The Urgency of the Gospel

Introduction

Open your Bibles to Luke 5:17-26.

Luke 5:17–26 ESV

On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Explanation

Luke 5:17-20 And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.””

Narrative

Jesus is teaching a large crowd. He is in a building, and people are swarming up to Him.

Several men have a friend who has been paralyzed. They attempt to bring their friend to Jesus, but based upon the Mark 2 narrative that parallels Luke, the crowd is too thick for them to bring their friend.

The get on the roof of the building and drop their friend down to Jesus.

When they lower their friend down from the roof, Jesus sees their faith, and He forgives the man of his sins.

These friends had an urgency in their step.

This incident would have annoyed everyone around them - at best. At worse, there are legal ramifications for destroying the roof on someone’s house.

They would not wait and take the chance that Jesus would still be there when the crowd would heal.

Do we feel that sense of urgency with our friends? Do we share in the way that we should?

I am all about playing the long game, but the long game is a terrible excuse for disobedience when the lives of your friends, families, coworkers, neighbors, etc. are in the balance.

Moreover, if you need to get to Jesus, you need to stop caring about what the people around you think. If He really is God, which He is, and He really wants to save you, which He does, then I wouldn’t wait until the end of this service.

When I was a part of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Mississippi State University, I heard a man preach this text, and he made an invitation in the middle of the service.

He said, “If you need to be saved, don’t delay it.”

Three students stood up, walked to the back of the room where the BCM director was standing, and gave their lives to Jesus.

If you need to do that today, and the spirit of God is speaking to you, find a minister, find a friend, and get your life right.

Jesus said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.”

He didn’t say, “You are healed.”

He said, “You are forgiven.”

Important: Jesus primary reason for coming into the world was not the alleviation of immediate circumstances, but rather, the forgiveness of sin.

Luke 5:21-24 “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.””

This passage contrasts the faith of the paralyzed man and his friends with the lack of faith of the Pharisees.

I am not going to give too much context on Pharisees, but imagine a quasi lawyer, pastor, and scholar. That is what the Pharisees were.

They were the religious establishment. They knew the law of God better than anyone. They were among the smartest of their society.

The problem of the Pharisees - it wasn’t that they asked a sinful or even wrong question. Only God could forgive sin!

There problem was that they had come to examine Jesus words without a desire to really know who Jesus was - we know this from the rest of narrative.

You can be perfectly theologically attuned to God and miss Him completely.

Jesus answer comes in his response to the cripple man. “I tell you.”

Any miracle to this point in the Bible, comes from God.

We see Elijah laying on a child and asking God to raise Him.

By Jesus word and by His authority, he causes this to happen.

Luke 5:25-26 “And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.””

An awe of God does not necessarily mean that one will submit to Him and obey Him.

The Pharisees were amazed at what happened, but liked their station in life too much to submit to the plans of Jesus.

Invitation

God has a special place in his heart for cripples. We see them throughout the Old Testament, AND Jesus moves towards them in the New Testament.