Encountering Jesus: The Paralysed Man
This is the first sermon in our series on the Encountering Jesus from Luke. This sermon is ‘The Waiting Prophet’. Preacher: The Rev’d Adam Lowe. Bible Reading: Luke 2:21-28
Sermons – St Bart's Anglican Church · The Rev'd Adam Lowe
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Show Notes
Sermon & Small Group Resources
This is the third sermon in our series on the Encountering Jesus from Luke. This sermon is ‘The Paralysed Man’. Preacher: The Rev’d Adam Lowe. Bible Reading: Luke 5:17-26
DOWNLOAD the Small Group Questions, Going Deeper, and Sermon Transcript (PDF).
Next Steps this Week
BIBLE READING: Luke 5:17-26
One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
CONNECT: How can Jesusʼ example better equip you to actively resist the temptations of the enemy?
WARM-UP
Do you think that most people in our culture consider forgiveness as really necessary?
Have you ever encountered a radical story of forgiveness between people?
Read Luke 5:17-21
Who are gathered and where did they come from? For what reason do you think they were there?
Why were the paralysed manʼs friends desperate to get the man to Jesus? What effort had they made?
How could Jesusʼ words have come as quite the shock to the paralysed man?
What is the deepest need that Jesus is addressing? How would that have been a shock to those listening?
How is forgiveness also our greatest need? Is that a controversial message today? Why or why not?
How do people respond to Jesusʼ claim of authority to forgive sins? Why is it so radical?
Read Jeremiah 31:34 and Micah 7:18-19. Does this vision of forgiveness excite you? How do we already know this in Jesus?
What was the significance of Jesusʼ reference to being the ʻSon of Manʼ (cf. Daniel 7:13-14)? How is Jesus being the ʻSon of Manʼ inherently linked to his authority to forgive?
Which is easier to say: ʻyour sins are forgivenʼ or ʻget up and walkʼ? For whom?
Does this mean that every person who receives Jesusʼ forgiveness is also healed physically straight away? How is this a pointer to that which is yet to come?
Read Luke 5:22-26
How does Jesus ultimately make forgiveness possible whilst also being perfectly just?
14. How has your encounter with Jesus brought forgiveness into your life?
15. Why do you think some people have difficulty in accepting Godʼs forgiveness? How is Godʼs offer of forgiveness open to every single person?
APPLY: What is one way in which forgiveness from God is evident in your day-to-day life?
PRAYER
Gracious God, please grow our understanding of the extent of forgiveness that you have made possible for us through Jesus. Please help us to recognise the desperate nature of our need and the completeness of the cure which we find in you alone. In Jesusʼ Name, Amen.
GOING DEEPER
On Your Frontline This Week: With schools recommencing, who do you regularly interact with in that community? How could you intentionally invest in the relationship with that parent, teacher, coach or administrator?
Listen, Watch, and Read:
SERIES Resources:
Scripture Journal: for the Gospel of Luke. For example, https://bit.ly/3A6N9CO
Grow as Families
Each week St Bart’s Kids and CHARGE Youth provides resources for you to use at home. Join the livestream and then spend 30 minutes to work through these together.
Families: Read, Chat, Do, and Pray
High School: CHARGE Discussion Questions
Kids’ Talk: Watch the Kids’ Talk
eBook: Watch the eBook