The child will be able to identify Jesus’ power to both heal and forgive sins.
Bible Story Reference: Luke 5:17-26
Memory Verse:
Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV)
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins.
Introduction
In the last lesson, we learned about what it means to be born again. ( It means to become a child of God. It means having a relationship with God by trusting in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. It means trusting in God, not in our own abilities.)
Today, we will learn about Jesus’ power and how he both healed and forgave a man who could not walk.
Bible Story
One day, Jesus was teaching in a crowded house. Many people were there, including some Pharisees and other religious leaders.
There was also a man there who was paralyzed. This meant he could not walk or move his legs.
But several people carried the man on a mat. They tried to take him inside. The friends wanted to get him in front of Jesus. But it was just too crowded.
So, they went up on the roof instead. They removed some of the tiles and then gently lowered the man down into the middle of the room.
Jesus saw what the people had done to help the paralyzed man. He saw how much faith they all had.
“Friend,” Jesus said. “Your sins are forgiven!”
But the Pharisees and the religious leaders started to argue.
“Who does this man think he is?” they said. “Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew what they were thinking.
“Why are you thinking that?” Jesus asked. “Is it easier for me to tell this man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? Now you will see that I have the power to forgive sins.”
Then, Jesus told the paralyzed man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk home.
At once, the man stood up, picked up his mat, and walked home.
Everyone was amazed! They all praised God.
Even when other people did not know who Jesus was, the evil spirits inside the man did. They knew Jesus was the Son of God. They also knew that Jesus is more powerful than Satan or any evil spirit. Jesus showed this. The evil spirits inside the man had to obey him.
The one true God is all-powerful. There is nothing more powerful than God. When Jesus showed his power and authority over the evil spirits, Jesus showed that he was the one true God and deserving of all our worship.
God is supreme over every evil power and disease. There is nothing more powerful than God.
Only the power of Jesus can heal people and forgive sins. No one else can do this. God has given Jesus authority.
Prayer
Dear God,
What an honour it is to be able to pray in your name! Help me to remember this and to do it often. Amen.
Crafts
Jesus Heals A Paralytic Mat
What You Need
Steps