Lesson 1 - Teacher's Guide
- Healing is part of Christ’s Atonement. If He suffered and took stripes on His back for our physical healing, then it’s not insignificant. If He thought enough of healing to purchase it for us, then we ought to think enough of it to receive. God the Father caused His Son to bear all of our sins and all of our sicknesses on the cross. Jesus took our diseases just as much as He took our sins.
- The Lord used healing like a bell to get people’s attention and to prove that He did have power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-9). Jesus was saying that it’s easier to say “Your sins are forgiven” than “Rise up and walk” because they would immediately be able to tell if He had the power or not by whether this man rose up and walked. If you can do the greater work, then certainly you can do the lesser. If you can jump fifteen feet, then certainly you can jump two feet. Jesus made it very clear that the reason He healed this man was so people would know that also had power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10-12).
- Jesus also said that the miracles He did authenticated who He was and confirmed what He said (John 5:36). If Jesus needed the witness of the miracles He performed to validate His authority, then how can we possibly do less? It is the height of arrogance to think that we can use words alone to persuade people, when Jesus had to have signs and miracles to confirm His words.
- Some folks say, “We don’t need miracles today; we have the Word of God.” Yet that’s not what the Bible teaches (Mark 16:17-20). What people say must always be checked against God’s Word. In God’s system, when His Word is truly preached, there will be signs and wonders to confirm that it is the truth.
- If all we preach are things having spiritual, eternal value and the forgiveness of sins, then all we’ll see is people being born again. But if we preach and teach the whole counsel of God, He will confirm it with signs, wonders, and miracles. If both Jesus and the early believers needed miracles, signs, and wonders to confirm the message from God that they preached, then we do too!.
Footnotes
| 1. | A. | If Christ suffered and took stripes on His back for our physical healing, then it’s not what? (Insignificant) |
| B. | Jesus took our _____ just as much as He took our sins. (Diseases) | |
| 2. | A. | Read Mark 2:5-9. Jesus used healing like a bell to prove what? (That He had power on earth to forgive sins) |
| B. | Why did Jesus say that it’s easier to say “Your sins are forgiven” than “Rise up and walk”? (Because they would immediately be able to tell if He had the power or not by whether this man rose up and walked) | |
| C. | Read Mark 2:10-12. What did Jesus make very clear? (That the reason He healed this man was so people would know that He also had power on earth to forgive sins. | |
| 3. | A. | Read John 5:36. What authenticated who Jesus was and confirmed what He said? (The miracles He did) |
| B. | Jesus had to have signs and miracles confirm His words, should we use words alone to persuade? (No) | |
| 4. | A. | Read Mark 16:17-20. Does the Bible teach that miracles are not needed today? (No) |
| B. | When God’s Word is preached, there will be _____ and _____ to confirm that it is the truth. (Signs, wonders) | |
| 5. | A. | If all we preach are things having spiritual, eternal value and the forgiveness of sins, then all we’ll see is what? (People being born again) |
| B. | If we preach and teach the whole counsel of God, He will confirm it with what? (Signs, wonders, and miracles) | |
| C. | If both Jesus and the early believers needed miracles, signs, and wonders to confirm the message from God that they preached, then what? (We do too!) |
