With Jesus, There Is Always a Second Chance for You

Introduction

Elder Jean Michel Musungayi opens this service on November 30, 2025 with a simple conviction: with Jesus, there is always a way back. The base text is Mark 2:1-12, the well known story of the paralyzed man lowered through the roof in Capernaum. A story of second chances. A story for you if you feel that the blessing passed you by, that the year is ending and nothing has happened, that you stayed lying down while others got up. This morning's message is that Jesus comes back. The first wave may pass without reaching you, but if you stay attached to him, there will always be a return.

Outline of the Message

1. The context: Jesus returns to Capernaum

• Mark 2:1 begins with "A few days later, Jesus again came to Capernaum." The wording at the start matters: it signals that the story has a sequel, that Jesus had already come, that he had already performed miracles in this city.
• Capernaum is the city where Jesus performed most of his miracles. It is also the city he will later rebuke: "Woe to you, Capernaum! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed elsewhere, the people there would have repented long ago."
• God does not perform miracles for a show, nor to promote the church on social media. He performs them so that people are transformed, repent, and give their lives to Christ.
• When you hear a testimony in church, the first question to ask yourself is not "how did they get that," but "have I truly given my life to Christ? Am I converted? If Jesus returns today, am I ready?"

2. The paralyzed man: you may be the one who missed the first wave

• The text does not give this man's name. We only know that he is paralyzed and lives in Capernaum. A "plain" man, with no distinguishing feature, no detail, like plain yogurt. That might be you this morning.
• When Jesus had first come to Capernaum, several sick people had been healed. Not this man. He stayed lying down. The first wave passed without him.
• This year began, it is now coming to an end, and you may have received nothing. Others got up around you, others saw their situation change, and you are still there with the same paralysis, the same burden.
• The message is this: with Jesus, there is always a return. The first wave may pass, but when you are holding on to Jesus, there will always be a return. "Jesus came back."

3. The four men: surround yourself with people who carry your burden

• The paralyzed man did not come alone. He was carried by four men. This man had true friends.
• These four men carried a burden that was not their own. They took hold of the mat, each at a corner. They first chose to be united before carrying, because carrying as four requires unity.
• Look at your friendships. Do your friends carry your burden, or do they need to hear about your troubles only to mock you or tear you down? Are you well surrounded?
• If you have been lying down for a long time, ask yourself whether you are surrounded by the right people. The paralyzed man knew how to surround himself with four men who carried his burden. Without them, he would never have seen Jesus.

4. Tearing off the roof: do not settle for staying down below

• When they arrive at the house, there is a crowd. It is impossible to reach Jesus through the door. So these men make a decision: they climb onto the roof. They tear off the covering. They lower the paralyzed man through the opening.
• To climb onto a roof, you have to leave the low position behind. This year, do not stay at a lower level in your prayer life, your spiritual life, your walk with the Lord. Climb higher.
• If you used to pray for an hour, do not settle for that: go to two. Go further still. What we do is never quite enough. "We are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• The faith of these people cost something. Tearing off a roof is not free. Faith will always cost you an effort, a sacrifice, one more step.

5. Jesus sees their faith and forgives sins first

• "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven'" (Mark 2:5). Jesus sees first the faith of those carrying him, not only that of the paralyzed man.
• There is no moment when Jesus has forgotten you. He already knew the faith of these people before he even saw them on the roof. He is the all knowing one.
• The first miracle he performs is not the healing of the body. It is the forgiveness of sins. Because this man's true need, like yours, is not only to walk. It is to be right with God.
• The scribes are outraged: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus answers them by healing the paralyzed man, not to prove his power, but to show that the Son of Man has authority to forgive (Mark 2:10-11).

6. "Return and humble yourself": the Lord's personal word

• In the middle of the message, the preacher delivers a word received for the congregation: "Return and humble yourself." This is not a rebuke. It is a call to come back.
• At Gethsemane, Jesus himself said, "Father, not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). An angel came to strengthen him (Luke 22:43). You too need an unseen hand to come strengthen you so you can obey this call to return.
• We do not humble ourselves before men. We do not humble ourselves before a woman. We humble ourselves before God. And the one who sees your humility will lift you up (James 4:10).
• Facing the Red Sea, Moses tells the people, "See the deliverance the LORD will bring you today" (Exodus 14:13). Do not look at the problem, do not look at the Egyptians closing in. Look at the deliverance. Focus on the solution God has in store for you.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus comes back. If the first wave passed without you, do not give up. With him, there is always a return.
• Who surrounds you matters. The paralyzed man was not healed alone. He was carried. Choose friends who carry your burden, not ones who add to it.
• Faith costs an effort. It took climbing, tearing off, lowering down. Do not settle for where you are in your spiritual life. Climb higher.
• Sin comes before paralysis. Jesus forgives before he heals. That is the true miracle. Be right with God first.
• Humble yourself. Before God, not before people. He is the one who lifts up.

Personal Application

• What is my "paralysis" today? What has kept me lying down for too long?
• Did this year's first wave pass without me? Am I ready to believe that a return from Jesus is possible for my situation?
• Who are my "four men"? Do I have brothers and sisters around me who carry my burden in prayer, or do I need to surround myself differently?
• Am I ready to make a concrete effort this week (step up in my prayer life, my meditation, my obedience) to draw near to Jesus?
• Does the word "Return and humble yourself" speak to me this morning? On what specific point do I need to humble myself before God again?

Verses Cited

• Mark 2:1-12 · the healing of the paralyzed man of Capernaum
• Matthew 11:23 · woe to Capernaum
• Exodus 14:13 · "See the deliverance"
• Luke 22:42-43 · Jesus at Gethsemane, strengthened by an angel
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 · transformed from glory to glory
• James 4:10 · "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up"
• Mark 8:36 · "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"
• Psalm 122:1 · "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD'"
• Matthew 7:13-14 · the narrow road and the wide road

FAQ

What should I do when I feel I have missed God's blessing?

The paralyzed man of Capernaum had missed the first wave of miracles when Jesus first came through the city. But Jesus came back. The first wave may pass without you receiving what you were hoping for, but with Jesus there is always a return. Do not give up. Stay attached to him. What you did not receive the first time, you can receive now.

Why does Jesus first say "your sins are forgiven" before healing the paralyzed man?

Because this man's true need, like ours, was not only physical. Jesus sees the soul first. The forgiveness of sins is the first miracle, the one that opens up eternity. The healing of the body comes next, to prove that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). God performs miracles so that people repent and give their lives to Christ, not for a show.

How can I tell if my friends are truly a spiritual support?

Look at what they do when you are down. The four men of Mark 2 took the paralyzed man on his mat, carried him through the crowd, and tore off a roof for him. They carried his burden. Do your friends carry your burden, or do they need to hear about your troubles only to mock you or tear you down? Surround yourself with people who have faith for you when you no longer have the strength for it yourself.