The text for this lesson is Mark 2:1–12
Key Point
- The miracle of healing the paralyzed man confirmed that Jesus, the Son of Man, has authority on earth to forgive sins and to deliver all believers from death and the power of the devil.
- Law: In my sin, I fail to recognize and ask for what I need most: forgiveness.
- Gospel: Christ knows what I need—forgiveness, life, and salvation—and He bestows these gifts even without my asking.
Discussion Points
- What are some things that you ask God for? Do you have confidence that He will grant these things? Why or why not?
- What occurs in Mark 2:4–5? What does Jesus see prior to speaking to the paralytic? What does He say to the paralytic?
- What does Jesus do again in verse 8, similar to what He had done in verse 5? What do you think of His question in verse 9? Which is easier to say?
- Why does Jesus eventually heal the paralytic? See Luke 4:17–21. Does Jesus heal the paralytic only to show that He has authority to forgive sins?
- What is the role of miracles in the Bible? Why does it seem like the Bible is so full of miracles, but our lives are not?
- What does it mean to blaspheme God? Read Mark 3:22–29. Who was really doing the blaspheming in the passage of the healing of the paralytic? Does God forgive blasphemy?
