The God who forgives

Introduction

As we continue our series in Mark, we remember the questions Mark is answering. Who is Jesus? And how do we respond to Him? Every chapter in Mark answers that very question. In chapter one, we saw that He is the gospel, the Christ, and the Son of God on a mission. His mission is to take the good news that God has drawn near to people through Him. This week, let’s add two more questions. 

At some point in our lives, we come face to face with the question of, “Can our sin and shame be forgiven?” Sometimes sin and shame feel like sticky tar that we can’t get away from. And if they can be forgiven, “Who could do that?” Mark has wonderful answers for us today. Yes, your sin can be forgiven. Jesus forgives and restores. 

The main idea of our text is this: Jesus is fully God, who forgives sins; therefore, run to Him in faith and bring others along the way.

Faith leads us to overcome barriers to get to Jesus 1:1-4

When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

Capernaum was Jesus’ home base for his ministry. It was close to His hometown of Nazareth. Earlier in chapter 1, Jesus performed miracles. Word quickly spread, and now wherever Jesus went, crowds swarmed Him, looking for more miracles. 

Jesus is teaching in a house. The crowds surrounding Jesus were so many that they filled the house, the doorway, and the street. The stage is set for something big to happen. There were lots of eyes and ears waiting to see something amazing. And they would, but not what they thought.

The crowd was likely waiting to see another miracle. Jesus was aware of this. Their expectations and Jesus’ mission create tension in the story. Jesus is teaching the Word to the crowd. What word? He is likely teaching from the Old Testament. You see, the Old Testament looks forward to the gospel that Jesus is fulfilling. He was on a mission to preach the gospel. And this is what we find Him doing as the crowd gathered around Him. 

There were some men there who had a friend or family member who was paralyzed. We don’t know their relation to each other. But we do know they had faith that Jesus could help the paralytic.

When they could not walk the man into the house, they were not deterred. The crowd was a barrier. Yet they don’t go home and give up. They get creative. They knew Jesus was the answer, and they had to get to Him. So they go up the outdoor stairs, which were common for first-century houses. They then began to dig through the thatch roof. 

I often wonder what it was like for the people in the house listening to Jesus, as mud, leaves, and sticks began to fall on Jesus and the crowd. That had to be a scene. The hole widens, then four heads appear, then quickly disappear. Suddenly, a mat is lowered down. Everyone waits to see what Jesus will do. 

Before we rush past this awkward moment into the next section, let us pause and reflect. You see, Jesus will see their faith in verse 5. Their faith brought the paralytic to Jesus. Their faith refused to give up because of barriers. They knew Jesus was their only hope. What if we approached Jesus the same way? 

What would it look like to trust in Jesus so much that obstacles don’t deter us? We would run to Jesus daily with our decisions. We would be in prayer, understanding that only He can redeem our situation. 

If we are facing tough decisions at work, go straight to Jesus. Trust that whatever the outcome, Jesus is with you, guiding you. Don’t wait to go to Jesus in prayer as a last resort. Be like these men carrying their friend. You’ll do anything to spend time with Jesus. You’ll move your schedule so that you can pray and meet with the people of God. 

Faith drives us to carry our lost friends to the one who can bring them to life as well. The paralytic had no power on his own to get to Jesus. People had to carry Him. Jesus can save people’s souls. He can remove their sin and shame. So let us carry people with confidence and a faith that overcomes barriers. Let us get them to Jesus. Don’t be so easily deterred or defeated. Jesus is mighty to save and forgive. So let’s look to Jesus’ response to these men’s faith. 

Only Jesus forgives our sins v. 5-11

 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

The crowd is likely standing there, amazed and waiting for a miracle. They would have fully expected Jesus to say, “Get up and walk.” The four men probably thought that as well. So Jesus’ words to the paralytic seem odd, if not a bit cold. Clearly, the man had a physical disability. Why not address that first? 

Mark is trying to clue us in to the fact that our greatest need isn’t physical but spiritual. That doesn’t mean the temporary physical problem is unimportant. It does mean that the spiritual problem is eternal and far more important. Jesus saw the deeper problem. 

If the man were just healed physically, he would still have an eternal sin problem. This is true of all of Jesus’ miracles. Understand, the people He healed still eventually died for one reason or another. If Jesus solely focused on the physical, the gospel wouldn’t be good news. It’s like taking painkillers for a brain tumor. Pain relief is nice, but the problem is much deeper and more deadly. So it is with our sin. 

