Jesus: Forgiver of Sins

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

We should bring the hurting to Jesus.

Mark 2:1–5 ESV

They need to hear His teaching.

When people found out that Jesus had returned home, many came to hear Him speak. There wasn’t even room in the doorways. They came to Him for a miracle, but instead Jesus was preaching the Word to them.

Romans 10:13–14 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

We can’t get so focused on meeting physical needs of people that we forget that they need to hear His teaching.

They need to experience His forgiveness.

These men had a determined faith. They would not be stopped in their mission to have their friend healed. Jesus recognizes the faith of all the men when they lowered the paralyzed man to the floor. He tells the man his sins are forgiven. The man came there for physical healing, but he received spiritual and physical healing.

Jesus was able to look past the surface need of the man and see a deeper need. He performed the greater work by addressing the need of forgiveness before the need to walk.

We should see Jesus for who he truly is.

Mark 2:5–11 ESV

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

Jesus is God.

The scribes are furious, but their statement is true. Only God can forgive sins. Even the scribes understood the significance of Jesus’ actions. Jesus was using this statement to show those who would see this event that He is God in the flesh.

Jesus is the Son of Man.

“Son of Man” is found 81 times in the Gospels. Jesus refers to himself as the son of man who is serving, suffering, coming into glory.

Jesus uses this title to communicate his humanity. Just as Jesus was fully God, He was also fully man.

We should glorify Jesus for what He does.

Mark 2:5,10-12

Mark 2:5 ESV

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:10–12 ESV

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus forgives our sins.

This man received more than he expected as he came to faith in Jesus. He received the full forgiveness of his sins. He and his friends believed Jesus could meet their deepest needs. They just didn’t understand what their deepest need truly was.

Jesus heals our diseases.

To prove that he had the power to forgive sins, which we cannot see, He showed his power by healing the man, something we all could see. He healed the mans body out of the pure goodness of his heart. The greater need had been met, but Jesus went above and beyond what was necessary.

“Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was god… What this man said was, quiet simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips. I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him. “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but i don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg— or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. he did not intend to. — C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity

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