Reaching Jesus By Force
Mark 2:1-12
Message #6
Our focus today is “Reaching Jesus by Force.” But… there are two lessons in this text. The other lesson is, this is the first time in the Gospel of Mark that we see Jesus go head-to-head with the religious leaders of the day, which of course, he ends up doing throughout the book. And in this text, Jesus electrifies the air and then just strikes the religious leaders with lightning. So, we get to jump into two great parallel events here today.
We begin with our primary focus, “Reaching Jesus by Force.” Can I ask you, to start, how much effort do we really exert in order to reach Jesus in a real, tangible way? In a way that can actually transform our lives? To what lengths are we really willing to go to reach Jesus in a way that he can truly heal us and restore our lives?
And – if not for us personally – then how much effort do we really put in? And to what lengths are we really willing to go to help someone else reach Jesus so that their lives can be healed and restored?
Those are the questions today. Here is God’s Word with the challenge.
Mark 2:1 (NLT)
1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.
Remember, after healing many people at the door of Peter’s house, Jesus went away, alone, to pray. And when the Disciples found him, he said (in Mark 1:38) we must go to other towns and preach to them too, and now after some days, Jesus returned “home” (to Capernaum). But news about Jesus returning traveled fast, and so we read in Mark 2:2(a),
Mark 2:2(a) (NLT)
2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door . . .
Most scholars assume Jesus was back at Peter’s house, where there had already been a miracle commotion last time Jesus was there. And so, this time, all who could fit inside came inside the house. It was standing room only – inside and outside the house. Everyone wanted to see Jesus, to be near him for one reason or another. But the truth is, a relative few actually reached Jesus.
You can go to Israel with us and see the remains of this house, and it’s not that big. But this does provide a great spiritual truth. On that day, the crowds were all around the house. Some even got into the house. But there was a relative few who got close enough to be in his presence and to hear him speak. And that is just as true today spiritually as it was in that day physically.
The crowds were all around, but only a small number managed to get close enough to Jesus to be in his presence and hear him speak. What did it take for that relative few to get close enough to Jesus to hear him speak to them? Hear me, spiritually, please. It took extreme effort; it took sacrifice; it took force in order to get close enough to Jesus to be in his presence and to hear his voice.
Listen, guys, one day a year Best Buy has a big sale and they take $200 off a big screen TV, and people will wait in line in the parking lot for a week to get close to that TV – to be in its presence. But would we consider coming to church fifteen minutes early just to sit and prepare our hearts in order to get close to Jesus and be ready to hear his voice?
When was the last time you used extreme effort to forcibly get close enough to Jesus to hear his voice and be changed by his presence? What do you mean, Dave? What kind of extreme effort would we have to use to forcibly get that close to Jesus? I’m glad you asked. Let’s see God’s illustration from his own Word.
Mark 2:2(b)-3 (NLT)
2 . . . While [Jesus] was preaching God’s word to them,
3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
Allow me to say politely – here’s your sign. There is a sign in these four men of what it looks like to exert extreme effort to forcibly get to Jesus.
Jesus is inside this house speaking the words of God into the lives of the few who had gotten close enough to hear him, and these four men had decided to pick up their paralyzed friend and bring him to Jesus.
And you know the story, these guys show up with their friend. They see that it’s much too crowded and so they take their friend to Best Buy to wait in line for a sale on that new TV.
No. Wrong. That’s not what happens. These four men and the man who was paralyzed were not going to stop until they reached Jesus. Have you been there? Have you been in the place where you say no matter what, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, I am going to get close to Jesus, and nothing is going to distract me, or discourage me, or keep me from him!
Guys, please see in these verses a picture of you and me reaching Jesus by force. This is about us forcibly getting close to Jesus no matter what.
Mark 2:4 (NLT)
4 They (the 4 friends) couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
This is not about the architectural design of homes in the first century. This is a challenge about how easily we give up, get discouraged, get hindered when we set out to get close to Jesus.
But there are two things that are helpful to know about the homes in that time. First, on many homes, there was a stairway on the outside of the home leading to a flat roof which was used often by the family. Second, this flat roof was a combination of timbers and branches covered with reeds or clay tiles and then dirt on top, so you could literally dig through it.
