The Authority to Forgive

Introduction/tension

Last week we discussed Jesus’ authority. He’s the king. He came to establish his kingdom. And we have to decide, will he be king of my heart? Will i devote my life to him? Will I follow his ways? As the disciples immediately jumped out of their fishing boats, will I say, yes, Lord whatever you ask of me. Today we will continue looking at the authority Jesus displayed, but in particular, we will dive into how he interacts with sin and the forgiveness he offers and we’ll discover he has the authority to do so.

A need we all have

And this is not a fun thing to come to grips with, but there is such a thing as sin. We cannot do whatever we want and expect to get off scott free. Now, we can do whatever we want but there are consequences, and eventually they will meet up with us. We find this principle in both the Old and New Testaments. First in Numbers 32:23

Numbers 32:23 CSB

But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.

Then in Luke 12:2-3

Luke 12:2–3 CSB

There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

What i’m trying to get across is that sin is a serious thing in God’s eyes and there are consequences to our sin. I think we live in a time where people think Autonomy, the ability to direct their own lives, means they can do whatever they want.And you’ll hear the qualifier, “as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.” Which is a misnomer, because sin, no matter how seemingly small, will always hurt someone, in a matter of time. So, today, we’ll see some religious people that Jesus encounters and they got it right in a way about how God views sin. But only one side of it, and it was always easier for the religious people to see sin in someone else rather than themselves. it’s still that way, by the way. It’s always easier to see sin in someone else than in ourselves.

So, what did the religious miss, especially with Jesus. They didn’t miss the seriousness of sin, but they did miss the authority of Jesus to wash our sins away. Let’s look into the scripture to see how Jesus displays this authority and see how it applies to our lives.

"Lord help us to be humble enough to hear your word and help us to respond to you in joy as we apply your word to our lives.”

What God Says: Biblical Truth

If you’re able, please stand to honor the word of the Lord.

Mark 1:40–2:12 CSB

Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere. When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 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. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.” 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!”

Jesus takes our punishment.

We have two stories here but the theme of the two is the same. It comes down to sin. Leprosy was considered a punishment from God for sinfulness. We see in Leviticus 13-14 leprosy described as well as the ways it would have to be healed and cleansed and how the leper would have to conduct themselves to ensure the uncleanness couldn’t spread to others. They would need to be outside the city and shout unclean when people would approach so others would stay away.

Notice, the unclean man ignored the expected ways a leper was supposed to act. He approached Jesus. News had spread so fast, this man thought, if there’s any chance for me to be cleaned, it’s this man. Friends, there is no other place that you can go to be cleansed for the punishment for your sin. This man understood that. He was desperate. He begged Jesus on his knees, a cry for desperation. Are you yet to the point of desperation for your sin? That’s what it takes, you must come to the point where you have no other place to go. You may not have a skin disease, but sin is a disease that can be healed by no one but Jesus. And your sin has a punishment. And only Jesus can take that punishment away.

Notice, Jesus reached out and touched the man. To anyone looking on, they would have been appalled. He touched the unclean. He too would have been considered unclean as a result. But Jesus had authority over disease and punishment for sin. Only he can take your punishment.

1 Peter 2:24 CSB

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

So, yes, sin requires a punishment. But Jesus can take that punishment away.

Jesus forgives our sin.

The second story we see that displays Jesus’ authority to forgive is one of my favorite stories. Because of what Jesus did with the leper and how the leper responded, telling everyone, Jesus couldn’t go anywhere without getting swamped by people. The very next story is about a home he goes to in Capernaum where he’s preaching and the room is full of people. Then you have a group of five men who approach to have Jesus heal one of them who was paralyzed. They can’t get in the door, so they try the roof. You know you have some really good friends if they will stop at nothing to get you to Jesus.

Jesus tells the man, “I forgive your sins.” Evidently this was scandalous. The religious nuts in the room, the scribes, started deciphering what the Son of Man can and can’t do. Mark 2:7

Mark 2:7 CSB

“Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

That’s the whole point. He is God. He does forgive. And he has the authority to do so.

Side note. I love that the man came to be healed of his paralysis. But he gets eternal life instead. We may want healing from disease on this earth and we can see from these stories, Jesus can do that. But ultimately what we should desire is our eternal estate to be settled by Jesus first and foremost. If we are in Christ, one day we will be fully healed.

Jesus, to demonstrate his authority to the scribes, tells the paralyzed man to get up and walk. Mark 2:10-11

Mark 2:10–11 CSB

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—“I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”

Friends, what Jesus did to demonstrate his authority to forgive sins then rings true today, Your sins can be forgiven by Jesus and as a result, you can have eternal life today.

Colossians 2:13–14 CSB

And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

Romans 6:23 CSB

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Will you, like the leper, approach Jesus today in desperation, asking him to heal your sinfulness. When you do, he will forgive you and you will have eternal life.

Closing

He’s inviting you to come to him today.

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13 CSB

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.