Healing of the paralytic by the Son of Man

Healed and Forgiven

5:17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man. As Jesus continues his healing ministry, he confronts the religious leaders. At issue is Jesus’ status and identity. Some who witness Jesus’ powerful acts respond by praising God (vv. 25-26), while others whose influence is challenged by Jesus’ popularity accuse him of blasphemy (v. 21).

5:17 Pharisees and teachers of the law. Luke portrays them as those who oppose Jesus and his ministry. The Pharisees were the most influential of the three major Jewish sects. In historical documents, they first appear in the second century BC as a pious group that opposed the Hellenization of Judeans. In the time of Jesus, they are recognized as the religious leaders. Theologically, they relied on oral traditions and affirmed the doctrines of predestination, resurrection, and the immortality of the soul. Sociologically, they were respected by the people of the land. Politically, they were relatively conservative in their attempts to protect the customs of their ancestors. teachers of the law. Those who studied and taught the law (cf. vv. 21,30; 6:7). They were often associated with the Pharisees, so both labels can often apply to the same people (cf. ).

The Pharisees trace their roots to the second century B.C. - to the Hasidim

Along with the Torah, they accepted oral tradition as equally inspired and authoritative, all material contained within the oral tradition.

On free will and determination, they held to a mediating view that made it impossible for either free will or the sovereignty of God to cancel out the other.

They accepted a rather developed hierarchy of angels and demons.

They taught that there was a future for the dead.

They believed in the immortality of the soul and in reward and retribution after death

They were champions of human equality

The emphasis of their teaching was ethical rather than theological

Sadducees

They probably had their beginning during the Hasmonean period (166-63 B.C.). Their demise occured circa A.D. 70 with the fall of the Jerusalem.

They denied that the oral law was authoritative and binding

They interpreted Mosaic Law more literally that did the Pharisees

They were very exacting in Levitical purity

They attributed all to free will

They argued there is neither resurrection of the dead nor a future life

They rejected a belief in angels and demons

They rejected the idea of a spiritual world

Only the books of Moses were canonical Scripture

and the power of Lord was present for Him to perform healing - power dunamis means “might, power or strength” In the NT is most often used of God’s power. The plural is used to describe Jesus’ miracles.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Matt 9:1–8

Mark 2:1–12

Luke 5:17–26

The NKJV Study Bible Chapter 5

5:20 Luke directly links faith and forgiveness here. According to the OT, only God was able to forgive sin (see Ps. 103:12). Rather than announcing that God would forgive the man’s sin, Jesus proclaimed that the man’s sins were forgiven. This act was blasphemous to the ears of Jesus’ theologically sensitive audience.

The NKJV Study Bible Chapter 5

5:20 Luke directly links faith and forgiveness here. According to the OT, only God was able to forgive sin (see Ps. 103:12). Rather than announcing that God would forgive the man’s sin, Jesus proclaimed that the man’s sins were forgiven. This act was blasphemous to the ears of Jesus’ theologically sensitive audience.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 5

The scribes and Pharisees understood that Jesus was acting as if he were God when he claimed to forgive the sins of the paralyzed man. Not only did they not believe he was God, they viewed his claims as blasphemies. Jesus

5:21 who speaks blasphemy. God is the only one who can forgive sins (; ; ), and in the OT sins cannot be forgiven apart from the temple system (; ). Jesus’ act not only represents his claim to replace the temple cult but is also an implicit claim to divinity.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5

blasphemies Sacrilegious or irreverent speech about God. Such an act—depending on the context of the offense—was punishable by death under the law (Lev 24:16).

Only God had the authority to forgive sins. Since Israel’s religious leadership did not regard Jesus to be Yahweh’s Messiah—who could speak with the authority of God—they considered His words blasphemous. In their minds, Jesus was usurping a role that belonged only to God.

Jesus perceived their thoughts, an indication of divine omniscience (compare ; ).

The NKJV Study Bible Chapter 5

5:23 Jesus posed a riddle to His audience. From an external point of view, it would seem easier to declare sins forgiven than to actually heal a person. In reality, however, one has to possess more authority to forgive sin. Jesus linked the healing to what it represented, the forgiveness of sin. Jesus forgave the man’s sins and healed him at the same time.

It is easier to say that a person’s sins are forgiven (which cannot be disproved) than to claim to be able to tell him to rise up and walk (which can be disproved). Jesus’ healing of the paralytic thus serves as proof (that you may know) that he, as the Son of Man, has the authority to forgive sins. (On “Son of Man,” see notes on ; .)

The NKJV Study Bible Chapter 5

5:24 Son of Man is an Aramaic idiom that refers to a human being, meaning “someone” or “I.” Jesus used this idiom as a title, taken from Dan. 7:13, 14 (see 21:27; 22:69; Mark 14:62). In the Book of Daniel, the phrase Son of Man describes a figure who shares authority with the Ancient of Days. Association with the clouds gives a supernatural aura to the figure, for only God rides the clouds (see Ex. 14:20; 34:5; Num. 10:34; Ps. 104:3). In using the title here, Jesus claimed the authority to forgive sin, an authority that was limited to God.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5

5:24 the Son of Man has authority The theme of this section. The title Son of Man can convey several meanings; Jesus uses it here with Messianic connotations (see Matt 8:20 and note).

The term Son of Man is referenced in 57 passages in the NT of the NASB.

5:24 To forgive sins appears to be “easier” (v. 23) than to heal, but it is in fact more difficult because the authority to forgive belongs to God alone (see note on v. 21). Son of Man. In the OT this is a title that can refer to human beings in general (see and NIV text note) or a prophet in particular (; ; ). In Daniel, it refers to a heavenly being who is worthy of all honor and glory (). This usage that points to a heavenly being survived in Jewish literature during the time of Jesus. Elsewhere in Luke (21:27,36; 22:69), this title echoes that of Daniel, which may explain why the title appears here when Jesus’ authority is at issue.

Son of Man (see note on ; see ) is Jesus’ favorite way of describing himself. It shows the true meaning of his identity and ministry: (1) the humble servant who has come to forgive common sinners (); (2) the suffering servant whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (16:13, 27–28); and (3) the glorious King and Judge who will return to establish God’s kingdom on earth (25:31; 26:64).

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 5

5:26 The Pharisees and scribes together with everyone else in the crowd were astounded at Jesus’s miracle. The “they” of they were giving glory to God apparently included unbelieving scribes and Pharisees. There was simply no denying the wonder of what Jesus had done, but submitting to Jesus and the far-reaching implications of his claims was another thing altogether.