My notes from a sermon on 5 June 2011
Luke 5 verses 17 – 26
This is a story most people will have heard. We can see the power of God working in a life that had no hope unless brought to Jesus’ feet. A man brought by his friends. We are coming to the feet of Jesus tonight. This man required healing from his sickness but more importantly from his sin. A title for this message can be found in verse 17 “the power of the Lord was present.” That power is still more than able to work today. That power took this man from his sick bed to his feet. His sickness held his body and his soul. Jesus can still do the same today.
There was a life that was crippled - verse 18. He was at the mercy of others. He had to rely heavily on his friends. He had a sickness with no cure. The word “palsy” means crippled or paralysed. Anyone with a sickness in those days was classed as a judgement from God. It was sin that caused this infliction. This man was presumably a healthy man at one time. It clearly says “he was taken with a palsy”. Sin had taken him to this point. Sin caused his sickness and we can trace that right back to Adam and Eve when they sinned in the Garden of Eden. Sin brought sickness and ultimately death in the end. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they fell into temptation, disobedience to God’s word. Sin and evil came into the world. This man was brought to the feet of the one who could help his condition. Look at the role of his friends in this situation – an opportunity for them to help this man. His friends heard of Jesus of Nazareth. The other gospels record more about this incident. It tells us that Jesus had passed through to Capernaum and was now in Peter’s house. Jesus had healed many on his way there. Mark 2 verse 4 tells us his friends had to actually break the roof up to get their friend in. They really wanted to see Jesus. Why go to such an extreme lengths? These men saw the root of the problem. They knew the man needed to be with Jesus. He was carried there, went up to the roof, broke the roof open and led him down right to Jesus’ feet. Are we motivated by that same motive - to bring our friends to Christ? Do we give up at the first hurdle? These men didn’t – when they got to the house they saw the crowd but they didn’t leave it there. They realised the only way to Jesus was through the roof. They had a real desire to get to Jesus. It was a sickness that needed to be healed. Sin is in our lives and it needs to be healed. This man knew he had a need. He knew he had to get it sorted. Why are you continuing to sit in your sickness?
A life that was counselled. Verses 20 to 23. Jesus spoke directly to the man but he also spoke to the root of the problem. He didn’t deal with the body first but sin first. He showed he had the power over sin and sickness. Can you imagine the challenge this man was. We don’t know how long he had lay on this bed but it tells us he “immediately rose up, took up his bed and went to his own house”. Put yourself in the position of this man tonight. You are looking into Jesus’ face tonight – will you accept his atoning power and let him cleanse you from sin? Hebrews 9 verse 22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Romans 6 verse 23 “the wages of sin is death”. We have often heard the phrase ‘eternal life’. We think it is based on heaven alone. This man faced Jesus, Jesus counselled him of his sickness. God couldn’t look on sin. That is why he had to cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden and why he had to destroy the world in Noah’s day. God turned his back on Jesus as he died on Calvary. “My God my God why have you forsaken me?” What an awful picture – that God could not look on the sin of the world. Jesus commended the faith of the men who brought this man – verse 20.
A life that was changed. He left walking but more importantly left with his sins forgiven – verses 20 and 25. Jesus was willing to forgive this mans sin – why – because he saw their faith. They were earnestly looking for Jesus. He will forgive our sins. There was an obstacle to get to Jesus but there were also obstacles after he came to faith – verse 21. Jesus answered his critics. Don’t let others hinder you from coming to Jesus. His friends could have easily picked up their friend and left at this point. Jesus could have been easily side tracked by answering this question but he never lost focus and answered his critics – verse 24 “he said unto the sick of the palsy”. Jesus took time to speak directly to the man in front of him. If you come earnestly to Christ he will save you. Jesus preached to big numbers but took time to speak to the individual too. Jesus is calling directly to you tonight. He is speaking personally to you. There are similarities between this man’s life and yours. This man was brought to Jesus by his friends. This man had a need. This man recognised his need. This man allowed Jesus to heal him. Will there be any other similarities for you? The change in this man’s life – verse 18 – he was carried in before the Lord but in verse 25 he got up to his feet and left carrying his couch with him. Imagine the scene for a moment – the roof opened up, a man is lowered down, Jesus speaks to him and the man gets up and walks out in front of all the crowds. Now there is a sense of amazement where once there was cynicism. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4 verse 4) Sin looks good but the devil makes it like that. He has blinded your eyes. He shows you the good times now because he cannot show you the future – why – because he wouldn’t want you to see the lost hell prepared for you. This man never started glorifying and praising God until he got his own life right. Only when Jesus healed his body and soul did he rejoice. It was only after having a saving encounter with Jesus. We can have that same encounter and live with the same attitude. How? Ask him to forgive us our sins and we will be able to be changed.
