Why Does Jesus Forgive Sins?
Mark 2:1-12
Good Morning,
Matthew 1:20 behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." NKJV
Why does Jesus heal and forgive people?
Most of us would agree that escaping the penalty for our rebellious sin is a good thing; but is that the main reason Jesus came to set us free?
Is Christianity simply receiving a get out of jail free card and then living for self until the day we go home to be with the Lord?
Last week I made the statement, “The problem we have today; we want Jesus, but we sometimes want Him to do things our way and in our time frame.”
Jesus came and saved us for so many reasons, we can never explain them all; however, there are few reasons that should not be missed.
God planned our salvation before the foundation of the world.
Jesus came not only from love; but, also obedience to His Father
Jesus wanted His own special people for relationship; and Jesus saved us to transform us, and to conform us into His image.
Most importantly, God saved us for His Glory. Ephesians 1:6 says, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. NKJV
Please open your Bible to the Gospel of Mark 2 as we continue in the verse by verse study of that Gospel.
Last week we spoke on how our timing is not always the same as the Lord’s timing.
We learned how Jesus healed many people after the Sabbath; and Jesus would not allow those demons to speak because they know who He is.
If the news of Jesus spread too quickly, it could get in the way of what Jesus needed to do; and the Lord had a plan as well as a timeline for His earthly ministry.
Then Jesus early in the morning; instead of sleeping in, after a hard weekend of ministry, went to a secluded place to pray.
If you can’t change your circumstances with God’s help; be willing to change your perspective and know God has a plan.
“Jesus said it was more important for Him to preach the gospel in other places than to stay there and heal the sick.” (Wiersbe)
Jesus told Peter healing people was not the goal; but, we learned about a leper who came to Jesus and He healed the man anyway.
This leper came to kneel and worship Jesus; before Jesus did anything for him, because the leper recognized who Jesus was.
At every stage of life we make plans, where we want to go and what we will be like when we have arrived; but, things have a way of turning out different than we hoped for, or expected
In today’s passage, Jesus is going to perform the most important miracle; but, He will be accused of blasphemy for this healing.
I. Back to Capernaum.
Read Mark 2:1-2
Remember from last week, Peter woke up and Jesus was gone so he went and searched for Him; Peter tried to encourage Jesus telling Him of His popularity, “Everyone is looking for you.”
But Jesus said, “It’s time to move on”.
(Constable) The wave of popular support that Jesus had ridden the day before threatened to carry Him into political leadership that might have made His self-sacrifice on the Cross impossible.
Now, after some time had passed, Jesus returned to Capernaum and immediately, the crowds hear of His return, and come to find Jesus.
There are so many people present; the place could not even hold them all. What were the people hoping to receive?
Wiersbe said, “With amazing speed the news spread that a miracle-working Teacher had come to Capernaum, and wherever our Lord went, great crowds gathered.
They wanted to see Him heal the sick and cast out demons.
Had they been interested in His message of the gospel, these multitudes would have been an encouragement to Jesus;
“But He knew that most of them were shallow in their thinking and blind to their own needs.” (Wiersbe)
Like some modern Christians today; these folks were chasing miracles instead of seeking the Lord.
There are two sides to the belief in miracles; Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever; many Christians fail to recognize that Jesus still performs miracles, everyday, all around us.
The flip side of the coin, are those people who manipulate things and try to turn God into a personal vending machine.
Guzik said “The three great pursuits of the Christian life are not “miracles, power, and gifts”; they are faith, hope, and love.
“Though the gifts are precious, and given by the Holy Spirit today, they were never meant to be the focus or goal of our Christian lives. Instead, we pursue faith, hope, and love.”
Notice what Jesus does, “He preached the Word to them.”
Many people have their own ideas of how the local church should operate;
But Jesus Himself laid out His plan for His body, the Church, within the pages of the New Testament.
The proper layout for the Church is found in Ephesians 4.
Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Ephesians 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
The timeless message of Christ never changes; but, the methods used to spread His Word, have never stopped changing.
As a local body of Christ, we have 3 basic goals to strive for:
1. Exalt God by doing ministry according to His Word.
1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. NKJV
2. Edify believers by teaching and shepherding them with the whole counsel of God in love; so that they can live and minister in the likeness of Christ.
1 Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
1 Peter 5:3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; NKJV
3. Evangelize the lost by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ both privately, publicly, and in the whole world.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, NKJV
We also strive for some Core Principles as a Church:
• Integrity; Setting a good example within the community and leading by example.
