Leviticus 14 is one of those chapters most people skim through. It’s a detailed law about how a healed leper was supposed to be declared clean.
There’s an entire ritual involving two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop. The problem? There’s no record of this law ever being used—until Jesus showed up.
A Law with No Record of Use
God gave Israel a specific process for any leper who was healed. They had to be examined by a priest, go through a cleansing ritual, shave off all their hair, and offer sacrifices. It was a long, detailed process. But as you read through the Old Testament, something stands out—there’s no mention of anyone actually going through it.
Miriam was struck with leprosy but was healed after being shut out of the camp for seven days (Numbers 12). Naaman was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5), but he was a Syrian and wouldn’t have followed the Levitical law. Then Jesus Himself said in Luke 4:27, “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.” That means there were plenty of lepers, but none of them were healed. If no one was healed, that means the priests never had to perform Leviticus 14. It was a law sitting unused for over a thousand years—until Jesus.
The Two Birds – A Picture of Christ’s Work
One of the most powerful parts of the Leviticus 14 ritual involved two birds. One was killed over running water, and the other was dipped in its blood and set free. It’s a strange process at first glance, but when you look at it through the lens of Christ, it makes perfect sense.
The slain bird represents Jesus. Just like the bird, He was killed so that another could live. The living bird, after being covered in blood, was released into the open field. That’s a picture of freedom—our freedom. The leper, once outcast and cut off from society, was now declared clean. He could go home. He could enter the camp again. He was restored. That’s exactly what Christ does for us. He takes the punishment so we can go free.
Jesus Performs the First Known Leviticus 14 Ritual
In Matthew 8, a leper came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” He didn’t ask to be healed; he asked to be made clean. He knew healing wasn’t enough—he needed to be restored, accepted, brought back into society. Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached out, touched the man, and said, “I will; be thou clean.” Instantly, the man was healed.
Then Jesus gave a command that must have left the priests in shock. He told the man, “Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” Imagine the scene. This leper, who had probably been an outcast for years, walks into the temple, fully healed. The priests had to pull out the scrolls, find Leviticus 14, and perform a ritual they had likely never done before. This was a testimony to them—proof that something supernatural had happened. The Messiah was here, and He was doing what no one else ever could.
Three Lessons for Us Today
1. Sin Separates, but Christ Restores.
Leprosy in the Bible is a picture of sin. It slowly destroys, isolates, and makes a person unclean. Just like leprosy, sin separates us from God. But Christ is the only one who can cleanse us and bring us back into fellowship with Him.
2. Salvation is a Substitution.
The two birds in Leviticus 14 show us what Jesus did for us. One was sacrificed so the other could go free. Christ took our place on the cross so that we could be made clean.
3. Our Salvation Should Be a Testimony to Others.
Jesus told the healed leper to go to the priests as a testimony. When God changes a life, it’s meant to be seen. Our salvation isn’t just for us—it’s a testimony to the world that Jesus still saves.
The priests in Jesus’ day were focused on religious exercises—rituals, sacrifices, and the outward appearance of holiness. But the real testimony wasn’t in the ritual of Leviticus 14; it was in the healed leper standing before them, cleansed by the power of Christ. The ceremony only confirmed what had already taken place.
In the same way, people don’t need more religious traditions or empty motions; they need the life-changing power of Jesus. When Christ works in a person’s life, the evidence isn’t in a checklist of religious duties but in a transformed heart, a restored life, and a testimony that points to Him. Like that leper, the greatest proof of Jesus’ power isn’t in a ritual—it’s in a changed life.
