Forgiveness is the Greatest Miracle

Pre

Miqlat Conference

SMALL GROUPS!

Intro ()

History Channel - Ancient Aliens type of stuff—facade of authority

On TV/history ch.

Guests with questionable credentials, degrees, and titles

Intrigue not logic and reason

No evidence; all theory

There were people like this in Jesus’s day who went around from town to town performing performing parlor tricks they called miracles, sometimes claiming to heal or cast out demons, and of course teaching, because teachers were expected to ask for money in return for their efforts to bestow wisdom on the people.

But, there’s something different about Jesus.

Jesus’s Miracles

(21-28) Jesus casts out a demon

The Jews believed that demons were disembodied spirits of dead giants. — spiritual war

“A new teaching; one with authority.”

(29-34) Jesus heals and casts out of demons.

demons - spiritual / disease - physical

Jesus, “would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.”

(35-38) Jesus prays and then preaches in the villages.

(39-45) Jesus heals a man with leprosy and there is such a huge uproar that Jesus had to leave the city and teach in the dessert.

Analysis

Jesus’s miracles were so profound that they didn’t just produce intrigue; they attracted huge crowds.

Jesus’s teaching is authoritative. (Not based on intrigue, but the miracles provided hard evidence for what He said.)

Jesus’s efforts are motivated by God through prayer, not the desire for wealth or esteem.

This is today’s Epiphany. We are continuing our series on Mark titled, Epiphanies. And this is it. We are going to see in part of the text that there is a greater miracle than all of these that are already mentioned. Jesus healed and cast out demons proving himself more powerful and more wise than the other teachings of the day. Healing and casting our demons is amazing. But we are going to see a greater miracle, the forgiveness of sins!

Epiphany: There is a greater miracle: Forgiveness of sins!

To demonstrate this we’re going to look at where we are going to see three key movements in the story: The Accusation of Jesus, the Authority of Jesus, and the Awe of Jesus. I don’t usually do alliteration in my points, but it worked out today. And then we’re going to follow that up with another alliterating application: Settle, Submit, and Stand.

Body (2.1-12)

The story begins this way. (READ PAX WITH EXPLANATION)

Mark 2:1–5 CSB

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.”

Mark 2.1-

When Jesus was going town to town and healing people and casting out demons, people could see what was happening and they recognized His authority. But, here, Jesus makes really an abstract statement that the man’s sins are forgiven.

He clearly means they are forgiven by God and that caused problems for some of the scribes—the legal experts—who were present and they accused him.

This is…

The Accusation of Jesus

Not everyone present was a fan of Jesus

Most were not disciples, but curious

Some were skeptical — scribes

Mark 2:6–7 CSB

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?”

Mark 2.

What is blasphemy?

English: Sacrilegious (violation of the sacred) speech

Greek: “Blasphemy against God amounts to words or conduct that injures or diminishes God’s honor or holiness.”

What was said that could injure or diminish God’s honor or holiness?

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” — (scribes are right) only God can forgive sins.

For a man to elevate himself to the authority of God is to tear God down to the level of the human and that was blasphemy.

How could it be perceived as blasphemy?

Either Jesus is a blasphemer or he is God.

We can’t believe that Jesus is a good and godly teacher as so many people today want to say.

He’s either a blasphemer, a heretic and fraud like all the other teachers going around in those days trying to gain wealth.

Or God in flesh.

No in-between.

Jesus either has the authority because of His divine nature or he deserves to be hung as a blasphemer.

History has proved over and over that Jesus is a historical figure. No one in the scholarly world rejects the existence of the man Jesus.

Plenty of people reject His divinity or authority.

But, no one should value His teaching if they aren’t willing to embrace His authority, because as we said, either Jesus is a complete fraud or He is the savior, messiah, and Lord.

Let’s look more at the…

The Authority of Jesus

“The scribes questioned in their hearts”

Their skepticism was secret

It was intellectual (heart = mind; bowels = emotions) cf. ‘thinking’ in v. 8

Mark 2:8–11 CSB

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.”

Mark 2.8-

Which is easier

It is easier to say sins are forgiven (Catholic priests)

You don’t have to actually do a miracle to say this

It’s purely abstract and no one would know if it were true until they went to judgment.

Which is more believable?

All the other miracles were done for the express purpose that people would believe that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.

When Jesus tells him to pick up his mat and go home everyone in this crowded room will see it.

Authority to heal proves his authority to forgive.

This is the problem with so much teaching today.

Not just Ancient Aliens and other history channel stuff — ghost hunters and all that

We need to be careful about Christian cultic practices that can influence us as well.

Predicting when Jesus is returning — no real evidence for claims and they’re always wrong.

Prosperity preaching — the only one who gets rich from the faithful giving of the congregants is the preacher.

Faith healing events — you buy a ticket to get in and when you aren’t healed it’s because of your faith not the power of the healer. (God is the giver of faith!)

