attack so much so that he called out in a raspy voice, “Unclean! Unclean!”

But this man knew the urgency of his situation. He knew that never since the days of Elisha had anyone ever been healed of leprosy, but he also knew that Jesus was his only hope. That there is no other hope for this world, except in Jesus.

Finally, Jesus healed the leper spiritually. Among the Jews leprosy was regarded as a curse, a judgment against some terrible sin, and was called the stroke of the finger of God. However, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him to let him know that he was not cursed. That he was not under the judgment of God. That he was not an outcast. That he belonged to the family of God, as a son of Abraham, and child of the heavenly king.

My friend, when Jesus touches you, He makes you completely whole. Jesus changes everything!

David Jamieson

President, Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

I wanted to share what happened at our recent executive committee in my President's Report with you, along with how God continues to bless in our Conference. We prepared the report as a pdf that will allow you to share it with your church, school, or friends easily. You can view my report by going to news.uccsda.org/president523.