The paralytic had some element of shame in this culture. A common thought was that he was disabled because of sin in his or his family’s life. And yet the societal shame he endured was nothing compared to the shame sin brought between him and Jesus. But Jesus is God who forgives sins. 

He sees this man’s deepest need to have his spiritual shame removed, and does it. The crowd is stunned. And some in the crowd are not happy at all. 

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 

Jesus’ words did not move or impress these teachers at all. Instead, they are angry that Jesus would say such a thing. Why? They rightly think that ‘only God can forgive sins.’ This is true. Only God had the power to forgive sins. If Jesus is not fully God, then this was blasphemy. 

And this is why Mark includes this story. He is boldly stating that Jesus is God. We must understand that Jesus is not just a good teacher or a healer. He is God, who forgives and draws the shamed toward Himself. We cannot miss this. This truth is what makes the gospel good news. Jesus came to forgive our sins and remove our shame. Only God can do that, and He is God. Amen.

8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.” 

Jesus, perhaps through divine knowledge, sees their hearts. He openly questions them about it. In one way, it is easier to say the words, ‘your sins are forgiven.’ That is an internal thing. We cannot see the man’s sins being removed. So Jesus continues to show them that the man is forgiven by also healing him. 

He used the title “Son of Man.” This is Jesus’ most used title for himself. It appears some 81 times between the four gospels. Jesus avoids the title Christ, likely because of its political undertones. Instead, He refers to Daniel 7:14, where the Son of Man comes to start an eternal Kingdom. It is humble and yet a powerful word to his opposition that He is the fulfillment of that prophecy. 

Jesus stated clearly that He has the authority to forgive sins. He does not shy away from that reality. He now demonstrates the paralytic’s inward change by an outward change. Jesus told the man to get up and walk. And in faith, the man stood up, with a healed soul and new legs. He became a walking reminder of the forgiveness that Jesus offers. Every step testified to the reality that he was forgiven. 

Jesus’s words “your sins are forgiven” are not an empty promise. He can do it and did. So when we talk about Jesus forgiving our sins, it isn’t mere words. It’s not just to make you feel good. It is true. He offers that to all who follow Him. Are we following Him? Are we taking our lost family and friends, chained by sin to the one who has the power to free them? The good news is that Jesus has the power to forgive!

Jesus’ Forgiveness causes awe and faithful living v. 12

12 Immediately, he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” 

The man was healed inside and out. His standing up and walking out declared to those teachers that Jesus forgave his sins and made him whole. What an amazing moment. I’m sure that as the man stood up, the teachers were face-to-face with the reality that Jesus did have the authority to forgive sins. Not because Jesus had made the paralyzed walk, but because it was evidence He had forgiven sins. The crowd is in awe because Jesus’ teachings and healings were connected. As we will see, the teachers were not so excited. They weren’t amazed, they were angry. They felt challenged. 

When we see Jesus forgive somebody, let it cause us to praise God. Don’t become like the teachers, thinking, “Well, that person doesn’t deserve forgiveness.” None of us does. God is gracious. Let our response to God’s forgiveness in our lives be one of constant amazement and praise. Let us celebrate when Jesus forgives the one we have shared with and prayed for. Let us celebrate when someone who is far from the Lord comes to know Jesus and is redeemed. What a glorious moment we get to witness and celebrate. 

When we are forgiven, we are given a new life. Just like the man got up and walked out, we rise spiritually and walk in faith. For us, this call to “get up” is Jesus’ call for us to follow Him. Following Jesus requires intentionality. If the man lied on the mat and said, “I’m good here, but I could walk if I wanted.” The story would have a different outcome. That would not be faith. Faith leads us to walk faithfully with our Savior. 

Conclusion 

Can our sins be forgiven? Yes. Who can forgive our sins? Jesus and only Jesus. For He is God and has the authority to forgive us and remove our shame. That’s who Jesus is. 

So, how do we respond to Him? Like the four men in the story. Bring others to Jesus. We overcome barriers and hardships because we believe only Jesus can and will save. Be like the man at the end of the story. Get up and walk in faith, declaring Jesus has removed our sin

Tell everyone about the King who is near to us and removes that stain of sin so that we can be in fellowship with the Father. Let our faith prompt us to action. Are you following Him?