Four Friends Helped

 Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour Saturday night.
 
Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

 Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project^® for Kids. When was the last time someone cut a hole in the church roof while you were listening to your pastor? In Sunday’s Bible account, Jesus was in Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee. The Pharisees and scribes—teachers of the law—came to listen to Jesus’ teaching. They were curious about His message and wanted to make sure He was teaching things that were true. So many people came that they crowded the house until there was no more room.

That day, four friends came to see Jesus. The four men carried their friend who was paralyzed. The men believed Jesus came from God and that He could heal people. Because the four could not get through the crowd, they carried their friend to the roof and lowered him down to Jesus.



Jesus’ words to the paralyzed man surprised the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Rather than saying, “Get up and walk,” Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” The religious leaders kept quiet, but Jesus knew their thoughts. In their hearts, they accused Jesus of blasphemy, dishonoring God by claiming to do what only God can do.



Jesus asked them, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” Simply saying, “Your sins are forgiven,” seems to be the easier thing, but to actually forgive sins is harder, something only God can do. As God, Jesus has the power and authority to heal and forgive. And Jesus would take the man’s sins upon Himself on the cross. The man who was paralyzed needed to be healed. Jesus knew this and did something even greater; Jesus forgave his sins, and then He healed the man. Because Jesus is God, He has the power and authority to heal and forgive. Jesus offers forgiveness to those who trust in Him.