Take Heart; Your Sins Are Forgiven

Jesus now returns back to His own city of Capernaum. This will be the place of much work. Here he will heal a paralytic, cast out demons, give sight to the blind, call His twelve disciples, including Matthew the Tax collector, and from there the disciples will be sent out for the first time to preach the message of this new Kingdom.

Jesus just cast the legion of Demons out of the two men on the others side of the sea, and the people of that place said “Depart from this region.” SO he departed.

It’s good to know when your time is done in a particular place isn’t it? There are seasons of rejection, and seasons of reception. Not everyone in Capernaum is happy with what He’s doing there, but the fruit of the Kingdom’s power is going to be strongly witnessed, not just on the outskirts of the city as with the Gadarenes, but all through this city, Jesus will display his authority. Matthew is appealing to his Jewish readers that this Jesus, is the Messiah.

The first point I want to make is a simple one. We see it right here in the text, and Jesus acknowledges it.

Faithful friends who bring you to Jesus could save your life.

We see this in v 2. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith

What was the extent of their faith exactly?

We know from Mark 2:2-5 “ 2 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. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 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. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

I wanted to pause here just long enough to encourage you to choose your friends wisely.

Your friends are not the people who understand you the most, or like the things you like. Up the criteria...

The people in your life, and the kind of person you need to be for others is like these friends. Friends who make much of Jesus and His power. Friends who are confident in the ability of Jesus. These friends were so sure in their faith that they were willing to make this VERY public entrance. Friends who will take risks for your good. This is what Christ noticed. Look at their faith...

What happens next is remarkable.

Jesus saw their faith, and his response is one of compassion toward the paralytic…and he says “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

Remember that this is in a public setting. There are crowds around who have been leaning into hear his teaching. Among those listening are some Jewish Scribes, masters of the law of Moses.

They say this in their minds… “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus responds to them as if they spoke the words out loud. “Why do you think evil in your hearts.”

Here lay a man in a dire situation. He’s a paralytic. He hasn’t said a word of request. His friends simply show Jesus His condition, and Jesus looks at him in the middle of this crowd and says literally, “Cheer up, my child, your sins are forgiven.”

The word for forgiven in the original language is written in the present tense, which would sound more like, “Be of good cheer, by son, your sins are being forgiven you.” Or “I am forgiving your sins.”

Why didn’t Jesus simply address the physical issue, which was the obvious reason he was placed before him?

This man has just heard the most incredible words anyone on earth could ever hear from God. Your sins are forgiven! The word means “to be sent away.” Son, be of good cheer, I’m casting your sins away and no longer will they be held against you..

THIS IS WHAT HE CAME TO DO!

Matthew 1:20-21 Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus understands something about the world that many do not.

Sin is the root problem of all other problems. There’s no medicine on earth for sin. There isn’t a therapist or doctor on earth who can cure a soul that has been separated from God because of sin.

Jesus is the ultimate savior for the ultimate problem.

When Jesus looked at this paralytic man, he was not confused about what matter was more serious, that he might one day walk again....or that he might be reconciled to God. Jesus, being sovereign, knows everything about this man. He knows what caused the paralysis. He knows his upbringing, and all his fears. He knows him. And this is the very reason why what Christ just said is so incredibly shocking, and amazing.

The reason this man needed to be forgiven is the same reason that everyone in this room at one time needed, or still needs forgiveness from God.

When sin came into the heart of Eve, and then Adam, through deception by the serpent and willful disobedience, what happened? They lost perfect fellowship with God. Cut off. The most important relationship in the world was severed because they loved and served self and satan instead of God who truly deserves it.

There is no greater crime than this. And those who struggle to see the point tent really to have one issue…to see God as holy and the most valuable.

Isn’t it true that the relationships we value the most are the ones in which forgiveness matters the most?

Someone cuts you off in traffick, and you let out a curse, or a particular finger slips up. What happens next. The Christian thinks, oh man, that’s bad. What was I thinking. You apologize to God, and maybe in your heart to the person you cursed, but you’re not going to go chase that person down and beg them forgiveness. Their relationship to you is fairly inconsequential. You value you them as a human, but it’s nothing compared to the value you place on a spouse, or a parent, or a child. You offend your spouse or best friend, or hurt them with your sin, now you’ve lost something and you need forgiveness.

