Sermon Tone Analysis

Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, who lived from year 37 to 95 wrote “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man: for He was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.

He drew over to Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.

He was Christ.

And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at the first did not forsake Him; for He appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him.

And the tribe of Christians so named from Him, are not extinct at this day.”

This is an historical account of Jesus Christ.

A testimony of his life and accomplishments.

A testimony of his impact on the world.

It is a dispassionate testimony, but a testimony nonetheless.

Josephus makes some bold statements without saying too much.

He tells us about the types of things he did.

He tells us he was a teacher.

He also tells us that Jesus taught the truth.

He tells us that he was the Christ the anointed one.

He tells us of his trial, execution and consequently his resurrection.

Josephus, in his historical account, actually testifies about the true nature of Christ.

Today, we are capable of sharing our account of Jesus with so much more boldness, with so much more understanding, with so many more facts.

Let’s look at Jesus with some of the understanding we have.

Let’s expand on what Josephus said about Jesus being a “doer of wonderful works”.

Let’s look at Jesus our miracle working savior.

There are approximately 36 miracles found in the New Testament which Jesus performed.

Jesus made the lame walk, he made the blind see.

He cured disease.

He removed demons from the possessed.

He calmed the seas, he walked on water.

He fed the many with little.

He even raised the dead.

These miracles outline just who Jesus is.

If you remember a couple of years ago we talked about Jesus and his miracles.

We talked about Jesus being the Master of our circumstances in spite of our inabilities to change them.

These miracles are like a silent alarm for us.

We know they are there but we don’t often wake up to what they inform us about.

One such miracle account can be found in Mark 2:1-12 where we read “And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.

And He preached the word to them.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.

So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?

Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

This miracle that Jesus performed demonstrates his authority to forgive sins, his power to heal, and the responsibility that we have to bring others to Jesus! That’s fulfilling the Great Commission!

We start with four burdened men.

We don’t know who they were or what they did for a living.

We don’t know what their names were.

We don’t know if they were a bunch of old guys or bunch of young ones.

We don’t know if they were rich or poor.

We don’t know if they were educated or not.

We don’t even know if they really knew each other.

If they were family or friends, sons carrying their father, or uncles carrying their nephew.

We don’t even know of the duration of their faith in Jesus.

Were they newly converted that day.

Did they hear Jesus speaking that day, run home, and bring the paralytic?

Or had they heard him before, had they surrendered to Jesus months before?

So what do we know about these four men?

We know that they were concerned about a sick friend.

We know that they were willing and physically able to pick this man and his bed up, and carry him to where Jesus was preaching.

We know that they believed that Christ would meet the paralytic’s need.

They knew, nay they believed, they had the faith that if they were to bring this man before Jesus that he would be, not could be, healed.

They were burdened enough to go.

They realized the opportunity to come before Jesus is limited and that they had to seize the opportunity to get that man to Jesus.

We also know that they were willing and persistent enough to move mountains, or in this case, the roof to get this man to Jesus.

Are we burdened like these men?

Do we bring people before Jesus?

Do we see the opportunities when they happen and act on them.

Or do we look the other way.

Have you met someone, and knew immediately that you had something to say to them about Jesus, but you were too ashamed to speak, or you were too worried that you might offend them by saying something wrong?

So you didn’t say anything at all?

How many people do we know who are like the paralytic man?

Having a need so great, that only Jesus could heal it?

There are many people in this world and in our lives who are paralyzed.

It is only when someone brings them before Jesus that their paralysis can be healed.

Would you be a stretcher bearer?

Would you help a brother or a sister bring the paralytic in your life before Jesus?

Otherwise, what will happen if no one wants to pick up that corner of the stretcher.

What will happen if that paralytic can’t get himself before Jesus?

What happens to people when the Christian does not go?

People are left to die in their sins.

I’m not going to try and make you feel guilty for not witnessing.

That’s not why I’m here.

But, one day, we will all have to answer before Jesus why we didn’t witness to this person or that person when we had the chance.

Why didn’t we help bring the paralytics in our lives to Jesus?

We need to remember that we only have a little time left before Jesus’ return.

We need to be found doing what Jesus has commissioned us all to do-witness!

Otherwise, what will Jesus find, when he opens up that book about our works.

Will he find pages and pages of the misdeeds we have done in our willful disobedience of sharing the Gospel truth?

Will he read aloud all the names of the people that we have sent to Hell because we never witnessed to them!?

Because we never brought them before Jesus, or we never helped carry that paralytic?

This is why the hymn “Rescue the Perishing” is so prominent in this series I’ve been preaching about.

Church we need to be out there.

We need to rescue the perishing, care for the dying!

People are dying in their sins!

They will one day stand before Jesus and be permanently cast out of his presence!

They will be cast into that lake of fire!

We must snatch them from sin and the grave.

Our hearts must weep over the erring one.