So, you make your commitment to get close to Jesus or a commitment to get a friend close to Jesus, and you try, but the world is keeping you away. The crowd of the world stands between you and Jesus. Seemingly insurmountable circumstances loom in your way and your natural instinct is to say, “Well, I tried.”
Which is exactly what those who are standing outside this house would’ve said. “Hey, you can’t reach Jesus, you might as well stay out here with us.”
But your faith drives you. You’re determined to find a way. You commit to reach Jesus, whatever it takes, and because of that commitment, you see a way and you get to where you need to be. And then you go to work. For these guys in Mark Chapter 2, that meant digging through a roof.
What does it mean for you? What circumstances and obstacles do you have to get through? What level of determination do you need? How resourceful to you have to be? Will you reach Jesus by force, or will the circumstances of this world keep you from him?
These men were unstoppable in their faith, displayed by their actions, and so those inside heard the commotion on the roof and dirt and debris started falling on them. And the Pharisees are getting indignant that dirt might fall on their “righteous clothing.” And then looking up, everyone begins to see sky and then more sky. And then the view of the sky is blocked by a stretcher of some kind – a cot on ropes. And four men lower this stretcher down, and suddenly this man was lying in front of Jesus.
And while everyone else was concerned about who’s going to pay for this roof and who’s going to clean up this mess, Jesus was focused on just one thing. It’s in Mark 2:5.
Mark 2:5 (NLT)
5 Seeing their faith (the only thing Jesus was focused on), Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now, remember, I said there are two great lessons here? Well, verse 5 sets the second lesson in motion. Why – after all this incredible display of faith of reaching Jesus at any cost – why would Jesus say, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”? Is it because this great effort earned this man his salvation? Of course not!
Jesus was using this radical faith event to set up the religious leaders who were there “investigating.” This is something Jesus does a lot, and it’s something that eventually gets him… “to the cross.”
So, in verse 5, Jesus says to this man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” And then we read in Mark 2:6,
Mark 2:6 (NLT)
6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,
Notice first, that in a “standing only” room, these pompous religious teachers are sitting. The worst of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day thought they deserved special treatment and the worst of the religious leaders today think they deserve special treatment.
But the real point here is the prod that Jesus sticks them with. In verse 5, Jesus told this man his sins were forgiven. Then verse 6 says the Pharisees were thinking to themselves, and what they were thinking is in Mark 2:7.
Mark 2:7 –(NLT)
7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” (to which Jesus thinks to himself – EXACTLY)
Mark 2:8-9 (NLT)
8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? (Jesus knowing)
9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
Wait a minute – which IS easier to say? Maybe you would say it’s, “Your sins are forgiven” because you don’t have to prove that. But in that time, physical handicaps were often thought to be the result of some sin. So, if Jesus first forgives this man of his sin and then heals him physically, the physical healing would mean that Jesus actually had the authority to forgive sin. And that is a perfect set up to prove to the religious leaders just who Jesus Christ is.
So, the Pharisees say, “Hey, only God can forgive sins!” (verse 7). And then we read in Mark 2:10-11,
Mark 2:10-11 (NLT)
10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,
11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
Finally, the words this man and his four faithful friends were waiting to hear. They had the faith to reach Jesus by force. They would not let any circumstance or situation prevent them from getting into the presence of Jesus, and now they hear the words they fought so hard to hear.
And R. Kent Hughes says here – St. Elmo’s Fire must’ve been in the air at this moment. St. Elmo’s Fire is when the air around something become so electrified you can see it. And this room was spiritually charged – it was electrified. And then the electrified atmosphere became lightening.
Mark 2:12 (NLT)
12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
And baam! The thunder rolls in and out, and the lessons are over, at least for now. The Pharisees saw that Jesus was the Messiah. He had to be God in Expression on earth – because only God can forgive sin and heal so miraculously. But they would choose not to believe it! They could have chosen to believe, but their religious pride kept them from it.
And for the paralytic and his four friends, I pray that we would learn what they learned; that at times, we must reach Jesus by force. We must knock down every obstacle. We must ignore every circumstance. We must use every means possible to reach Jesus – no matter what!
So, the last question. What does it look like when we do reach Jesus? The long answer is, get the Alone With God series (six messages on wordbymail.com).
The short answer is this. It is when our relationship with Jesus has grown to the point that we can sit down with his Word and maybe some worship music and we can meditate on his Word, and maybe in worship, and we end up communing with him in a prayer conversation.