Why do you want their forgiveness?

John Piper explained this in a sermon once and it stuck with me. If I hurt my wife, and then repent of that sin, and desire her forgiveness, is it because if she doesn’t forgive me I might not get the same dinner tonight that I would have?

Church, what is the real reason for our needing to be forgiven by God? IS it because without forgiveness I can’t go to heaven? Is it because if I’m not forgiven I might not get to see my loved ones in heaven? Is it because I just hate the feelings of guilt? This matters.

Here’s the point I’m making.

This paralyzed man is hurting, and sad, and things are not looking good in terms of his quality of life. Jesus’s first words are “I am forgiving you.” Why? Because to live in separation from God is worse than any physical condition. What does forgiveness from God do?

It removes the guilt and shame and penalty of what we have done, and allows us to come into His presence. Why should we desire forgiveness? Because we get God in the end.

Now, can Jesus actually do this? Does he have this authority? That’s what is in question here.

The Scribes think he is blaspheming. Why? Because only God can forgive sins. Does that mean Jesus claims to be God?

Look at His response in v4-6 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Did you catch the Old Testament reference in v6? The Son of Man.

Daniel 7:13 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

These Scribes and Pharisees, and the crowd, and the paralytic, and the Jewish audience that would read this account of Matthew would all understand that Jesus is saying here. He is claiming to be God in human flesh, the one to whom dominion had been given and whose Kingdom shall never be destroyed.

There are several things happening here at once.

1. Jesus is forgiving the sins of this man, a man he no doubt knew before the foundations of the world, a man deserving of judgement from God, but receiving mercy and grace.

2. Jesus is pronouncing judgement on the Scribes whose evil thoughts were read by Christ just as if they were talking. Had Jesus not been the Son of God, their accusations would have been upheld. But the Jews did reject their Messiah until then end when they had him crucified.

3. Jesus is showing us that He alone has the power and authority to remove the burden of sin through His forgiveness.

He asked the Scribes a question in v5. Which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or rise and walk?

With the crowds around, the answer was clear. It would be easier to say, your sins are forgiven you. What proof would they have in that moment that Jesus could do this?

But in fact, it’s harder to say, in public, to a paralyzed man, Pick up your bed and go home. So what does He do? HE commands him, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he does exactly that!

Do you see what He did here? By giving this man his ability to walk he simultaneously proved his authority to forgive sin. If the harder thing to say was said, and the command was miraculously received and obeyed by the paralytic, what should we conclude? That this man walked home for the first time in years, without out the help of others, and he did so as one who had been forgiven by God.

The crowd responded with fear for what they had witnessed. Awe and amazement had struck them, and they glorified God.

This is a proper response to Christ’s power and authority to save sinners.

Aren’t you glad that he came to earth? He came on a rescue mission, to seek and save that which is lost. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and it is by the authority and truth of God’s word that one can learn of this need.

The sin condition is worse than any other problem this world faces. The wars, and diseases, and shootings, and drugs, and sexual abuse, and any other sickening thing we see, or so, or are affected by are symptoms of a greater problem of refusing to love and obey Christ.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

That’s the purpose of His coming, and his power, and His authority. He’s bringing people to God. Have you believed in the Son of God who can forgive you of all your sins right now, or do you commit the true blasphemy of rejecting Him?

The priority is this...

We all have needs. This mans friends took him to Jesus. They had faith in Christ, and presumably, so did the paralytic. The Messiah had come, and he would soon suffer as the lamb of God, dying on the cross, a sin offering to be received by faith. And let me assure you of something. The joy of being forgiven by a holy God, and being made a son or daughter of the Father, makes physical healing pail in comparison. Seek forgiveness for the right reason.

Take heart, be of good courage brothers and sisters, the Son of man has authority to forgive sins, and He has done it!

Let’s pray!