Our greatest need is spiritual healing, and Jesus alone has the authority to forgive our sins.

In Mark 2, four friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. When they can't get through the crowd, they make an opening in the roof and lower their friend directly in front of Jesus.
 
Jesus sees their faith.

But instead of immediately addressing the man's physical condition, Jesus says:
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

The physical healing that follows demonstrates something even greater: Jesus has authority to forgive sins because He is the Son of Man.

Next Sunday 
Knowing Jesus — Week3
We'll continue discovering Jesus through the Gospels, building on the topics of Jesus as Teacher and how He sees your faith.

Jesus Sees Your Faith 
Mark 2:1–5 

• The four friends refused to let obstacles stop them from bringing their friend to Jesus. 
• Their faith was demonstrated through action. 
• Jesus sees faith in ways other people cannot. 
• Jesus sees the heart, motives, and genuine faith behind our actions. 

Jesus Sees Our Greatest Need
Mark 2:5 

• Everyone could see the man's physical need. 
• Jesus saw something deeper. 
• His greatest need was forgiveness. 
• We can become so focused on temporary problems that we overlook our eternal condition. 

Jesus Has Authority to Forgive
Mark 2:6–12 

• The scribes correctly understood that only God can forgive sins. 
• They simply failed to recognize that God was standing in front of them. 
• Jesus demonstrated His authority through both forgiveness and healing. 
• His healing confirmed the authority behind His declaration of forgiveness. 

Forgiveness Is Found in Jesus

• Forgiveness isn't earned through good works. 
• It isn't achieved through religious rules. 
• It isn't purchased through giving. 
• It isn't earned through serving. 
• It isn't something we can accomplish ourselves. 
• Jesus alone provides forgiveness. 

Faith Leads Us to Jesus
Hebrews 11:1 
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.” 
We may not know exactly how Jesus will respond to our circumstances, but we can trust Him with them. 

The Greatest Miracle 
The man's physical healing was extraordinary.

But Jesus wanted everyone to understand that forgiveness was the greater miracle.

Our bodies will eventually fail.

Circumstances will change.

But forgiveness through Jesus addresses our eternal need.

Big Idea: Our greatest need is not merely physical—it is spiritual, and Jesus alone has the authority to forgive our sins. 

Key Verse 
"But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” -- Mark 2:10

Rewatch the sermon here beginning at 00:19:37.

This Sunday was the second in our six-week series, Knowing Jesus: Discovering Him in the Gospels.

Pastor Terry began Sunday's message by talking about triage—the process of determining what needs attention first. He connected that idea to our spiritual lives by asking an even more important question:
 
What is our greatest need? 

Mark 2 gives us the answer.

A paralyzed man is carried to Jesus by four determined friends. When the crowd prevents them from reaching Jesus, they refuse to give up. They climb onto the roof, make an opening, and lower their friend down in front of Jesus.
 
Jesus sees their faith.
 
But Jesus' first response isn't, “You're healed.”

Instead, He says:
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

That statement immediately creates controversy among the scribes because they understand something important: only God can forgive sins.
 
Jesus then heals the man's physical condition to demonstrate His authority to forgive sins.
 
The miracle isn't simply about making a paralyzed man walk.
 
It is about showing the world who Jesus is.

Jesus is the Son of Man.
 
Jesus has authority to forgive.
 
Jesus is God.
 
And Jesus provides what no amount of good works, religious rules, money, service, or personal achievement can provide:
forgiveness of sin. 

Pastor Terry emphasized that while we may have many physical, emotional, relational, and circumstantial needs, our greatest need is ultimately spiritual. We all need forgiveness, and Jesus is the only One who can provide it.
 
The sermon leaves us with a simple truth worth remembering:
 
Stop looking for other things to provide what only Jesus can give.     

Reread Mark 2:1–12

Jesus Sees Your Faith
What do you do when you know someone needs help—but you can't seem to get them where they need to go?

Do you give up? Or do you find another way?

In Mark 2, four friends refused to give up.

Their friend was paralyzed, and they believed Jesus could help him. So they carried him to the house where Jesus was teaching.
But there was a problem.

The house was packed. There was no way to get through the crowd. So they went up on the roof.

And then they did something that would certainly get everyone's attention.

They made a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down in front of Jesus.

Can you imagine being inside that house?

You're listening to Jesus teach, and suddenly dirt and debris begin falling from the ceiling. Then a man on a pallet appears.

Everyone is watching. But Jesus wasn't distracted by the interruption.

Jesus saw their faith.

Jesus Sees What Others Cannot
The Bible says that Jesus, “seeing their faith,” spoke to the paralyzed man.

That's an important reminder for us.

People can see some evidence of our faith. They can see what we do. They can hear what we say. They may see us serving, praying, attending church, helping others, or talking about Jesus.

But Jesus sees something deeper.

He sees the heart.

He knows what motivates us. He knows whether our faith is genuine. He knows the doubts we struggle with and the trust we exercise even when we're afraid.

There may be times when you wonder, “Do I have enough faith to get through this?”

Jesus sees your faith. He knows what you cannot always see in yourself.

But Jesus Saw a Greater Need
The friends brought their friend to Jesus because they believed he needed healing. And certainly, he did.

But Jesus saw something they may not have recognized as his greatest need.

Jesus said:
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

That wasn't necessarily what everyone expected. The man's physical condition was obvious. His spiritual condition wasn't.

But Jesus knew the difference.

We often do the same thing. We naturally focus on the things we can see.

We worry about our health. Our finances. Our relationships. Our jobs. Our families. Our circumstances. And those things matter.

But Jesus reminds us that there is a need deeper than all of them.