We have got to learn to truly reach Jesus to sense his presence, to hear his voice, and be transformed by it. And often, we must reach Jesus by force to get to this place.
We begin with our primary focus, “Reaching Jesus by Force.” Can I ask you, to start, how much effort do we really exert in order to reach Jesus in a real, tangible way? In a way that can actually transform our lives? To what lengths are we really willing to go to reach Jesus in a way that he can truly heal us and restore our lives?
And – if not for us personally – then how much effort do we really put in? And to what lengths are we really willing to go to help someone else reach Jesus so that their lives can be healed and restored?
Those are the questions today. Here is God’s Word with the challenge.
Mark 2:1 (NLT)
1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.
Remember, after healing many people at the door of Peter’s house, Jesus went away, alone, to pray. And when the Disciples found him, he said (in Mark 1:38) we must go to other towns and preach to them too, and now after some days, Jesus returned “home” (to Capernaum). But news about Jesus returning traveled fast, and so we read in Mark 2:2(a),
Mark 2:2(a) (NLT)
2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door . . .
Most scholars assume Jesus was back at Peter’s house, where there had already been a miracle commotion last time Jesus was there. And so, this time, all who could fit inside came inside the house. It was standing room only – inside and outside the house. Everyone wanted to see Jesus, to be near him for one reason or another. But the truth is, a relative few actually reached Jesus.
You can go to Israel with us and see the remains of this house, and it’s not that big. But this does provide a great spiritual truth. On that day, the crowds were all around the house. Some even got into the house. But there was a relative few who got close enough to be in his presence and to hear him speak. And that is just as true today spiritually as it was in that day physically.
The crowds were all around, but only a small number managed to get close enough to Jesus to be in his presence and hear him speak. What did it take for that relative few to get close enough to Jesus to hear him speak to them? Hear me, spiritually, please. It took extreme effort; it took sacrifice; it took force in order to get close enough to Jesus to be in his presence and to hear his voice.
Listen, guys, one day a year Best Buy has a big sale and they take $200 off a big screen TV, and people will wait in line in the parking lot for a week to get close to that TV – to be in its presence. But would we consider coming to church fifteen minutes early just to sit and prepare our hearts in order to get close to Jesus and be ready to hear his voice?
When was the last time you used extreme effort to forcibly get close enough to Jesus to hear his voice and be changed by his presence? What do you mean, Dave? What kind of extreme effort would we have to use to forcibly get that close to Jesus? I’m glad you asked. Let’s see God’s illustration from his own Word.
Mark 2:2(b)-3 (NLT)
2 . . . While [Jesus] was preaching God’s word to them,
3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
Allow me to say politely – here’s your sign. There is a sign in these four men of what it looks like to exert extreme effort to forcibly get to Jesus.
Jesus is inside this house speaking the words of God into the lives of the few who had gotten close enough to hear him, and these four men had decided to pick up their paralyzed friend and bring him to Jesus.
And you know the story, these guys show up with their friend. They see that it’s much too crowded and so they take their friend to Best Buy to wait in line for a sale on that new TV.
No. Wrong. That’s not what happens. These four men and the man who was paralyzed were not going to stop until they reached Jesus. Have you been there? Have you been in the place where you say no matter what, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, I am going to get close to Jesus, and nothing is going to distract me, or discourage me, or keep me from him!
Guys, please see in these verses a picture of you and me reaching Jesus by force. This is about us forcibly getting close to Jesus no matter what.
Mark 2:4 (NLT)
4 They (the 4 friends) couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
This is not about the architectural design of homes in the first century. This is a challenge about how easily we give up, get discouraged, get hindered when we set out to get close to Jesus.
But there are two things that are helpful to know about the homes in that time. First, on many homes, there was a stairway on the outside of the home leading to a flat roof which was used often by the family. Second, this flat roof was a combination of timbers and branches covered with reeds or clay tiles and then dirt on top, so you could literally dig through it.
So, you make your commitment to get close to Jesus or a commitment to get a friend close to Jesus, and you try, but the world is keeping you away. The crowd of the world stands between you and Jesus. Seemingly insurmountable circumstances loom in your way and your natural instinct is to say, “Well, I tried.”
