Jesus Heals A Paralytic Sunday School Lesson

Are you preparing a Sunday School Lesson on the story of Jesus healing the paralytic? This is a great story with many good themes and questions for your Sunday School class. I will be using the Bible story from the book of Mark for this lesson. The Scripture is below and I will then outline sample discussion questions.

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus,perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

In the start of Mark chapter 2 we start to see the conflict that Jesus’ ministry was having with the Jewish religious leaders. They were there in the midst of the crowds asking Him questions and watching Him closely.

Sample Questions For Sunday School Lesson on Jesus Healing the Paralyzed Man

Mark 2:1-4: In today’s age we have videos that go viral on YouTube of a baby laughing. These videos get millions of views and the parents are even on the national news. The life of Jesus and what He was doing early in His ministry was going “viral” in their day. So many people wanted to be close to Him that there was no room to get the paralytic to Jesus. The friends of the paralytic found a way to get Him to Jesus through the roof.

1. If you were one of the paralytics friends and saw the crowds after getting him that far, how do you think you would have reacted?

2. Can we get so focused on wanting to grow close to Jesus ourselves that we are like the crowd around him, not sharing Jesus with others?

Mark 2:5-7: Commentary by Matthew Henry

It was this man’s misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases.

3. What quality do the four men possess that impresses you the most?

Faith
Ingenuity
Concern for their friend
Determination
Boldness

4. What characteristic do you value most in a friend?

Loyalty
Good Humor
Compassion
Honesty
Understanding
Strong Faith
Other

5. Mark makes a clear distinction between the faith of the paralytic and his four fiends and the faith of the scribes. Why did these teachers of the Law struggle so hard against what they were seeing and hearing?

Mark 2: 8-12 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Isaiah 43:25 says “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

The Jewish leaders new this Old Testament verse from Isaiah and when they heard Jesus say “your sins are forgiven” they knew exactly who Jesus was saying he was. When Jesus said your sins are forgiven he was saying I am the Son of God. In verse 10, Jesus calls himself the Son of Man. Here in a short few Bible verses, Jesus himself says he is the Son of God and the Son of Man. If you come across someone that wants to talk to you about Jesus being a great prophet but not the Son of God you can take them to Mark 2. Show them in Jesus’ own words that He declared himself the Son of Man and Son of God within a few short verses.

5. Why did Jesus ask what is easier, forgiving sins or healing a paralytic?

Reflection Questions

6. If you had friends who would take you to Jesus for healing today, what kind of healing would you ask for?

Physical
Spiritual
Emotional
Relational

7. What event in your life has brought you closest to God?

When Jesus healed me when I was hurting
When someone I was close to got really sick or died
When I committed my life to Christ
When some friends supported me in a difficult time

The story of Jesus healing the paralytic is a great study for a Sunday School class. The study is thought provoking a brings up a great major theme of the attributes of Jesus in that he was fully human and fully God. I pray that your Sunday School lesson on Jesus healing a paralyzed man goes well for you.

Resources:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

The Serendipity Bible

Nelson Impact, Bible Study Series “ Parables of Jesus” from Mark

www.christnotes.org- Commentary by Matthew Henry

Tagged as: Sunday School Lesson