"Verified Authority" (Matthew 9:1-8)

Jesus was just asked to leave to region of the Gadarenes after freeing two demoniacs among the tombs.

Casting them into the herd of swine that rushed off the steep hill and into the waters and perished.

He now makes His way across the Sea of Galilee to His hometown in Capernaum. (About 18 Miles NW from Gadara)

The synoptic Scriptures for this passage is Mark 2:3-13 & Luke 5:18-26.

Faith in His Authority (v.1-2)

Faith that He Can

These men, (4 according to Mark) believed that Jesus could heal their friend

Not going to Him as a “just-in-case”

They believed He had the power and authority to reverse their friends paralyzation and brought them hope where they had once been hopeless.

Even though he had been paralyzed for a long time.

Even when doctors/ physicians said it was impossible.

Even when the religious leaders convinced them it was an act of God for his sins.

Faith that He Will

It does us no good to believe He can and that He has the power & authority to do so that is where our faith ends.

If we have faith that He can, we must also have faith that He will.

We must go to Him.

The men who were carrying their friend believed He would heal him and nothing was going to stop them from getting to Him.

Mark and Luke both mention how there was a great crowd surrounding Jesus at this time and there was no room to get to Him, no room even at the door.

The men took their friend to the roof, made an opening and lowered their friend down and placed him before the Lord.

Though there were so many people present and even religious leaders, they did not hide their faith that Jesus could and would.

They could have stayed home but they did not, they got up, took action and went to the Lord for healing and the Lord recognized their faith.

Faith that Goes Beyond

They came that their friend would receive strength in his legs once more and their friend walked away cleansed of all unrighteousness.

They sought healing for his body and received healing for his body and soul.

What good is it for the outside to be clean and healthy if the inside is rotten and corrupt?

They put their faith in Jesus and their faith brought forgiveness for their sins.

Not the action itself. Not the words they spoke. Not the time of day they came. It was the faith they displayed.

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

For the paralyzed man, it would have been enough to never walk again and to know his sins are forgiven him.

Salvation would have been enough.

Salvation is not enough for many/ They require prosperity and health and strength and position and much more.

Doubt in His Authority (v.3-4)

Doubt that He Can

There were those there, Scribes and Pharisees who doubted that Jesus could heal the paralytic, let alone forgive him for his sins.

The Bible says that they began reasoning in their hearts.

“You do not just tell a lame man to get up and walk, it does not work like that.” (Have we not had similar thoughts?)

“Prayer isn’t going to fix this?” / “Faith is not going to solve my problems.”

We allow our reasoning and understanding to take the driver seat when faith should be leading us along the way.

For them, what Jesus was saying was impossible

Doubt Who He Is

They do not believe that Jesus is who He has claimed to be.

John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.””

John 10:30 ““I and the Father are one.””

John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Jesus is a blasphemer in their eyes.

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” — Mark & Luke add

They understood what Jesus was saying and doing when He said this to the paralytic man. It did not escape them.

Only God can forgive sins.

Authority to be saved from our sins belongs to God alone.

Only the one to whom the debt is owed can settle the debt. Christ came to settle the debt.

Doubt that Condemns

Jesus calls their doubt “evil”

To deny the Son of God and consider His authority to be blasphemy is truly evil.

To say that about a true blasphemer is righteous but to say it about the Son of God is evil

Their doubt condemned them before the Father and likewise does doubt condemn us today.

John 3:16–18 ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Unbelief/ Doubt is the only truly unforgivable sin.

To accredit the works of God to evil and blasphemy and not believe on Him who the Father sent in His Name is unforgiveable.

Christ proves that the Spirit of God is the one which works through Him and gives Him authority on earth to forgive sins even though they would call such a claim blasphemous.

Proof of His Authority (v.5-8)

Proof of Ease

He compares the difficulty of accomplishing the healing of the body to the healing of the soul.

None are beyond His capabilities/ Neither are out of His jurisdiction

He has authority to, with ease, raise this man back onto his feet and wipe him clean of all unrighteousness.

Saying something and accomplishing it are two different things.

We would consider these to be impossible for man to accomplish but not for the Son of Man.

Proof of Himself

(v.6) “But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...”

There is no confusion among the people present of the claims Christ makes here.

They would all be well aware of the connection Jesus was making with Himself and the One spoken of through the Prophet Daniel. (The Son of Man)

The one who was given a Kingdom that would never end and be established forever.

He claims to be the Messiah right before their very eyes and tells a paralytic to stand.

If God the Father did not approve of the claims that Christ was making, the title and the authority, that man would have never walked another day in his life.

The fact that he got up just as Jesus said, picked up his mat and went home speaks louder than any words ever could. (I am God and I approve this message)

In history, God’s greatest act of verifiable approval of the claims and works of Jesus of Nazareth is the resurrection from the dead.

Why do you believe Jesus and trust in Jesus so much that what He said is true? Because God verified it when He raised Him up from the dead.

Proof that Persuades

The crowd began to glorify God.

They knew, just as Nicodemus knew, that nobody could do the works Christ had done if God was not with them.

They knew that this proved His claims to be the Messiah and praised God for it.

Fear of the LORD began to fill their hearts once again. (Matthew and Luke mention it)

They immediately became persuaded of everything Jesus had just said.

If there had been any doubts in their hearts at all of the things of which He said, those doubts walked right out the door with the paralytic man.

They were amazed and wondered at the remarkable things that they had seen that day

They were already saying about Jesus, Matthew 7:28–29 “Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

Jesus is the Christ, verified by God the Father.

All authority in Heaven and on Earth belongs to Him and this too has been verified by God the Father.