Behold Lamb of God:
JesusDemonstrates His authority
Dr. David J. Banfield
Illustrated by Kari Hennager
INTRODUCTION
One of the things that stands out about Jesus’ ministry was that He never did anything just to put on a show or to win popularity. When Jesus acted, it was done with intentionality and for a specific purpose.
There are many incidents of Jesus healing someone recorded in the Gospels. One of the most amazing is the story of the healing of paralytic brought to Jesus by his friends. There are several dynamics in this encounter that make it stand out from the rest.
One of the most amazing features of this story is the faith and determination of the man’s friends. They showed a level of commitment to him that is rare indeed.
As you study this story, pay attention to the main characters: the crowd, the Pharisees and the friends. Look carefully at the part each of them played in this dramatic encounter
Study 1: Luke 5:17-19
In this first section we encounter dogged determination.
1. Who made up the majority of the crowd listening to Jesus?
a.What do you know about this group?
b. What do you think the atmosphere was like in the room?
2. Luke tells us that the power of the Lord was on Jesus for Him to heal people.
a. What is implied by that statement?
b. What do you think were the expectations of the crowd?
3. When the men came carrying the paralytic they could not get into the house.
a. What does this say about the attitude of the crowd?
b. What would you expect the men to do, once they were denied entrance?
4. The men refused to give up. What radical action did they take to get their friend to Jesus?
MAKE IT PERSONAL
1. Think of a time when you could not get into somewhere because it was too crowded.
a. How did you feel when you were denied access?
b. What did you do when you discovered you could not get in?
2. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law seemed to be dominating Jesus’ time and attention.
a. What do you think they wanted or expected from Jesus?
b. How might our personal desire to get close to Jesus actually hinder others from getting to Jesus?
3. The paralytic’s friends were committed to getting him to Jesus.
a. What does that tell you about their relationship with their friend?
b. How might they be an example to us about bringing our friends to Jesus?
Study 2: Luke 5:20-21
Presented with the paralytic, Jesus did not react the way the crowd expected.
1. How do you think the crowd reacted when the man was lowered down in front of Jesus?
2. Look carefully at vs. 20.
a. Whose faith is Jesus referring to?
b. In what way did Jesus respond to their faith?
c. How do you think the man and his friends felt about what Jesus said?
3. The Pharisees were not impressed with Jesus’ statement.
a. How did they respond to Jesus?
b. Why did they respond in this way?
c. Why do you think they thought these things but did not say them out loud?
4. At this point in the story, what is the atmosphere in the room like?
MAKE IT PERSONAL
1. Take some time to think about faith.
a. How would you define faith?
b. How important is it for us to have faith in Christ?
c. What does Hebrews 11:1,6 teach us about faith?
2. How would you have responded if you had been sitting in the crowd when the paralytic was lowered down?
3. Why was Jesus’ statement both radical and surprising?
4. The Pharisees doubted Jesus’ authority.
a. When have you been tempted to doubt Jesus’ authority?
b. What enables you to trust Christ’s authority?
Study 3: Luke 5:22-26
Jesus was not threatened by the response of the Pharisees.
1. What does Luke tell us about Jesus abilities in vs. 22?
2. How does Jesus respond to the unspoken objections of the Pharisees?
a. How would you answer the question that Jesus posed?
b. How do you think the Pharisees would have answered?
3. How does Jesus demonstrate his authority to forgive sins?
4. What is the immediate outcome of Jesus’ words?
5. What is the reaction of the crowd?
MAKE IT PERSONAL
1. What does Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees tell us about our ability to hide anything from God?
2. Why do you think Jesus forgave the man’s sins before He healed him?
3. What was Jesus’ reason for leaving the healing until last?
4. What is your attitude toward Jesus’ authority?
5. In what ways did Jesus prove His authority during His earthly ministry?
6. Why is having faith in Jesus’ authority essential for receiving the forgiveness of our sins?
Study 4: Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12
Both Matthew and Mark record the healing of the paralytic.Take some time to compare the three accounts.
1. What is the significance that all three of these Gospels recorded this miracle?
2. In what ways is Matthew’s account different from Luke’s account?
3. In what ways is Mark’s account different from Luke’s account?
4. How do the three accounts together give us a fuller understanding of this event?
MAKE IT PERSONAL
1.Why do you think God chose to give us four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry and not just one?
2. What do the differences between the accounts tell us about the authenticity of them?
3. Each of the Gospel writers emphasized a slightly different aspect of the story. What was the focus of each account?
4. What details of this story surprised you?
5. In what ways are the friends both an example and a challenge to us?
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