Jesus of Nazareth: The God Who Forgives Sin

Jesus avoided the term “Christ” (Messiah) because He was a much different kind of Messiah from what the Jewish nation anticipated in the first century. He first came to suffer, and then He would come in glory. Claiming the title “Son of Man” allowed Him to refer to the total scope of His Messianic mission without all the political overtones.

Only in this present text is the forgiveness of sins linked to the divine title “Son of Man.” By implication Jesus does this again in 10:45 when He weds the Son of Man of Daniel 7 to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, thereby redefining who the Messiah is and what He came to do. He is God, a divine heavenly figure who will receive an everlasting kingdom. That kingdom, however, will be realized through suffering service that will climax in death on a Roman cross.

Mark 2:5, 10-12

In spite of opposition from the religious aristocracy, this story has a happy ending. Those who bring the hurting in faith to Jesus will not be disappointed. William Lane says,

The promise of Isaiah 35:6 is realized here: “Then the lame will leap like a deer.”

Coming in faith to Jesus, this hurting man received more that he expected and exactly what he needed. He received the full forgiveness of his sins. He and his friends believed Jesus could meet their deepest needs. They were simply wrong on what was really needed.

Often we think we know what our greatest need is, but really we are only focusing on our circumstances. In reality the problem you are facing today is not your spouse, children, or parents. It is not your job, boss, or coworkers. It is not your lack of resources, shortage of time, or insufficient income. Just like this young man, your greatest need is for the Messiah Himself.

Jesus saw everything clearly—far more clearly than we do. He used this teachable moment to make the point concerning our greatest need in this life or the life to come! Jesus forgives the sins of all who come to Him in faith.

As a proof of His power to forgive sins, something we cannot see, Jesus healed the paralytic, something everyone could see. He is simple and direct in His statement: “‘But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ He told the paralytic, ‘I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’” The man responds with the obedience of faith and does just that “in front of everyone”!

The response of the man and the crowd is appropriate. Even the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who “had come from every village of44 Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17), could not deny this man had been healed and his sins forgiven. Nor could they deny that it had all been done by this man named Jesus. They may not like it, but they could not deny it! Thus we see forgiveness of sins declared (2:5), questioned (2:6-9), validated (2:11), and recognized (2:12).

What does this text teach me about God? If the Bible is, in fact, God’s revelation of Himself in written form, then we should first be concerned not with what it teaches about us but primarily with what it teaches us about Him. In this text we can surely say that only God can forgive our sins. Jesus, the religious leaders, and even the crowds clearly understood that. We can also say that God is compassionate to those wounded by sin. Jesus did not leave the man paralyzed or in sin. He healed him both physically and spiritually. Finally, we see that God honors all who come to Him in faith.

What does this text teach me about sinful humanity? When studying Scripture, we must take into account that we are created in the glorious image of God, but that image is marred by sin. This text shows that our greatest need is not physical healing but spiritual forgiveness. It also teaches that those who are the most religious are often the most judgmental. The scribes and Pharisees exhibit this truth throughout the Gospels. We also see that sometimes, though not always, physical maladies and personal sin are related.

What does this text teach me about Jesus Christ? He is the crux of the entire Bible, so we must ask how this text relates to His person, work, and teaching. Mark reveals Jesus as God—who knows our hearts, who forgives our sins, and who heals our diseases. Ultimately He is the Son of Man who fulfills the glorious vision of Daniel 7:13-14, who has all authority in heaven and earth.

What does God want me to know? In other words, what truths are there in this passage that I need to learn? Here we learn that we need the ministry of the Word. God’s Word spoken into our heart is what He uses to transform our lives. Also, we need to flee to Jesus and Jesus only for the forgiveness of sins. Finally, God wants us to know that Jesus can forgive sins because He is God.

What does God want me to do? How does this text change the way I live? Mark reveals here that God wants us to act on our faith, just as these men did. He also wants us to glorify Him for all He does for us in Jesus. Indeed, worship is the only appropriate response to the work of God in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

In his classic work Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis gets at the heart of the identity of Jesus with his famous “trilemma.” He pinpoints the astonishing claims of Jesus and carefully leads us to the logical and unavoidable conclusions we must face:

Jesus is the God who forgives sin. The questions you must answer are clear: Is He your God? Has He forgiven your sins?