Encountering Jesus - Breaking Through

Hello Church!

This week as we continue our series Encountering Jesus, Jesus presents quite a difficult question  in Mark 2 to those who are in disbelief: "Which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk?'"

I have been struggling with this question, because Jesus uses this opportunity to heal a paralyzed man to help convince those around that He has authority as the Son of Man to forgive sins here on Earth. The fact that Jesus is able to forgive sins, your sins and my sins, can be unfathomable at times, because there are times where I don't feel as though I could possibly deserve to have my sins forgiven. But that's when I realize, I don't deserve to be forgiven. We continue to turn our backs on God in our sins, but God's grace is overcome any sin and it is His gift of grace that we receive through faith. 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Those who were present with Jesus were able to believe through seeing His works. We don't have that same opportunity in that Jesus is not physically with us any longer. This is why our faith is even more important. And this is also why it is even more important to rely on each other in our faith just as the paralytic had to in order to Encounter Jesus. If it wasn't for his friends, the paralyzed man would have never of been able to have the chance to be healed and his sins forgiven. Our walk with Christ was not meant to be a lonesome journey. It is meant to be done with friends and family, and it is in our collective encounters with Jesus that we are able to see the love of Christ work in our lives today. 

Grace and Peace,

Brian Sherman

Director of Youth Minisitries