The Paralyzed Man is Healed

March 21st
Speaker: RJ Dugone
​Text: ​Mark 2:1-12. When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And some people came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. 4 And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

• In our time, what are some of the unplanned events that would draw a huge crowd of people to gather?  (Have you ever been in a crowd that gathered to see the President of the United States?)
• What do you think would have convinced four friends to "deliver" their paralyzed friend to Jesus, regardless of the obstacles in their way?  (How did the actions of the friends demonstrate real faith?)
• Why were the Scribes convinced that Jesus was blaspheming when He forgave the sins of the paralyzed man?  (They obviously did not understand that Jesus was the Messiah)

The Big Idea: When Jesus was through healing and forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man, the people who had witnessed the "event" proclaimed, "We have never seen anything like this!"  What Jesus did was a significant break from the mundane.  It was supernatural.  It was non-traditional.  It even challenged the theology of the Jews.  What does the present church need to experience?  We need to experience God (both His person and acts) in such a way that it causes the people of our time to proclaim: "We have never seen anything like this!" 

• Have you ever witnessed "something" that was supernatural in nature?
• What are some of the "events" that happened in your life that led you to a place of faith?
• What are some of the signs that indicate that God is working and moving in our midst?  

Parallel Accounts: Accounts from the other Synoptic Gospels. 
Matthew 9:1-8 1 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city. 2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Luke 5:18-26 18 And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22 But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But, so 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, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Cross References: 

• John 14:10-13 (NASB) 10  "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11  "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13  "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
• John 20:24-30 (NASB) 24  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25  So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26  After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27  Then He *said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28  Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29  Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." 30  Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;  

Theology and Apologetics: The biggest objection to the spiritual authority that Jesus demonstrated came from the religious crowd.  Many, perhaps most, of the religious leaders of the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  Rather than helping and celebrating the Messiah, they resisted, opposed Him.  Although God had another plan in mind for Jesus; a plan that did not set up Israel as a political power; the Jewish leaders actions undermined their own vision of what the Messiah would accomplish.  Rather than supporting Jesus, they plotted (early on) to kill Him.  From a practical standpoint, the people of God need to be careful not to fall into the trap of opposing what God is doing.  We need to be spiritually discerning; and we need to conduct ourselves (in our relationships and actions) with a demonstration of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Quotes: “If we could collect all the authentic stories all over the world — from all the missionaries and all the saints in the all the countries of the world, all the cultures of the world — if we could collect all the millions of encounters between Christians and demons and Christians and sickness and all the so-called coincidences of the world, we would be stunned. We would think we were living in a world of miracles, which we are,” John Piper