We go where there is true authority and for me there is nowhere else to go but to the scriptures. A preacher who does not faithfully teach the Bible is not authoritative and must be avoided. They are distractions at best and deceivers at worst.

All the miracles that Jesus did were done to establish His authority for the express purpose that people would believe that He has authority to forgives sins. — the greatest miracle

And that’s what Jesus did in this story. He forgave sins, but then he also healed the man so that they would know He had the authority to forgive sins. And as a result, the people were in awe of Jesus. Let’s talk about…

The Awe of Jesus

We are skeptics — We see something amazing and instead of being amazed we want to know…

Where is the trick?

How did they do it?

We don’t want to just believe.

Many skeptics have claimed that this story about Jesus healing the paralytic was staged.

Jesus’s disciples paid the guys to put on this show and lowered down a perfectly healthy man who was just pretending.

But, these people were not dumb.

Many probably knew the paralytic (laid in front of gates and marketplaces to beg).

A paralytic lacks muscle definition.

if anyone … Even the scribes did not question the healing. They saw it. It was real.

So, again, don’t try to compromise what the scriptures say occured. Reject it all or believe the miracles.

And when you believe it, this is what happens.

Mark 2:12 CSB

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 told him to walk and he walked and the people were astounded.

Meanings of astounded.

Baffled/confused

Awe-stricken

Glory to God

Conclusion (Settle, submit, stand)

Settle your doubt

The scribes didn’t want to believe Jesus was who He was claiming to be and thus they called him a blasphemer.

Doubt is not a good place to live.

James 1.6

James said that, “the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

James 1:6 CSB

But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Settling doubt is an intellectual venture.

People believe things for all sorts of reasons.

Social

Cultural

Familial

Emotional

But, doubt is intellectual and that is why the NT puts so much emphasis on the importance of Word ministry: preaching, teaching, prophesying, evangelizing.

[NO SLIDE]

Mark 1:38 CSB

And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”

APP

APP

Faithfulness to engage the Sunday Sermon

Listen intently

Listen again online

Ask questions

Small groups

Discipleship

Submit to Jesus’s Authority

There are two senses of submission, I think, in the NT.

The first is submission to God’s law.

James 4:6–7 CSB

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:6 CSB

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

The grace of God is that Jesus died to free us from the punishment of our sins.

But, James says, there is a greater grace.

When we are humble or submissive to God, the devil flees from us.

The principle is that the more intent you are on living a life honoring to God, submissive to His standards, the less the temptation of the spiritual forces of darkness will have a hold on you.

The more you obey God’s law, the easier it gets to obey.

But, there’s more to submission.

Take up your mat and walk!

Jesus told the man, “Take up your mat and walk!”

Take up your mat and walk!

Not “don’t do this,” but, “Go do this.”

If the man doubted Jesus and therefore refused to stand, there would be no faith to evidence that his sins were forgiven.

Faith has action (v. 5) “Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, ‘your sins are forgiven.’”

How do you

The men had a visible demonstration of faith when they lowered him into the room.

When we talk about submission, I’m asking, ‘Where is the visible demonstration of faith in your life?’

Not moral obedience—everyone likes someone who is moral in most regards; being morally obedient doesn’t make you a follower of Jesus.

James wrote this:

James 2:14–19 CSB

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.

Where is the visible demonstration of your faith in your life?

What hunger have you fed?

What nakedness have you clothed?

What injury or sickness have you nursed?

What orphan have you rescued?

What widow have you sat with?

What oppression or injustice in this world have you fought for?

It is the visible demonstration of faith in the lives of followers of Jesus that is going to cause you and others to…

Stand in Awe of God

I believe the Western church has lost its awe.

We are juvenile in our ability to see God work.

We are doubters and skeptics.

We struggle to submit to God morally.

And as a result we fail to submit to God’s mission and purposes.

And we don’t see God working, so we lose our awe.

Our vision of God is darkened by food, drink, entertainment and sensuality—none of these things sinful in themselves—but in excess our eyes have been darkened so that we cannot see God and we do not stand in Awe of Him.

The Apostle Paul warned of this behavior:

Philippians 3:18–20 CSB

For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil 3:

Philippians 3:19 CSB

Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things,

Are we living for our stomachs, for the pleasures of this world or are we living as citizens of heaven, amazed by the wonder and mercy of God, awestricken by His power and wisdom?

Forgiveness for our sins is the greatest miracle the Lord has ever performed. Jesus died and rose from the dead to secure our place in God’s heavenly Kingdom and for that we should forever be in awe of Him.

May we learn from the Psalmist to pray… [NO SLIDE]

Psalm 86:8–10 CSB

Lord, there is no one like you among the gods, and there are no works like yours. All the nations you have made will come and bow down before you, Lord, and will honor your name. For you are great and perform wonders; you alone are God.

[PRAY]