Author: Andrew Nugteren

YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN

Text: Matthew 9:1-8
Readings:Matt 8:23-9:8, Psalm 25.
Theme: Jesus' authority to forgive the paralytic is proved by his power to heal him. 
Purpose: To show that Jesus has the authority to forgive our sins and to apply this to us. 

Congregation,

Sometimes you meet someone and he does something, or says something, and you ask yourself; "Who does he think he is?!" You tend to ask that question about those who give the impression they think too much of themselves; they have too high an opinion of themselves; they are too big for their boots.  

Sometimes you are right. That person is proud, arrogant and big-headed. He claims too much for himself and puts himself on a pedestal. 

But at other times you may be wrong. The person is not being arrogant or proud. He knows what he is talking about. He is competent to do that job, or to make those statements, and so you have to revise your opinion. 

In his time on earth Jesus made claims that prompted people to say; "Who does he think he is?!" He claimed such a high position for himself that they regarded his claims as arrogant, even blasphemous. But Jesus was not just a lot of hot air. He could back up his claims. He could prove he was the person he claimed to be. He could demonstrate his power and support his authority. 

Throughout his time on earth people had to think about who he was. Who is this man? Why can he teach as he does? How can he do these miracles? From where did he get this authority? These are the main questions that arise in this part of Matthew's gospel. 

Here we have the second grouping of three miracles in chapters 8 and 9. When we compare Matthew's account with the other gospels we can see that he doesn't follow an order of time (a chronological sequence); rather he is arranging these things topically. So here are three miracles grouped around the question: Who is this man?

The disciples asked that question after Jesus calmed a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. The wind howled through the rigging, and huge waves swept over the little boat, and the disciples were afraid they were going to drown. Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm. The wind suddenly stopped blowing and the sea went flat and still - just like that. They were amazed and asked; "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey him" (8:27)

That question is answered in the next miracle where Jesus cast demons out of two men who lived in the area around Gadara, about 10 kms SE of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples didn't know who Jesus was, but the demons did! When Jesus approached the two men they shouted; "What do want with us Son of God?! Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" (8:29). These evil spirits knew who he was, and they were terrified of him. 

Although the demons knew this most of the people who followed Jesus around did not. They saw him as a man with remarkable powers. He could do extra-ordinary things, and they assumed that God must be with him. They thought he must have received this great authority from God himself. 

In Chapter 9:1 we come to the third miracle of this group. Matthew tells us that Jesus crossed back over the Sea of Galilee by boat and came to his own town. This was the town of Capernaum where he based his Galilean ministry. He lived with Peter in his house and used that as the centre of his activities. 

The other gospel writers tell us that Jesus was teaching in a house, and there many people crowded in and around to hear him. Four men arrived carrying a friend of theirs who was paralysed, but there were so many people there that they could not get close to him. So they took him up onto the roof and dug a hole through the roof and lowered him into the room below. Matthew doesn't give us all this detail. He often abbreviates his stories and gets to the heart of the matter, which in this case was the authority of Jesus to forgive sins. This is the theme we want to consider. 

Jesus claimed this authority. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, son, you sins are forgiven." (vs 2).
To understand this we need to realise that the Jews believed there was a direct connection between sickness and sin. They reasoned that if a man was sick it must be the direct result of some sin. As we have seen in other sermons this may be true in some cases, but it is not necessarily true, nor is it always true. Not all sickness is the direct consequence of some specific sin (cf. John 9:1-3). 

Yet this man's sickness may well have been connected with some particular sin, at least in his own mind. He may well have been struggling with a great deal of guilt and been longing for forgiveness and freedom from the condemnation and the power of sin.

Jesus said to him; "Your sins are forgiven." This is what he needed to hear. This was the real issue in his life. This was his central problem. He was paralysed, for sure, but his greatest problem was spiritual. His most urgent need was for a good relationship with the Lord, and that could only come about through the forgiveness of his sin. 

We need to realise this as well. Your greatest need, and mine, is spiritual. You need to be accepted by God. You need to live close to him. You need to ask God to forgive you your sins. 

Often we don't realise this need as we should. When we get physically sick or ill we long to get better. Sometimes we get frustrated and impatient. We pop pills and drink potions in an effort to get well again as soon as possible.

I wonder if we are just as concerned about our spiritual health. If you are not well spiritually are you eager to be better? Do you seek the help you need from the Lord and from other Christians? Do you take what is necessary in the way of advice, and reading the Bible, and listening to sermons in order to be well again? 

Every one of us has a great spiritual need. Jesus came into the world to save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). This is why he was called 'Jesus', meaning Saviour. He can forgive sins because he took the punishment and penalty for sin by dying on the cross. There God punished sin in His own Son so that he could forgive his people - like this man, and you and me. 

