Jesus as Healer - Bible Session 7-8-13

Jesus as Healer

* Adapted from Creative Bible Lessons on the Life of Christ

By Brett Spore 7-8-13

 

Participation/Observation:

Goal: Show how difficult a simple task can be with a disability. Help them see they should be thankful for what they can do.

1.     Students hold their dominant hand behind their backs.

2.     Students try to fold a piece of paper and stuff it into an envelope using their other, non-dominant hand.

3.     Teacher point out how difficult this one task is using only your one hand.

 

Message:

Many of us can’t relate to struggling over a simple task like folding a letter, making a sandwich or tying our shoes.  We tend to take a lot for granted.  Today we’re going to read a story about a disabled man and his encounter with Jesus.

 

Read Mark 2:1-12

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

 

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk life that?  He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

 

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?  Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on to forgive sins…”  He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get, take your mat and go home.”  He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.  This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

 

Looking Deeper: (12+)

Looking at Vs. 5 and tell me what started the man’s healing? What was the first thing Jesus did for him that started the process?

The man’s healing started with forgiveness.  Think about what you need to ask Jesus forgiveness for in your life.

 

Looking at vs. 2-4 what roadblocks stood in the way of this man seeking Jesus?

-paralytic, crowds

This man’s disability didn’t keep him from seeking Jesus.  Nothing in your life should keep you from seeking Jesus either.

 

Looking at vs. 3 tell me who helped this man in getting healed? 

This man had great friends who played a role in his healing.  Think about whom you are surrounding yourself with and whether or not they would do something like this for you? 

Would you do something like this for them?