• Authority of the Bible. Basing all of our doctrinal beliefs and teachings from the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. NKJV
• Pursuing our purpose. Doing things that will help us achieve Christ’s command given to us.
• Continual Improvement. Expecting improvement, not perfection, as each member exercises their spiritual gifts for the edification of the body.
• Fun, providing an environment that allows people to find the joy of their salvation and joy serving the Lord together.
The Lord leads, guides, and directs, we simply follow and obey; Jesus will add to the number daily, of those who will be saved!
The Bible is what needs to be taught in Church and at home. Sure there are a million good things we can teach; but,
It is the Word of God and the Spirit of God that have the living, active power we need in order to be transformed.
So like Jesus, we are to preach scripture!
II. Lower the mat.
Read Mark 2:3-4
Here we have the account where four friends, have enough trust in Jesus to heal, they are willing to take the roof off of the house.
These four men bring their friend to Jesus, but there is such a big crowd there, they can’t get near Jesus.
The men climb to the roof, make a hole in it and lower their friend down to Jesus. These men believed that Jesus could heal their friend and they wouldn’t stop until Jesus did just that.
At that time, most of the houses had flat roofs with an outside staircase in order to access the roof. Roofs were mainly made from wooden slats with some sort of straw roofing material.
I admire the tenacity of the men’s faith. They didn’t let a few obstacles prevent them from helping their friend get to Jesus.
There are times when we learn of a person’s need and we limit our response to “I’ll pray for you.”
These men show the importance of bringing the issue to Jesus.
It is interesting Jesus didn’t respond to the men’s actions in the way they expected.
Instead of merely healing the paralytic with words, Jesus first tells the man his sins are forgiven.
The men were probably thinking the paralytic needed to be healed more than he needs to be forgiven; but Jesus knows what we need to be healed from; both on the inside and out.
III. Illness caused by sin.
Read Mark 2:5-11
Talk about a good distraction while teaching…Jesus looks and sees these four men with some sort of rope and pulley set up, and they are lowering a paralyzed man down into the house.
Jesus saw the faith of these four friends; these men were so determined to get their friend to Jesus, as they opened the roof of the house and let the man down on his mat.
Faith means to believe in, and trust in, what the Lord has said.
Faith is knowing what God has promised will happen; even if we can’t see it with our physical eyes.
How do we know these men had faith?
These men had to have faith in Jesus to heal this man; because if they didn’t think Jesus would heal their friend, they would have had to lift him and his mat; back up through the roof.
James 2:18 someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. NKJV
Biblical faith in Christ is not simply believing Jesus exists; belief is an action word. If you have true faith and trust in Jesus, you can’t help but to act upon that faith.
Someone would ask, “So I am saved by the things that I do; since real faith is not seen only through my words” NO
When someone has true faith, the Holy Spirit comes to live within them and empower them to change and live for the Lord.
These men showed their trust in Christ by their actions.
I want to remind you of a statement from last week we read, Mark 1:32 they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. NKJV
We said there is a lesson for us; contrary to some beliefs, there is a real difference here between the sick and the demon possessed.
All sin and sickness began at the fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned; but, not all illnesses are caused by the devil.
Mental and physical illness happens for several different reasons
There are environmental reasons for sickness; the Lord allows some sickness for His purposes; some sickness is a direct spiritual attack.
We see this man’s paralysis was a result of sin. There is another time Jesus healed, He said it was not a result of sin.
John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
John 9:2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
John 9:3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
The religious leaders were not interested in the faith of these men bringing their friend to Jesus. The Scribes were concerned with rule keeping; not with the healing of this man.
The Scribes were sin sniffers and heresy hunters; concerned with the possibility of Jesus claiming He could forgive sin.
Jesus perceived in His Spirit these leaders’ thoughts; Jesus is all knowing and the fact that He knew their thoughts should have been enough for them to realize that Jesus is more than a man.
This is the 1st time in this narrative Jesus proves Himself as God
Jesus is more than a mere man; Yes He is fully man; but, He is also fully God as well. The angel predicting His birth said…
Matthew 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." NKJV
Constable, “Jesus’ claim to possess divine authority upset the teachers of the law who were present. The fact they were sitting in that crowded house shows the respect the Jews gave them.
