Unbreaking The Broken
[Chosen Season 1 Episode 6]
Today: Jesus came to meet our greatest need.
Miracles are great, they’re not the main point.
Jesus Cleanses Leper
12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Lepers- outcasts –
If you will? — Jesus willed!
Still told man to follow the OT law for cleansing.
Great crowds gathered. — miracles draw people, but miracles aren’t the main point of Jesus’ mission. He did not come JUST to heal and perform miracles. He came to undo darkness of which infirmities are a part.
They gathered to be healed. He would withdraw to pray.
Next story shows that is more than just a physical healer.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Jesus saw “their faith” – the faith of the friends. Pick friends like this. Friends with faith. Friends with hope. Friends who wake up and think, today could be the day.
Your sins are forgiven. – a powerful statement. Forgiveness of sin is a declaration that says, “those religious things you do every year to connect with God, I’ve taken care of it. Come to me.”
It means that evil has been washed from you. It means that the effects of evil can not win in your true life, your whole life. No one can do this but God. [hence Religious anger]
Side Note: Son of God was the OT figure who would judge all. Jesus came the 1st time to judge sin and death. The return of Christ will be the final judgement. [See Daniel]
Cancer, can take your short life, but not your whole life. Depression can affect this short life, but not your whole life. Divorce, disease, impending death — even the little annoyances: eczema, blurry vision, hearing loss, sore back, bad knees — they only exist here in this brief journey where sin is still permitted because God is patiently calling the lost children back to himself. Then forgiveness.
Sin makes us guilty in the personal sense and makes life painful in the general sense. Forgiveness of sin was (and is) something only God can offer.
Which is easier? Can you do this!? Watch this!!
Just so you know Jesus has authority to remove sin, watch this.
Why don’t we see these miracles today? [Highlight reel] [Lack of faith?]
He rose and went home.
Additional Scripture:
Jeremiah 30:17
For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Matthew 10:1
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
Luke 10:9
Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Psalm 103:2-3
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Acts 4:30
While you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
