The Authority of the Word

Main Idea: Jesus alone, as the Word made flesh, has the authority to forgive sins.

The Word Preached 2:1-2

Jesus’ Ministry is categorized by his preaching and teaching. He heals, casts out demons, forgives sins, etc. But all of this is as the WORD is working. This is a characteristic of the ministry of the Word at work to establish a kingdom.

This is the second time Jesus’ teaching is interrupted in Capernaum.

Jesus’ teaching has life. He is not preaching the law but how the Law leads to the good news of the gospel.

Preaching as one who has authority (1:22)

Preaching, healing, and forgiving sins (2:1-12)

Mark (Original Meaning)

The parallels remind the reader that a new, Spirit-empowered reality has burst forth from heaven and that Jesus works with God’s authority

The Word Forgives 2:3-5

These men who brought the paralytic had faith that he could heal the man, but they, like many others were expecting Jesus to simply deal with their temporal issues. Yet Jesus deals first and foremost with the man’s biggest problem, his sin. He then heals his physical infirmity.

Imagine being the man or the friends, hearing that this man, who you brought broke through a roof to lower down to Jesus was not healed of his infirmity, but was forgiven of sin.

The forgiveness of sins was not what anyone was expecting. It is a plot twist to everyone there except Jesus. This is precisely what Christ came to do, and would be fully realized on the cross.

Mark (Healing and Forgiveness)

Digging through a roof and dropping their friend before Jesus is a silent but dramatic plea for healing, and Jesus recognizes that only a tenacious faith would have led these men to go to so much trouble

Mark Healing and Forgiveness

They are asking themselves, “What possible redemptive authority can this man have?”

Mark Healing and Forgiveness

The presence of the kingdom of God, which Jesus has been speaking about (2:2; cf. 1:14–15), must usher in the forgiveness of sins

Mark Healing and Forgiveness

It is the fulfillment of Isaiah 33:22, 24: “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.… No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven” (see also Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:18). Or they can conclude that this is “a conceited act of blasphemy”—something worthy of death (Lev. 24:16). The commentary of the scribal authorities serves to notify the reader how incredibly outrageous or how incredibly wonderful Jesus’ words are

The Word Questioned 2:6-7

The Scribes, those who should have recognized the signs of the messiah, demean, and accuse God of doing that which he must do.

The scribes were there to hear the teaching, they were there to see if what he was teaching was in accordance with scripture, they were there to even see a miracle. No doubt this “prophet” would continue to show himself as such. But who is he to forgive sin? Their knowledge of scripture didn’t lead to faith in Christ, but became a barrier to their faith.

The Word Responds to Doubt 2:8-9

The Word of God responds to their doubts with further evidence of his deity. Yet, they did not see the true Divine Miracle of the forgiveness of sin.

The Gospel according to Mark The Authority of the Son of Man (2:1–12)

“ ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ ” respond the scribes. They are right. Only God can forgive sins (Exod 34:6–7; Ps 103:3; Isa 43:25; Mic 7:18). Indeed, not even the Messiah would claim such power. The classic description of the Messiah in Psalms of Solomon 17–18 speaks of his overcoming demons, ushering in a perfect government, judging the godless, and of his righteousness and even sinlessness (17:36), but not of his ability to forgive sins. Strack and Billerbeck rightly conclude that “there is no place known to us in which the Messiah has the authority to pronounce forgiveness of sins from his own power (‘Machtvollkommenheit’). Forgiveness of sins remains everywhere the exclusive right of God.” The reason is that in every sin, even in sins committed ostensibly only against one’s neighbor, God is the party most offended.

Some critics claim that Jesus makes no claims to divinity in the gospel of Mark. That these claims were added later to the other gospels but what we see a clear implicit claim to Jesus’ divinity.

The Word Heals 2:10-12a

Jesus then heals the man, relieving him of this temporal trouble, and once again proving that He has authority over the body and the soul.

Ref. Fear him who can destroy both body and soul.

He refers to “their faith”. In many of the miracles in the Gospels we see people’s faith in Jesus for the healing of another.

The Gospel according to Mark

For example, the father who petitions Jesus to heal his daughter (5:21–43); the Syrophoenician woman who begs Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter (7:24–30); the official who intercedes with Jesus for his son (John 4:46–53) or servant (Matt 8:5–13).

Jesus heals the paralytic, not because that was what he wanted, but as further evidence to his power to forgive sins. Thus the question “what is easier?”

May this encourage us to act in faith for others, to seek Jesus to heal and save others in our prayers.

The Gospel according to Mark The Authority of the Son of Man (2:1–12)

Faith is first and foremost not knowledge about Jesus but active trust that Jesus is sufficient for one’s deepest and most heartfelt needs.

The Word Awes 2:12b

The man obeys & goes out.

The people were in awe. What is our response? Obedience & Awe

The only proper response and this should be our response here is that Christ is the one who deals with our greatest problem, our greatest issue, sin. He alone, the Word made flesh, has the authority to forgive sin.

Get into his authority.

Cross

Resurrection