In the middle of the crowd
>
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
Mar 2:1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.
Mar 2:2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,
Mar 2:3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
Mar 2:4 They 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.
Mar 2:5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Mar 2:6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,
Mar 2:7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Mar 2:8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?
Mar 2:9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
Mar 2:10 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,
Mar 2:11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
Mar 2:12 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!” —NLT
1.
faith made a way “In the Middle of the Crowd”
The crowd was in the way, but determined faith broke through.
2.
faith made a way “In the Middle of the Crowd”
The crowd pressed against Jesus, but desperate faith actually touched Him.
Mar 5:21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.
Mar 5:22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,
Mar 5:23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
Mar 5:24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him.
Mar 5:25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.
Mar 5:26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
Mar 5:27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.
Mar 5:28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
Mar 5:29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
Mar 5:30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
Mar 5:31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
Mar 5:32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.
Mar 5:33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.
Mar 5:34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” —NLT
The crowd pressed against Jesus, but desperation reached out and touched Him.
3.
made a way “In the Middle of the Crowd.”
The Crowd was a
2Ch 30:10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them.
2Ch 30:11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
2Ch 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.
2Ch 30:13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month.
2Ch 30:14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
2Ch 30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD.
2Ch 30:16 Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites.
2Ch 30:17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD.
2Ch 30:18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone
2Ch 30:19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”
2Ch 30:20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. —NIV