There was a life that was crippled - verse 18. He was at the mercy of others. He had to rely heavily on his friends. He had a sickness with no cure. The word “palsy” means crippled or paralysed. Anyone with a sickness in those days was classed as a judgement from God. It was sin that caused this infliction. This man was presumably a healthy man at one time. It clearly says “he was taken with a palsy”. Sin had taken him to this point. Sin caused his sickness and we can trace that right back to Adam and Eve when they sinned in the Garden of Eden. Sin brought sickness and ultimately death in the end. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they fell into temptation, disobedience to God’s word. Sin and evil came into the world. This man was brought to the feet of the one who could help his condition. Look at the role of his friends in this situation – an opportunity for them to help this man. His friends heard of Jesus of Nazareth. The other gospels record more about this incident. It tells us that Jesus had passed through to Capernaum and was now in Peter’s house. Jesus had healed many on his way there. Mark 2 verse 4 tells us his friends had to actually break the roof up to get their friend in. They really wanted to see Jesus. Why go to such an extreme lengths? These men saw the root of the problem. They knew the man needed to be with Jesus. He was carried there, went up to the roof, broke the roof open and led him down right to Jesus’ feet. Are we motivated by that same motive - to bring our friends to Christ? Do we give up at the first hurdle? These men didn’t – when they got to the house they saw the crowd but they didn’t leave it there. They realised the only way to Jesus was through the roof. They had a real desire to get to Jesus. It was a sickness that needed to be healed. Sin is in our lives and it needs to be healed. This man knew he had a need. He knew he had to get it sorted. Why are you continuing to sit in your sickness?
A life that was counselled. Verses 20 to 23. Jesus spoke directly to the man but he also spoke to the root of the problem. He didn’t deal with the body first but sin first. He showed he had the power over sin and sickness. Can you imagine the challenge this man was. We don’t know how long he had lay on this bed but it tells us he “immediately rose up, took up his bed and went to his own house”. Put yourself in the position of this man tonight. You are looking into Jesus’ face tonight – will you accept his atoning power and let him cleanse you from sin? Hebrews 9 verse 22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Romans 6 verse 23 “the wages of sin is death”. We have often heard the phrase ‘eternal life’. We think it is based on heaven alone. This man faced Jesus, Jesus counselled him of his sickness. God couldn’t look on sin. That is why he had to cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden and why he had to destroy the world in Noah’s day. God turned his back on Jesus as he died on Calvary. “My God my God why have you forsaken me?” What an awful picture – that God could not look on the sin of the world. Jesus commended the faith of the men who brought this man – verse 20.
A life that was changed. He left walking but more importantly left with his sins forgiven – verses 20 and 25. Jesus was willing to forgive this mans sin – why – because he saw their faith. They were earnestly looking for Jesus. He will forgive our sins. There was an obstacle to get to Jesus but there were also obstacles after he came to faith – verse 21. Jesus answered his critics. Don’t let others hinder you from coming to Jesus. His friends could have easily picked up their friend and left at this point. Jesus could have been easily side tracked by answering this question but he never lost focus and answered his critics – verse 24 “he said unto the sick of the palsy”. Jesus took time to speak directly to the man in front of him. If you come earnestly to Christ he will save you. Jesus preached to big numbers but took time to speak to the individual too. Jesus is calling directly to you tonight. He is speaking personally to you. There are similarities between this man’s life and yours. This man was brought to Jesus by his friends. This man had a need. This man recognised his need. This man allowed Jesus to heal him. Will there be any other similarities for you? The change in this man’s life – verse 18 – he was carried in before the Lord but in verse 25 he got up to his feet and left carrying his couch with him. Imagine the scene for a moment – the roof opened up, a man is lowered down, Jesus speaks to him and the man gets up and walks out in front of all the crowds. Now there is a sense of amazement where once there was cynicism. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4 verse 4) Sin looks good but the devil makes it like that. He has blinded your eyes. He shows you the good times now because he cannot show you the future – why – because he wouldn’t want you to see the lost hell prepared for you. This man never started glorifying and praising God until he got his own life right. Only when Jesus healed his body and soul did he rejoice. It was only after having a saving encounter with Jesus. We can have that same encounter and live with the same attitude. How? Ask him to forgive us our sins and we will be able to be changed.
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