A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum. And when the people heard that He was home, they gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke the Word to them.
Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men. Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked. “Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:1—12
Wherever Jesus went a great crowd formed around him. Most of the people came to the house in Capernaum just to hear Jesus speak. But a group of four men were determined to bring a paralytic to Jesus by any means possible. The crowd prevented them from reaching Jesus, so the four men climbed up onto the roof with the paralytic. The homes in Capernaum had flat roofs which were built from planks. The planks were laid across stone walls and plastered with mud. First they broke open a hole in the roof, and then they lowered the paralytic down to Jesus. He “saw their faith.” Their faith was expressed by their tenacious resolve to bring this paralytic to Jesus.
The four men believed that Jesus would heal the paralytic, but Jesus surprised everyone and said to him: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This was scandalous! The Scribes accused him of blasphemy in their hearts. While the teachings and actions of Jesus had raised questions in the past, he now encountered direct hostility from the religious establishment. The accusation of blasphemy is very serious: The penalty for blasphemy is death.
Jesus did not retract his statement, but rather replied to them with a question: “Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?”
It is actually far easier to say: “Your sins are forgiven.” After all any charlatan can make deceptive claims which are impossible to confirm. On the other hand, it is far more difficult to tell a paralytic: “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” Such a statement requires miracle working power.
Jesus wanted to demonstrate to them his authority to forgive sins, so he commanded the paralytic to get up and walk. Jesus healed him by the power of his Word!
The Scribes saw Jesus as he appeared outwardly, as if he were just a man. If that were true he certainly could not forgive sins. Only God has the authority to forgive sins, as it is written:
“I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me. […] I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”
Isaiah 43:11, 25
Jesus told the Scribes that he was going to heal the paralytic so that they would know that he had power to forgive sins because he is “the Son of Man.” The book of Daniel explains the meaning of this title. Daniel the prophet saw in a vision a heavenly figure who was “One like the Son of Man.” In the vision, “One like the Son of Man” (Jesus) receives power from “the Ancient of Days” (our Father in heaven):
“In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13—14
Jesus used the title “the Son of Man” in order to hint at his true identity: He is the “One like the Son of Man” who received power and authority from God, including the power to forgive sins. Jesus’ power to forgive sins stands at the very heart of his mission.
In the beginning there was communion between God and Adam and Eve. But this relationship was totally broken because Adam sinned. Our sins separate us from God. There is no man, not even one, who is righteous in the eyes of God:
“The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”Psalms 14:2—3
In the past God commanded the nation of Israel to bring sacrifices to the Temple in order to atone for their sins. However, God promised that he would eventually send the Messiah in order to atone for the sins of the nation once and for all, as it is written:
“Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. […] By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. […] Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Isaiah 53:4—6, 11, 12
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of Man, whom God sent to this world in order to atone for our sins and to heal the ancient divide between God and man. Jesus’ forgiveness of the paralytic was just a glimpse of the perfect forgiveness which he would bring in his atoning death. In his atoning death, Jesus poured out his blood in order to bring us to God:
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Messiah died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!”
Romans 5:8—10
About two years after he healed the paralytic and forgave him his sins, the Sanhedrin falsely convicted Jesus of blasphemy and handed him over to the Roman authorities. Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers and thus fulfilled the things which were written about him:
“For Messiah also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
1 Peter 3:18
Jesus’ atoning death provided forgiveness of sins not only for his own generation, but for every generation including our own. Jesus is the Son of Man who has the authority to forgive us our sins today. Any attempt to contrive some other means of atonement — good deeds, prayers, asceticism, animal sacrifices — is contrary to God’s perfect provision in Jesus.
Jesus welcomes all those who come to him seeking forgiveness of sins:
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28—30
