We are glad and honored to be with you today. Thank you so much for being there. We trust that this lesson will be a blessing for you. Before we go to the lesson with J Mark, I have a question for you. In your mind, what makes Christianity different from all other religions? There isn’t only one correct answer, but I am guessing near the top of everyone’s list is forgiveness.
The forgiveness we experience from Jesus is unique and very powerful. In contrast, many religions require you to earn salvation or do more good than bad. In Christianity, our sins can be forgiven. Psalm 103 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Wow, only through Jesus can this happen. Today, as we reflect on the story of the paralytic being forgiven and healed, let us remember that Jesus desires to do the same for everyone.
Most of us who have lived for a few decades can look back on life and see the results of some of our decisions. Good decisions brought blessings; bad ones brought us trouble and pain. This is our experience as human beings.
I’ve made decisions that have brought me great joy and blessings; others I’d like to revisit and change. But that’s impossible. That’s not the way life works. I’ve also met people who continually beat themselves up over past poor decisions.
Jesus can redeem and restore what has been broken. He has the power to forgive and to heal. That’s the focus of our study from Mark 2:1 to 12. Jesus uses the healing of a paralyzed man to illustrate how our decisions affect our lives and our relationship with Him.
1And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.
2Immediately, many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So, when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralytic,
11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
12 Immediately, he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus was teaching in the synagogues throughout the cities of Galilee and casting out demons. During this ministry, He was approached by a leper who asked Him for cleansing. Jesus healed the man and sent him off to the priest for his cleansing. He warned him not to tell anyone what had happened. The man disregarded Jesus’ command, and the resulting attention prevented Jesus from openly entering the towns of the area.
This text shows us how our DECISIONS impact our life and our relationship with Him.
The First DECISION we see is,
An Act of Faith
The opening of our text has Jesus returning to Capernaum from the other parts of Galilee. When the word got out that Jesus was back, a large crowd gathered so that there was no room in the house. The Greek uses a double-negative to intensify the meaning. This house was packed full, and the street outside was also packed full! “There was not no more room for anyone.”
Keep that scene in your mind and see what happens next. Several men are bringing a paralyzed man to see Jesus. Four of them are carrying him on a bed. They believed that Jesus could heal their friend. Bringing him to Jesus was an act of faith.
Picture them turning the last corner into the street where the house was. Coming closer, they realized there was no way they could penetrate that dense throng of people. To their credit, they didn’t give up. I don’t know how far they had already carried this man, but they weren’t going to let a crowd spoil their plans.
Houses of that era often had an outside stairway to the roof, where people frequently enjoyed the cooler parts of the day. So, up they went. They were familiar with the layout of the place, because they knew just where to uncover the roof to let their friend down in front of Jesus.
These roofs were often made of small logs laid across the outside walls of the house. Smaller branches and grass or reeds were the next layer. On top of that was a layer of clay tramped down over everything and hardened by the sun’s heat. It must have taken considerable effort to make an opening large enough to let their friend down without dumping him off his bed!
Now, imagine Jesus teaching in a house full of people, with the religious leaders close beside him and the crowd overflowing into the street. Suddenly, small particles of dust and debris start falling from the ceiling above his head. And then bigger pieces of debris begin to fall, and daylight appears above Him as the men enlarge the opening in the roof.
Suddenly, the light disappears for a few moments as the hole is filled with a bed. As the crowd watches in stunned silence, the bed slowly descends to the point where they see a man lying on it. His friends lower him until the bed rests on the ground, right in front of Jesus.
The decision these men made was an act of faith, and it had incredible results. Jesus knew the effort it took to place this man before Him. And He responded to their faith by saying, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” I believe the men were stunned by Jesus’ statement. They had brought their friend to Jesus for healing, but Jesus forgave his sins.
We’ll discuss Jesus’ statement later in our study. What I want us to catch is the decision to act in faith and how it impacted their lives.
There are circumstances we face in life that cause discouragement. Sometimes people discourage us, too. They say, “Things will never change, just forget it.” It’s much better to listen to the promises God has given to us. God rewards those who come to him in faith, as these men did. What circumstances are you facing that call for an act of faith on your part?
The Next DECISION we see is,
A Question of Unbelief
There were scribes in this crowd. Their primary duty was to know and preserve the law and lead the people. They were responsible for teaching and interpreting the law. They also handled a wide range of legal matters.
Sadly, by Jesus’ time, they had added numerous additional traditions to the law, sometimes going against the commands of Scripture. Jesus’ popularity aroused their jealousy. So, they were there to find fault with Jesus’s teaching.
When Jesus pronounced forgiveness of sins for the invalid, immediately they began to judge Him. “Why does this man speak like that? It’s blasphemy! No one can forgive sins but God.” They didn’t speak, but their faces indicated what they were thinking. Jesus instantly recognized their thoughts in His spirit.
These men were rejecting Jesus as the Son of God. They were familiar with the law and the prophets. They knew that when the Messiah came, He would exercise such powers. But because He came in a way that was different from what they expected, they rejected Him.
You can reject Jesus because He doesn’t fit your preconceived ideas, your plans, or your lifestyle. Everyone is free to decide about Jesus, but think about the impact it will have on you now and in the future. If you reject Him, like these scribes did, it will not end well for you.
So far, we have examined two decisions: an act of faith and a question of unbelief. Those lead us to the final decision…
The Final DECISION we see is,
A Demonstration of Authority
Immediately, Jesus fully perceived in His spirit what they were thinking. So, He asked, “Why do you reason this way in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk?”
If someone’s sins are forgiven, you can’t immediately see the evidence of that. It is something that happens to you on the inside first. However, for this man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk away was undeniable evidence that a miracle had occurred. No ordinary man could make either one of them happen. This was a demonstration of Jesus’ authority.
He spells it out for them. You question what I am doing, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” In essence, Jesus was saying to the scribes that his ability to heal the man physically demonstrates his power to forgive the man’s sins.
At Jesus’ command, the paralytic got up, picked up his mat, and went out in full view of everyone in the crowd. I can imagine the crowd was stunned, and perhaps momentarily silent, parting to let him make his way to the door and out into the street. I also imagine that the silence didn’t last long because the text says they were all amazed and began to praise God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus demonstrated His authority, and He remains the same today. He is ready to forgive and heal. Remember, the healing of this man’s body was temporary; the forgiveness of his sins was eternal. His choices to exercise faith and obedience to Jesus’ command changed his life, and I assume, the lives of his friends, forever.
The scribes’ decision to disbelieve impacted them as well. Unless they changed their minds and embraced Jesus as Messiah, and some of them did, their future would be negatively affected.
Have you allowed Jesus to demonstrate His authority in your life? Are you acting in faith or unbelief? I can’t guarantee that Jesus will heal your physical disability, but I can assure you that if you come to Him in faith, He will forgive your sins and make you completely whole.
Did you hear that guarantee? Which is better to heal you physically or to forgive sin and make you completely whole? Well, let me share with you the great news: if you live in His forgiveness, it is only a matter of time until you will be completely physically healed and experience more life than you thought possible. I am talking about heaven. So please seek Jesus for His forgiveness today. Thanks so much, J. Mark, thank you for sharing this lesson with us, and for joining us.
If you want to hear this lesson again or if you have any questions about today’s lesson, please let us know. You can reach us by email or the internet. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. On our page, click ‘Contact Us’ at the top right. From there, you can message us directly. Connect with us however you can. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
The forgiveness of Jesus is for all. After you experience it, share it. Thank you, and God bless.
