April 7
Lesson 6 (KJV)
Faith of the Persistent
Devotional Reading: John 4:4–18
Background Scripture: Luke 5:17–26
Luke 5:17–26
17 And it came to pass on a particular day, as he was teaching that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in and lay him before him.
19 And when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
23 Whether it is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven, or to say, Rise up and walk?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose before them, took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 They were all amazed, glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.
Key Text
Behold, men brought in a bed a man who was taken with a palsy, and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.—Luke 5:18–19
Examining Our Faith
Unit II: The Measure of Faith
Lessons 6–9
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify the correct and incorrect conclusions of the scribes and Pharisees.
2. Explain the connection between the plural “their” and the singular “they” in verse 20.
3. Brainstorm modern helping situations analogous to that of the text.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
A. Imposter Friends
B. Lesson Context
I. Faith That Seeks (Luke 5:17–20a)
A. Teaching a Gathering (v. 17)
B. Finding a Way (vv. 18–19)
A Lesson in Persistence
C. Seeing Their Faith (v. 20a)
II. Faith That Finds (Luke 5:20b–26)
A. Man Is Forgiven (v. 20b)
B. Jesus Is Disparaged (vv. 21–22)
Part of the Solution or the Problem?
C. Man Is Healed (vv. 23–25)
D. Crowd Is Amazed (v. 26)
Conclusion
A. Authentic Friends
B. Prayer
C. Thought to Remember
How to Say It
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Capernaum |
Kuh-per-nay-um. |
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Galilee |
Gal-uh-lee. |
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Messianic |
Mess-ee-an-ick. |
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Nazareth |
Naz-uh-reth. |
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Pharisees |
Fair-ih-seez. |
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Synoptic |
Sih-nawp-tihk. |
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What Do You Think? How will you demonstrate the second greatest commandment (see Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31) toward a needy friend in the upcoming week? Digging Deeper Who might you recruit to help you in this regard? |
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What Do You Think? How can perceived physical or spiritual obstacles become an opportunity to demonstrate your faith and trust? Digging Deeper How is your faith strengthened by the examples from Scripture of people who faced and overcame obstacles to faith (example: Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:23–33)? |
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What Do You Think? In what ways do a believer’s actions reveal his or her faith in God? Digging Deeper How do Hebrews 11:1–12:3 and James 2:14–26 explain the connection between faith and action? |
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What Do You Think? How can you prepare yourself for others’ questions regarding the identity and authority of Jesus? Digging Deeper What steps do you need to take to be successful in this regard? |
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What Do You Think? How can you prepare yourself for others’ questions regarding the identity and authority of Jesus? Digging Deeper What steps do you need to take to be successful in this regard? |
Conclusion
A. Authentic Friends
Social media has changed the world’s concept of friendship. Only time will tell whether a new word is needed to distinguish between a virtual social-media friend and an authentic real-life friend. In the meantime, I will continue to post online as we prepare for our next move and patiently wait for my 300 so-called friends to show up.
The friends in today’s lesson remind us of the nature of authentic friendship. We are unsure how long they had been carrying their friend on this bed. We know that when Jesus came into the city, they believed He could help their friend. However, they did not stop at simply believing. They put their faith into action and brought their friend to Jesus, overcoming every obstacle.
It took a lot of work to get their friend onto the roof, tear it apart, and lower him into the room. Undoubtedly, they could have spent their time on other matters that day. How can you dedicate your time and resources to assisting a friend in need?
B. Prayer
Father, we are grateful for the friends who have helped us on our faith journey. We pray that You will help us be the friend who carries the bed of another when needed, regardless of the obstacles in our path. We thank You for your friends and the strength to be a friend in Jesus’ name. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
God enables us daily to be faithful friends!
Involvement Learning
Enhance your lesson with KJV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the KJV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition).
Noah Goodwin with Miller Jon, “Faith of the Persistent,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2023–2024, ed. Jane Ann Kenney, Ronald L. Nickelson, and Taylor Z. Stamps, vol. 71, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2024), 279–280.
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