The Authority To Forgive Sins | Matthew 9:1-8

Scripture

• Matthew 9:1–8

About this sermon

Introduction: Jesus has authority unlike anything people have ever seen. When He teaches — no one speaks like this man — they are struck by the authority of His teaching. When He meets with physical suffering, He has the authority to heal every kind of disease and relieve every kind of physical ailment. When He meets with a storm and the potential sinking of a ship, He has authority over the elements — over creation. When He meets with the domain of darkness, He has authority over the demons — and He sets men free. Matthew has presented 5 miracles so far. Each one demonstrates the authority of Christ. Each one speaks of the identity of Jesus, and the mission of Jesus. BUT DOES HE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION, BECAUSE THIS IS MAN’S GREATEST NEED Do you realize that? If I asked you today what your greatest need was as you made your entrance into this world? If I asked you what any man or woman’s greatest need is? Do you know that our greatest need is FORGIVENESS? Our greatest need has to do with our guilt before God. Our greatest has to do with our estrangement from God. EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOD IS WILLING TO DO IN MERCY AND GRACE FOR THE SINNER, REQUIRES THE FORGIVENESS OF THE SINNER. IT REQUIRED JUSTICE. IT REQUIRED AN ATONEMENT FOR SINS. ESV Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. CAN JESUS DELIVER FROM THE GUILT OF OUR SINS? The demons have proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God. We come today to a miracle that confirms what the demons have said. Jesus heals a paralytic in a way that makes His identity crystal clear. ONLY GOD HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS DOES JESUS HAVE THAT AUTHORITY? IS JESUS GOD-INCARNATE? IS JESUS OF NAZARETH TRULY GOD’S SON? This morning we consider four aspects of a scene that declares the glory of God in the person of Jesus. • A SCENE OF TENDER MERCY (vs.1-2) Matthew’s account of this is the briefest when compared with the other two evangelists who describe it (Mark and Luke). Jesus is asked to leave the region of the Gadarenes. He gets back into the boat, crosses the lake, and returns to what is now His own city (Capernaum). What a privilege Capernaum was given! The Son of God made you His own city. This was now homebase for His ministry in Galilee. Here we have the “BEHOLD” that Matthew gives us when he describes something in vivid terms. Some people bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. The man cannot walk, he is lying on a bed (a pallet), and he has some people who care about him — who know that Jesus can make him well — and they bring the paralytic to Jesus. • IT IS A SCENE THE DISPLAYS HUMAN MERCY. These friends care about this man, and they care about him enough to bring him to Jesus. We do not love people if we do not care about what happens to people. We do not care about people if we aren’t concerned about their life — as a whole — body and soul. We do not care about people if we are not willing to expend ourselves to bring them to the one who can meet their greatest need. THIS IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE TESTED ABOUT AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THIS SINFUL WORLD OF OURS. DO WE LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE OURSELVES? Because loving God will often mean trouble for ourselves in this life. DO WE TRULY LOVE OTHER PEOPLE AS OURSELVES? Because loving people will often mean trouble for ourselves in this life. DO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE GREATEST NEED OF ANYONE WE LOVE IS TO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST? You will have many opportunities to make people happy by NOT LOVING THEM. Will you love yourself and keep them happy with you, or will you truly love them, and point them to their need for Christ and perhaps make them UNHAPPY with you? What is interesting is that Matthew leaves out something extremely unique. We know from Mark and Luke that Jesus has been home a few days. We know that He is teaching in a house. We know that that house is so crowded they cannot get this man or anybody else in the door. We know that these four friends climb up on the roof and dig their way through and lower this man into Christ’s presence. ESV Mark 2:1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. WHY WOULD THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THROUGH MATTHEW, LEAVE OUT THOSE DETAILS? I think the reason is because Matthew is homed in like a laser on ONE PARTICULAR POINT.

Topics

• Forgiveness
• Repentance