Gospel of Mark wk 6

Great Friends

This morning we are continuing our walk through the Gospel of Mark as we look this morning at Great Friends.

Our text this morning is Mark 2:1-12, and probably is a familiar story.

The story is of the four friends that bring the paralytic to Jesus for healing.

As we look at this story this morning there are a couple of characteristics that we should look for in friends.

This paralytic, who we are not given a name for, has some great friends.

Being paralytic he could not walk, as we are told that his four friends carried him to Jesus on a pallet or bed roll.

We will look at our full text then look at three characteristics of these friends.

Mark 2:1–12 NASB95

1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘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 paralytic, 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.”

Pray

I. Friends who Care

Mark 2:1–4 NASB95

1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

Jesus has returned to Capernaum, possibly back to Peter’s house.

People begin to hear and find out that Jesus was back in Capernaum, and they began to gather at the house that He was staying at.

People desired to hear Jesus teach, as we seen last week He taught with authority and this was different then they had heard before.

As the crowd gathered, there was so many people that the crowd spilled outside.

There was no way to get in the door of the house to get any closer to Jesus.

We then see that there came four men carrying a paralytic.

They were trying to get the paralytic man to Jesus so that Jesus could heal him.

They were unable to get the paralytic to Jesus through the door way, so they had to come up with a different plan.

Some people will invite their friends to church but not invite them to Jesus.

They will invite them to hear sermons, choir concerts, and to see special programs, but they won’t tell them about the life changing power of Jesus Christ.

They wont tell them their Jesus story, that is how Jesus has changed their life.

These four men knew that getting their friend to a building was not the goal.

Getting him to Jesus was the goal.

These four friends cared for the paralytic man.

They cared enough that they did not just rush to hear Jesus teaching, but knew that if they could get their friend before Jesus he could be healed.

Do you care enough about your friends that you strive to get them to Jesus.

Do you care enough about your friends that you are willing to remove the roof to get them to Jesus.

Here the roof is an obstacle that the four friends had to get around, just as the door was blocked, these men did not allow the obstacles to hold them back.

To get them to Jesus is more than just inviting them to church.

To get your friends to Jesus, you need to share with them how Jesus has impacted and changed your life.

See your Jesus story can bring major impact on the lives of your friends but you must share that story for it to impact them.

II. Friends with Faith

Mark 2:5–7 NASB95

5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”

These four guys did not have an easy path to get their friend to Jesus, but had to make a whole in the roof of the house to get him in front of Jesus.

They did not just walk in the door of a church building and walk down to the front with their friend.

They had to go the extra mile, they had to put effort into getting their friend before Jesus.

As the man is lowered down from the roof top, before Jesus, Jesus recognizes the faith that these four men had.

Again they did not allow the obstacles to stop them, their faith was strong enough that they knew their friend needed to be seen by Jesus.

Jesus saw the collective faith of these four men.

See we are not meant to be lone ranger Christians.

We need one another.

Sometimes we go through difficulties that we need others to help us through those times.

We may even need to piggyback off of their faith.

See this paralytic could not get himself before Jesus, the one that could heal him.

But he had four friends that could carry him to Jesus to be healed.

These four men had the faith that if they could just get their friend before Jesus, then he could be healed.

Have you gathered friends around you who will carry your burdens, when you are down, and your faith is lacking.

Galatians 6:2 NASB95

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

We are to bear or help others through the struggles that they face, help them out of the darkness in their life and into the light.

As Jesus sees the paralytic man before Him, He says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now these men had not brought their friend to Jesus because of a sin problem but because his leg muscles did not work.

Now in those days, many believed that if a person was sick, or disabled that it had a deeper meaning or problem, that being sin in their life.

Jesus knew there was a deeper issue beyond what the friends could see.

See no matter how poor our physical condition may be, our spiritual condition must take priority.

Un-forgiven sins are more detrimental than unhealed limbs.

Spiritual sickness is worse than broken circumstances.

And spiritual healing can reverse sin’s physical consequences.

As Jesus has stated to the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, there were scribes - these were men who were members of a learned class with responsibilities for studying Hebrew (Old Testament) Scriptures, they served as copyist, editor, and teachers.

These scribes knowing the Old Testament began reasoning in their heart.

They believed because of Old Testament Scripture that because Jesus said your sins are forgiven, that He was being blasphemous.

In their reasoning, they said to themselves, only God can forgive sins.

They were right in this area, as is stated in Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 43:25 NASB95

25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.

They were right on one hand, but wrong on the other hand.

See only God can forgive sin, but they refused to recognize Jesus’ power as coming from God.

They even more refused to accept that Jesus was God Himself.

We must recognize and believe that Jesus was, is and will always be God Himself.

Jesus came to earth in human form, and He was fully man, but He was also fully God.

John 1:1–5 NASB95

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

We see here from John that Jesus has always been, and as He came to earth, He came as the light of the world, but many did not believe.

See verse five of John tells us that light, which is Jesus shines in the darkness which is evil, sin and this world.

But the darkness, worldly people did not comprehend it, that is they did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

John 1:14 NASB95

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We need friends that have faith to help us through the times that we are lacking in faith.

We need to surround ourselves with Godly friends that have the faith to keep helping us even when there are obstacles in the way.

III. Friends who Glorify God.

Mark 2:8–12 NASB95

8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘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 paralytic, 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.”

As these Scribes were reasoning in their heart, Jesus was aware of this unbelief of the Scribes.

This is a reminder that there is not a moment that goes by that Jesus does not know exactly what we are thinking.

Jesus calls out the Scribes for their reasoning.

He addresses the issue that they have, is it easier to say - “Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk?”

Jesus possessed divine authority because of His divine nature.

Because Jesus was fully man and Fully God, He had the authority needed to forgive sins and heal the sick.

Jesus was about to demonstrate that authority for all to see.

Jesus then says to the paralytic man, that He is the Son of Man, and He has authority on earth to forgive sins; therefore, get up, pick up your belongings and go home.

Jesus’ ability to accomplish a visible miracle, has now confirmed His ability to accomplish the invisible forgiving of sins.

We cannot see the sin our lives forgiven, but we can see the change that it brings when we truly seek forgiveness of our sins.

The paralytic man, now healed, immediately picks up his belongings and leaves in front of everyone.

This man leaves not just with a physical healing but more importantly a spiritual healing.

The people there were so amazed at this miracle, that they glorified God.

We cannot go to Jesus for help with our physical circumstances unless we are willing for Him to deal with our spiritual condition first.

When we seek God/Jesus for things in our lives, we must do it with faith that He is able, but we also must first deal with our spiritual conditions, that is seek forgiveness.

Just as the people glorified God over this miracle, when Jesus helps us, we need to testify about it so that others can glorify God with us.

This paralytic man had four great friends, these were friends that cared about him, had faith that Jesus could heal him, and then glorified God with him over his healing.

We need to surround ourselves with friends like this.

Do you need to seek God for your spiritual conditions today, do you need to repent and ask for forgiveness.

Do you need to get somethings right with God.