When Jesus forgives us he takes away our sin. He removes it from us. Forgiveness is like being washed, inside, internally, spiritually, in your heart. 
It means that God no longer holds your sin against you; you aren't condemned for your sin; you won't be punished for it - as far as God is concerned it has gone and been done away with. 

This isn't a temporary or passing action on God's part; no, it is a permanent action. The sense of the verb means; "You have been forgiven, and you are now forgiven, and you will remain forgiven." If you are truly sorry for who you are, and for the selfishness and pride in your heart and life, then Jesus says this to you too: "Take heart, son, daughter, your sins are forgiven." Do you believe this? Do you have the assurance of God's forgiveness for you? 

This action of Jesus in forgiving this man was questioned by the scribes. At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming." (vs 3)

Mark and Luke explain the reasoning behind their objection. Matthew, in his usual abbreviated style, doesn't do that. Perhaps he didn't do that because he was writing to Jews and the reasoning of the scribes would have been obvious to them.

The scribes objected because they rightly believed that only God could forgive sins. Jesus claimed to do something that only God did, and only God had the authority to do. In Isaiah 43:25 we read God speaking saying, "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." So to claim to do something that only God could do was blasphemy.  

In response Jesus proved his authority to forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking. He was God and he knew what was going on in their minds. He knew what was in their hearts. Read vs 4-5....

If Jesus had asked us this question today we would probably respond by saying that it is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven', that to say, 'Get up and walk.' In our modern sceptical view we would say, 'Talk is cheap. It's easy to say this, but you need to prove you can do it.'

But we need to think about this question as the Jews would have thought about it. They would have reasoned that only God could forgive sins. Only He had this authority. To forgive sins, for them, was the more difficult of the two. Moses and Elijah and Elisha had healed people in miraculous ways which showed that other men could do this - but only God could forgive sins. 

Following on Jesus says; Read vs 6....
He had already done the more difficult of these two deeds in forgiving the man his sins. To prove he had the authority to do this Jesus also does the lesser of the two - he heals him of his paralysis. "The man got up and went home" (vs 7). Matthew puts it very simply - but let's not miss the great miracle. A man who had been paralysed, and who was always lying on his bed, and who had been carried there by his friends, got up and walked home! 

That miracle proved that Jesus had the authority to forgive sins. The Jews could not escape this fact. They made a very close connection between sickness and sin, and believed that the man could not be cured unless he was forgiven. He had been cured, which meant that he had been forgiven, which meant that Jesus had the authority to do this. 

The scribes must have been both baffled and infuriated with Jesus. Who did he think he was?! Who was he? 

The crowds responded in a different manner: "When the crowd saw this they were filled with awe; and they praised God who had given such authority to men" (Vs 8).
They responded with fear, not just with awe. The Greek reads that they were afraid. That ought to be part of our response when we come face to face with the words and deeds of God. The disciples experienced this fear when they saw Jesus in his glory in the Mount of Transfiguration (17:6); and they were afraid when he appeared to them soon after he has risen from the dead (28:5,10). 

This should be part of your response to the Lord Jesus. He has the authority and power to forgive you your sins and the authority to condemn you for those same sins. He is the Lord and King and Judge of all men and women, boys and girls. You should be afraid and filled with awe and reverence.

But the crowds also responded with praise; "and they praised God, who had given such authority to men." They were right to praise God for this act of forgiveness and for this miracle of healing. But they didn't really understand who Jesus was. They took his phrase about being the "son of man" at face value and thought that this meant he was only a man; a man who was exercising the authority of God. But Jesus was more than a man. 

Matthew wrote this gospel to explain just who Jesus was. He wrote this account some years after these events took place - between 20 and 30 years after the Lord had ascended. By this time the church was established. He wrote to Jewish people to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Those reading this gospel were given much more information that the crowds had.

The readers of this gospel knew that the title 'Son of Man' looked back to the figure in Daniel 7 who was majestic and glorious and powerful. "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him." (Dan 7:14). He had all authority: The authority to forgive the repentant and to grant them eternal life, and the authority to condemn the sinners and to assign them to eternal punishment.

The message of this gospel is not only addressed to those who lived in Matthew's day, but it is also addressed to us, today - to us reading and hearing these words all these years later. They speak to us about the Lord Jesus, who is alive today and reigning in heaven. He is still the Saviour of the world and he has been given all authority.  

Jesus made astounding claims for himself and assumed a great authority. He did this because he was the Son of God and the Son of Man. 

You need to ask yourself: "Who is Jesus to me? Is he the person He claimed to be? Is He my Saviour, my Lord, my God, my King?"

You need to answer this for yourself, no matter how young or how old you are. You must respond to Jesus. You must believe in him, trust in him for forgiveness, and follow him as Lord of your life. 
You must live by faith in Jesus, trusting him for strength and help, every day of your life.

Amen.