LUKE 5:17-26 Pray God’s Holy Spirit be with you. Now read through all of John 5:17-26. Underline what stands out for you and the thoughts and feelings you have on the events; then answer the questions.
(The red writing is directly from The New Living Bible and covers the work we are studying today. The blue writing is also directly from the Bible but covers verses that serve to make a point in answering the questions.)
Jesus heals a Paralyzed Man
17One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.
1. How must you conduct your life as a Christian? Why?
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than
for people” (Colossians 4:23).
“Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord
is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
“I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to spread the good
news and share in its blessings”(1Cor. 9:22).
2. Were these Pharisees familiar with God?
“I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3For they don’t
understand Gods way of making people right with Himself…. They cling to their own way
of getting right with God by trying to keep the law” (Romans 10:1-3).
3. So what was their problem?
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.
They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this
message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Cor.4:4).
4. What must your attitude be in the midst of being judged and watched? What was Jesus’ position in this? “And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus”
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you … “(Acts 1:8).
“Be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you… “(Deuteronomy
20:1).
“But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you”
(Exodus 23:22). Read Exodus 23 from verse 20-23; Psalm 138:7; 1 Peter 3:9;
5. What should your main desire be for all people?
“…The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to
be saved” (Romans 10:1). Also read 1 Corinthians 9:22 and Acts 20:24
18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19But they couldn’t reach Him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles.
6 ‘Some men’ and ‘a paralyzed man’; can you imagine the story behind these ‘men’ and the ‘sick man’?
7. I want you to rewrite this sentence and put your own name in the first opening and someone whom you want to bring to Jesus in the second opening: “___________ came carrying ________ on a sleeping mat.” Now think what is preventing this person from reaching Jesus and ask Jesus to set this person free.
8. Now turn to yourself. What do you have to remove to get closer to Jesus? Pray this:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. 24Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the
path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).
What is it that prevents me from having a breakthrough?
What is it that hardens my heart?
What is it that makes my actions and words not speak of Jesus’ love?
What is it that makes me unloving? Unforgiving? Angry?
What is it that makes me talk bad about others?
What is it that makes me think bad thoughts?
Pray: “Jesus, please set me free so that I can be truly free. I hand it all over to You. Be glorified in my life. Give me Your power to live in such a way that people will see You and not me.” Read Philippians 4:8!
Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
9. Here you have it! What and where is the place to be?
[ The word ‘lower’ reminds me of being humble. “The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD” (Isaiah 29:19).]
10. What did Jesus see? Who did Jesus talk to? Who’s faith did Jesus see?
11. What was the reward for the men who brought the sick man?
12. Did the men bring this man to Jesus to forgive his sins?
21But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does He think He is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
13. Is it true that only God can forgive sins?
“I – yes, I alone - will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think
of them again” (Isaiah 43:25).
14. Then who is Jesus?
“… and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us”
(Matthew 1:23).
“The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).
John 1:1, 3, 14; Isaiah 9:6; 2 Peter 1:1; John 8:24, 48.
15. What is more important, to have your sins forgiven or to be healed physically? Can we enter heaven in our sinful state, without Jesus?
“But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten
so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6All of us,
like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our
own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). It is for our sins that Jesus had died.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may
be healed” (James 5:16).
16. Was Paul healed when he asked for healing? Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
22Jesus knew what they were thinking so He asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?
17. Why is Jesus concerned about their hearts?
“… What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45).
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”
(Proverbs 4:23).
18. Why is Philippians 4:8 so important?
“8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and
admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
9Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me –
everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace
will be with you.”
23Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven, ‘or’ Stand up and walk’? 24So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
25And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.
19. How does Jesus prove that forgiveness and healing go hand in hand in Mark 3:17 and in the above verses?
“When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a
doctor- sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are
righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Mark 3:17).
20. How does Jesus prove His authority on earth to forgive sins?
26Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”
21. What was the outcome of this healing? Who was praised?
22. Have you seen amazing things and praised God for it? Tell us about it.
2 Cor. 10:5 Isaiah 26:3
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