Encountering the Jesus Who Forgives Sins - Luke 5 ... AWS
Encountering the Jesus Who Forgives Sins - Luke 5:16-26 A few weeks ago I asked “How can you really know what you truly believe about God?” The answer: Analyze your prayer life! What do you pray for? How do you pray for it? What picture does your prayers paint of who you believe God to be & what you believe He can do? The actions that follow, also reveals much about what you truly believe about God! Do you actually live in response to your faith-filled prayers? Jesus prayed! Vs. 16 shows us that, & though we don’t know what He specifically prayed for, we do see the belief & actions that came from it! Vs 17 - “On one of those (prayer filled) days”, as Jesus was teaching and healing – Jesus’ view of God & God’s purpose for Him were revealed. Jesus had quite the audience around Him at this point. The Pharisees & the teachers of the law from every village of Galilee, Judea & Jerusalem were there. The pressure was on, & with every word & action came scrutiny. Under this spotlight, Jesus reveals God’s power, not only to heal but also to forgive sins. This was not a new revelation about God, but… Jesus was now claiming that power for Himself when He said to this paralyzed man - “Man, your sins are forgiven you!” – Vs. 20 To claim this power was considered blasphemy, b/c only God has the power to forgive sins. These claims would ultimately be what led to Jesus’ death. But today I want to look at why Jesus, when this paralyzed man was brought before Him, would grant him forgiveness of sins instead of physical healing? Yes Jesus is making a claim to His deity, but why here and why now? Did Jesus misunderstand why this man was being brought before him? Was He initially unwilling to heal him, was it not the proper time? What was it? Vs. 17 tells us that “the power of the Lord was with Him to heal.” It wasn’t any of the above reasons, it was simply because Jesus desired for this man to receive something more, God’s greatest healing – salvation!
What Jesus believes/knows about God/Himself, is that though He has the ability to heal, He also has the ability forgive sins, and people need to experience the latter far more than just receiving the former. Healing from paralysis has benefits for this life, healing from sin has benefits for all of eternity! Forgiveness of sin far outweighs physical healing! God did not send Jesus into the world to heal every physical disease of man, but He did send Jesus into the world to extend God’s forgiveness to all. Do you believe this about God? Does it take precedence in your life? Do you pray specifically for people who need God’s forgiveness, like you pray for people that need physical healing? Do you bring people before Jesus to receive forgiveness like you would someone with an illness? Let me ask you, “What do you think people really desire most from God, the benefits of what they can get from Him here & now or what they have already been freely offered in the forgiveness of their sins in Christ?” Coming out of a time of prayer, Jesus makes God’s forgiveness of sin the main thing, to the point of granting it even when something else was desired more.
Maybe it’s time to change the way we pray! Let’s begin to pray that Jesus encounters more people with His forgiveness then He does with His healing. Maybe it’s time we take action like the friends of this paralyzed man. People need to be brought before Jesus to encounter Him. And maybe, Jesus will do for them far more than what any of us could ever imagine. Yes, people still need healing, but they need God’s forgiveness more!
Who can you pray for specifically today, that they would receive God’s forgiveness and experience His greatest healing? Who can you bring to church with you next week and provide them with a Jesus encounter? You might be amazed by what happens!
Extraordinary things happen when people encounter the forgiving Jesus! That paralyzed man experienced far more that day than just standing up and walking home, he experienced a new birth and he was forever changed. Have you encountered the forgiving Jesus? Pray & live as if you have, & bring others to encounter Him with you.
What Jesus believes/knows about God/Himself, is that though He has the ability to heal, He also has the ability forgive sins, and people need to experience the latter far more than just receiving the former. Healing from paralysis has benefits for this life, healing from sin has benefits for all of eternity! Forgiveness of sin far outweighs physical healing! God did not send Jesus into the world to heal every physical disease of man, but He did send Jesus into the world to extend God’s forgiveness to all. Do you believe this about God? Does it take precedence in your life? Do you pray specifically for people who need God’s forgiveness, like you pray for people that need physical healing? Do you bring people before Jesus to receive forgiveness like you would someone with an illness? Let me ask you, “What do you think people really desire most from God, the benefits of what they can get from Him here & now or what they have already been freely offered in the forgiveness of their sins in Christ?” Coming out of a time of prayer, Jesus makes God’s forgiveness of sin the main thing, to the point of granting it even when something else was desired more.
Maybe it’s time to change the way we pray! Let’s begin to pray that Jesus encounters more people with His forgiveness then He does with His healing. Maybe it’s time we take action like the friends of this paralyzed man. People need to be brought before Jesus to encounter Him. And maybe, Jesus will do for them far more than what any of us could ever imagine. Yes, people still need healing, but they need God’s forgiveness more!
Who can you pray for specifically today, that they would receive God’s forgiveness and experience His greatest healing? Who can you bring to church with you next week and provide them with a Jesus encounter? You might be amazed by what happens!
Extraordinary things happen when people encounter the forgiving Jesus! That paralyzed man experienced far more that day than just standing up and walking home, he experienced a new birth and he was forever changed. Have you encountered the forgiving Jesus? Pray & live as if you have, & bring others to encounter Him with you.
