Texts: Younger - "Acts 13:38
"Through Him, ... the pardon of sins."
Older - Acts 13:38.
Note: The word "palsy" used in the KJV is better translated
"paralyzed" in this miracle.
OBJECTIVES: To Teach -
1. Physical paralysis is an example of how a sinner is paralyzed spiritually
and therefore unable to serve God.
2. There is One alone, the Lord Jesus, who is able to change a sinner and make
him useful to God.
3. Jesus responds to those who place their faith in Him.
4. Those who have experienced this saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ will
do all they can to bring others in contact with the Lord Jesus.
SCENE No. 1. VISUAL HELPS: In a home, figures of four friends standing
around the bed of a paralyzed man.
DEVELOPMENT:
- It is impossible for the paralytic to do anything for himself.
Apl. It is impossible for the sinner to serve God.
- He has friends who have faith in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and they
want him to come into contact with the Him to be healed.
- No remedy is available for his sickness and the paralytic is unable to
go on his own.
Cmt. The desire of each one who knows the Lord Jesus is to bring others to
know Him as Saviour.
Cns. If the paralyzed man had not been conscious of his great need, he would
not have accepted the help from his friends. Faith was present in the five of
them, including the paralytic.
Apl. The sinner, who realizes his true state before a righteous God, will seek
the Lord, the only One who is capable of saving him.
SCENE No. 2. VISUAL HELPS: A home in Capernaum and a figure of Jesus
surrounded by a crowd.
Above, figures of the friends looking through an opening in the roof and the
paralyzed man being lowered to where the Lord Jesus is standing. Afterward,
change the figure of the paralyzed man to another of him walking, carrying his
bed.
DEVELOPMENT:
- Impelled by their faith, the four friends carry the sick man to the house
where the Lord Jesus is speaking.
- Present with those listening to the Lord teaching are Pharisees and doctors
of the Law who doubt His credibility.
- This is the first conflict of many that Jesus would have with the Scribes
and Pharisees.
- Jesus has returned to Capernaum, "HIS OWN CITY" (Matthew 9:1),
where previously He had performed many miracles. (See Mark 1:38-39).
Cmt. Some think that the house belonged to Peter.
Cmt. While Jesus was teaching, "The power of the Lord was present to heal
(them)." (Luke 5:17). This detail establishes that healing power was with
Him at all times and did not come after pardon was granted to the paralytic.
Cmt. The previous point has doctrinal importance since it proves that healing
power was continually with the Lord and did not come and go according to
circumstances.
- When they arrived at the house, the friends faced a problem. A large
crowd blocked the entrance to the house.
- They did not give up, but looked for a solution. Climbing up to the roof
with their sick friend, they opened a space and lowered the paralyzed man to
where the Lord Jesus was standing.
Sug. To awaken the student's interest, ask them: "If you had been one of
the friends, what would you be thinking if you brought your sick friend to the
Lord Jesus? What do you want Jesus to do?"
Cmt. The persistence of the four friends should encourage the teacher to
continue teaching despite discouraging obstacles. Look for interesting and
innovative ways to present the lessons.
- Jesus perceives the greatest need of the sick man. Sin is his problem and
when he receives pardon from his sins, his most urgent need has been met.
- "BE OF GOOD CHEER" (Matthew 9:2) are words to encourage the sick
man's faith, despite the thoughts of the crowd.
- Declaring aloud that the man's sins were forgiven, Jesus exercises an
attribute of Deity. Had he had not possessed this attribute; He would have
been an impostor.
- The doubters and unbelievers asked, "Who can forgive sins but God
alone?" This of course, is correct. They are mistaken in suggesting
He had blasphemed.
- The Pharisees, who accuse Jesus of blasphemy, think He is taking upon
Himself an attribute that belonged to God. He could not take it for
being God it was already His.
- Because He is God, Jesus knows the thoughts of his enemies.
Mng. BLASPHEMY Gr. "blasphemia" - slander, detraction or offensive
language that damages the good name of another person. "Insulting
language directed against Divine Majesty." (Strongs) "To speak
contemptuously of the Divine Person." (Vine)
Cns. Sickness entered the world because of sin and the physical paralysis of
the palsied man is a figure of man's helplessness, for it is a product of sin.
Hearing the words, "Rise up and walk", none would be ignorant of the
identity of the One who had exercised His power.
- The reason Jesus healed the palsied man was to prove visibly, the invisible
power exercised before when He pardoned the sins of the palsied man.
(See Luke 5:20).
Arg. Had the sick man not stood up, they could have concluded that his sins
had not been forgiven. The physical miracle confirmed the spiritual reality of
his sins forgiven.
Cns. There is an important difference between Christ and his disciples. None
of them could pardon sin. (See Acts 8:22-24).
- The people glorified God, recognizing that they had witnessed something
marvelous in the pardon given and the healing of the palsied man.
- By saying "God had given such power unto MEN" (Matthew 9:8),
they showed that they did not understand the great significance of the
miracle. They had not yet recognized Jesus as God, manifest in flesh.
SCENE NO. 3. VISUAL HELPS. Figures of a preacher speaking of the power
of God: and a S.S. teacher speaking to children, and another of children
praying in different situations.
DEVELOPMENT:
- When preaching the gospel, the speaker must make clear to his audience that
God sees them as sinners and that they must recognize this fact in order to be
saved.
- When teaching about God and what He did in days of old, the teacher must
stress that the power of God today is exercised through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The object of all teaching is that the students respond with faith,
believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sug. The teacher should introduce the subject of sin and explain how one can
obtain pardon from his or her sins.
- When in need, a child who understands the power of God can pray, knowing
that because of His power, God can supply that need
- Jesus' miracles were signs that showed the people who He was and what He
was.
- The Word of God is preached so that sinners will put their faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ as their Saviour and in this way, flee from the judgment to come.