“No Old Testament prophet ever claimed personal authority to forgive sins, though Nathan had announced God’s forgiveness to David”
The Scribes were wrong saying Jesus committed blasphemy; they told the truth with “Who can forgive sins but God alone”
Steven Cole said, “Again and again during the life of Christ the same dilemma was to re-appear. If he were not divine, then he was indeed a blasphemer”
The 2nd time Jesus shows Himself as God is by forgiving sins.
Jesus asked which is easier, to forgive this man’s sins, or to heal a person; this shows us Jesus had the power to perform either task; however, in this case, the two issues were actually just one.
Jesus gets to the heart of the matter and forgives the man.
This man’s paralysis was related to sin in his life and Jesus as God in the flesh, could heal and forgive the man of his sin.
The man’s eternity was more important than his physical state.
Wiersbe, “Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results.”
This is the 3rd time Jesus showed himself as God when He called Himself, “Son of Man”. Scholars debate what this means; but,
The best evidence for the title “Son of Man” shows Jesus is the divine Messiah from Daniel 7, who has the title “Son of Man” and coming “King of Glory”, that is coming to judge the world.
Jesus used the "Son of Man" when He spoke of His sufferings and death; and also when speaking of His future return in glory.
Jesus used this title "Son of Man" to show how He is both, the Suffering Servant and the Messiah, the King of the world.
Jesus has the authority and power to heal people and to forgive sins; so He tells the man to get up and pick up his bed and walk.
If Jesus did not have the ability to heal and forgive; this would have been a cruel order; to arise take up your bed and walk.
But Jesus not only forgives us our sins; He gives us His Spirit who alone has the power to change our lives.
Jesus does not change and heal people just for the sake of saving them from judgment; He transforms us into new creations
Jesus would say, “You were carried in; but now that you are healed, walk out on by the power of God!”
IV. The Lord receives the Glory!
Read Mark 2:12
In the original language for the word, “amazed” means, “These people were totally blown away by this miracle.”
William Barclay talking about the Scribes said,
“On their own stated beliefs the man could not be cured, unless he was forgiven. He was cured, therefore he was forgiven. Therefore Jesus’ claim to forgive sin must be true.” (Barclay)
The Bible is clear that the ultimate goal of all the works of God, are done to display God's glory.
The term “glory of God” in the Bible refers in general to the beauty of God's manifold perfections.
The Lord’s Glory is displayed in His power, wisdom, mercy and justice; each one is awesome in its magnitude and quality.
So what was the Lord’s goal in the redemptive work He performed through Christ?
The Lord adopted us to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
Jesus knew His mission was to obey and glorify the Father; so, He made this the goal of everything in His earthly ministry.
Our destiny as Christians is to behold the glory of Christ; as we share in His glory, reflecting it back to God in love and praise.
John Piper has said, “God's supreme goal in history, in all that He does from beginning to end, is to display His glory and bring honor and praise to His great name.”
The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
V. Conclusion.
From this passage, we can gain many things for Christian life.
• There is the need for friends and fellowship; how we need one another to help us up when we can’t do it on our own.
• We can discuss how Jesus is the One who can heal our physical ailments.
• We can discuss the ultimate importance of the forgiveness of sin; which is even more important than physical healing.
Wiersbe, “Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results.”
But ultimately, the most important point for this morning is the question; “Why does Jesus heal and forgive people?”
Jesus does not heal people just for the sake of saving them from judgment; He wants to transform us into new creations.
Salvation is not only a get out of jail free card; instead the Lord’s aim is to transform us by the power of His Holy Spirit into His image.
Once we are transformed by the Holy Spirit; like the church, there are some goals for us; because eternal life starts here!
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV
• Exalt God by doing ministry according to His Word.
• Edify believers using the whole counsel of God in love; so that they can live and minister in the likeness of Christ.
• Evangelize the lost by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ both privately, publicly, and in the whole world.
We also strive for some Core Principles since we are transformed into the image of Christ
• Integrity; Setting a good example and leading by example.
• Authority of the Bible. Basing all of our doctrinal beliefs and teachings from the Word of God.
• Pursuing our purpose. Doing things that will help us achieve Christ’s command given to us.
• Continual Improvement. not perfection, as each member exercises their spiritual gifts for the edification of the body.
• Fun, providing an environment that allows people to find the joy of their salvation and joy serving the Lord together.
The Lord leads, guides, and directs. We simply follow and obey; The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
This all starts with a relationship with Jesus who forgives our sin