Which is exactly what those who are standing outside this house would’ve said. “Hey, you can’t reach Jesus, you might as well stay out here with us.”
But your faith drives you. You’re determined to find a way. You commit to reach Jesus, whatever it takes, and because of that commitment, you see a way and you get to where you need to be. And then you go to work. For these guys in Mark Chapter 2, that meant digging through a roof.
What does it mean for you? What circumstances and obstacles do you have to get through? What level of determination do you need? How resourceful to you have to be? Will you reach Jesus by force, or will the circumstances of this world keep you from him?
These men were unstoppable in their faith, displayed by their actions, and so those inside heard the commotion on the roof and dirt and debris started falling on them. And the Pharisees are getting indignant that dirt might fall on their “righteous clothing.” And then looking up, everyone begins to see sky and then more sky. And then the view of the sky is blocked by a stretcher of some kind – a cot on ropes. And four men lower this stretcher down, and suddenly this man was lying in front of Jesus.
And while everyone else was concerned about who’s going to pay for this roof and who’s going to clean up this mess, Jesus was focused on just one thing. It’s in Mark 2:5.
Mark 2:5 (NLT)
5 Seeing their faith (the only thing Jesus was focused on), Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now, remember, I said there are two great lessons here? Well, verse 5 sets the second lesson in motion. Why – after all this incredible display of faith of reaching Jesus at any cost – why would Jesus say, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”? Is it because this great effort earned this man his salvation? Of course not!
Jesus was using this radical faith event to set up the religious leaders who were there “investigating.” This is something Jesus does a lot, and it’s something that eventually gets him… “to the cross.”
So, in verse 5, Jesus says to this man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” And then we read in Mark 2:6,
Mark 2:6 (NLT)
6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,
Notice first, that in a “standing only” room, these pompous religious teachers are sitting. The worst of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day thought they deserved special treatment and the worst of the religious leaders today think they deserve special treatment.
But the real point here is the prod that Jesus sticks them with. In verse 5, Jesus told this man his sins were forgiven. Then verse 6 says the Pharisees were thinking to themselves, and what they were thinking is in Mark 2:7.
Mark 2:7 –(NLT)
7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” (to which Jesus thinks to himself – EXACTLY)
Mark 2:8-9 (NLT)
8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? (Jesus knowing)
9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
Wait a minute – which IS easier to say? Maybe you would say it’s, “Your sins are forgiven” because you don’t have to prove that. But in that time, physical handicaps were often thought to be the result of some sin. So, if Jesus first forgives this man of his sin and then heals him physically, the physical healing would mean that Jesus actually had the authority to forgive sin. And that is a perfect set up to prove to the religious leaders just who Jesus Christ is.
So, the Pharisees say, “Hey, only God can forgive sins!” (verse 7). And then we read in Mark 2:10-11,
Mark 2:10-11 (NLT)
10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,
11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
Finally, the words this man and his four faithful friends were waiting to hear. They had the faith to reach Jesus by force. They would not let any circumstance or situation prevent them from getting into the presence of Jesus, and now they hear the words they fought so hard to hear.
And R. Kent Hughes says here – St. Elmo’s Fire must’ve been in the air at this moment. St. Elmo’s Fire is when the air around something become so electrified you can see it. And this room was spiritually charged – it was electrified. And then the electrified atmosphere became lightening.
Mark 2:12 (NLT)
12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
And baam! The thunder rolls in and out, and the lessons are over, at least for now. The Pharisees saw that Jesus was the Messiah. He had to be God in Expression on earth – because only God can forgive sin and heal so miraculously. But they would choose not to believe it! They could have chosen to believe, but their religious pride kept them from it.
And for the paralytic and his four friends, I pray that we would learn what they learned; that at times, we must reach Jesus by force. We must knock down every obstacle. We must ignore every circumstance. We must use every means possible to reach Jesus – no matter what!
So, the last question. What does it look like when we do reach Jesus? The long answer is, get the Alone With God series (six messages on wordbymail.com).
The short answer is this. It is when our relationship with Jesus has grown to the point that we can sit down with his Word and maybe some worship music and we can meditate on his Word, and maybe in worship, and we end up communing with him in a prayer conversation.
We have got to learn to truly reach Jesus to sense his presence, to hear his voice, and be transformed by it. And often, we must reach Jesus by force to get to this place.