We need forgiveness.

Only Jesus Can Forgive
The scribes immediately questioned Jesus. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

In one sense, they asked exactly the right question. The problem was that they didn't recognize the answer.

Jesus can forgive sins because Jesus is God.

Jesus then told the man to get up, pick up his pallet, and go home.
The man did exactly that.

He stood. He picked up his pallet. He walked out.

And everyone was amazed and glorified God.

The physical healing demonstrated the spiritual authority Jesus had already claimed.

He wanted them to know that He had authority on earth to forgive sins.

Our Greatest Need Has a Name
We live in a world filled with temporary solutions.

We look for ways to fix our problems. We try harder. We become better people. We follow rules. We serve. We give. We become involved in church.

Those things may be good, but none of them can forgive our sins.

Only Jesus can do that.

Our salvation isn't something we earn. It is God's gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

That's why the gospel is such good news.

We don't have to figure out how to save ourselves. We don't have to become good enough. We don't have to somehow pay our own spiritual debt.

Jesus has already done what we could never do.

He went to the cross.

He died for our sins.

He rose again.

And He offers forgiveness to those who place their faith in Him.

What Is Your Greatest Need?
That's the question Mark 2 places in front of us.

Maybe you have a physical need today. Maybe you're facing something difficult. Maybe you're carrying a burden that nobody else knows about.

Bring it to Jesus.

But don't overlook your greatest need. You need Jesus.

And if you already know Him, remember that you don't have to face life's challenges in your own strength.

Jesus sees your faith.

He sees your heart.

He sees your need.

And He has the authority to forgive.

Bring Someone to Jesus
There's one more beautiful part of this story.

The paralyzed man didn't get to Jesus by himself. Four friends brought him. They carried him. They persisted. They overcame obstacles. They refused to quit. They believed Jesus could help.

Who might God be asking you to bring to Jesus?

Maybe someone in your family. A friend. A coworker. A neighbor. Someone who is hurting. Someone who has wandered away from God. Someone who doesn't yet know Jesus.

You may not be able to solve their problems.

You may not know exactly what to say.

But you can bring them to Jesus.

Pray for them. Encourage them. Invite them. Listen to them. Show them the love of Christ.

And trust Jesus to do what only He can do.

Jesus Sees Your Faith

The four friends didn't know exactly what Jesus would do. They simply believed He was worth getting to.

That's faith.

And Jesus saw it.

So this week, remember:
Jesus sees your faith.

He sees the faith nobody else sees. He hears the prayers nobody else hears. He sees the struggles nobody else knows.

And He sees your greatest need.

When everything else competes for your attention, don't forget the most important question:
Do you know Jesus?

Because when it comes to forgiveness, there is only one answer.

Jesus—and Jesus alone.

This week's message gives us three practical ways to live out our faith.
 
1. Bring your greatest need to Jesus.
We often know exactly what we want Jesus to fix.
But take a step deeper.

✅Ask:
“Jesus, what do You see that I need most?”

Spend time this week confessing your sins and trusting Jesus with the things that concern you.
 
2. Have the faith to bring someone else to Jesus.
The four friends didn't keep their faith to themselves.
They acted on behalf of someone who needed Jesus.

✅Who is one person you can intentionally pray for this week?

Then look for an opportunity to encourage them, invite them to church, share your testimony, or simply let them know you're praying for them.

3. Remember that forgiveness is a gift.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to earn God's favor.
Your good works are a response to God's grace—not a payment for it.
Jesus has already accomplished what you could never accomplish for yourself.

This Week's Challenge

✅Identify one person who needs Jesus.
Pray for that person every day this week.
Then ask God to show you one opportunity to help bring that person one step closer to Him.

Don't just study Jesus' teaching.
Practice it.

Icebreaker 
Have you ever had to work especially hard to get someone the help they needed? What happened?

Read Mark 2:1–12

Discuss
1. What stands out to you most about the actions of the four friends?
2. What does it mean that Jesus “saw their faith”?
3. Why do you think Jesus addressed the man's sins before his physical condition?
4. What does this story teach us about how Jesus sees our needs differently from the way we see them?
5. The scribes asked, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Why is that question so important?
6. How did Jesus demonstrate that He has authority to forgive sins?
7. What are some things people today try to substitute for God's forgiveness?
8. Why can Christians sometimes become more focused on temporary needs than eternal ones?
9. Who has helped bring you closer to Jesus?
10. Who might God be asking you to help bring to Jesus?

Group Challenge
Each person identify one person to pray for this week who needs to know or experience the grace of Jesus.

Parents, use these questions around the dinner table this week.

Read Together: Mark 2: 1-12

Talk About It

1. Why couldn't the four friends get the paralyzed man into the house? 

2. What did they do instead? 

3. What does their willingness to make a hole in the roof tell us about their faith? 

4. What did Jesus see when He looked at the man? 

5. Why were the scribes upset when Jesus said the man's sins were forgiven? 

6. What did Jesus do to demonstrate His authority? 

7. Why is forgiveness of sin an even greater need than physical healing? 

8. Who is someone our family can pray for and help bring closer to Jesus?

Family Challenge
Choose one person who needs Jesus and pray for them together every day this week.

Then look for a practical way your family can show that person the love of Christ.

Family Prayer
“Jesus, thank You for loving us and forgiving us. Help us recognize our need for You. Give us faith like the friends in this story. Help us bring others to You and trust You with their needs. Help our family point people toward Jesus. Amen.”

THIS WEEK'S FAMILY PHRASE
"So that you may know the Son of Man (Jesus) has authority on earth to forgive sin."
Mark 2:10