He Rose!

We never saw anything like this!

(Mark 2:1-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, August 5, 2018)

[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. [5] And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” [6] Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, [7] “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” [8] And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? [9] Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? [10] But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—[11] “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” [12] And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus preaching the Word

Jesus had set up a temporary residence in the village of Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. He had most recently been traveling throughout the area, but now “it was reported that he was at home.” When last He had been there such amazing miracles had been accomplished, so that whatever anonymity he once had was now entirely lost.

We are told that his house was far from a place of solitude. Many “gathered together, so that there was no more room” as the residents of the town and surely many from the surrounding region came to Him for help. We should not miss that “He was preaching the Word to them.” It was the miracles that were very interesting to desperate crowds of people, but they heard the preaching of the kingdom. Did they understand that there would be a way for them to know that their sins were forgiven?

A paralytic carried by four men

We are told a very memorable account of “four men” who brought to Jesus a man who could not get to Him on his own power. He was a “paralytic.” Even if had been able to walk, it was difficult to get access to Jesus. The man's friends were essential. Think of what kind of character was necessary in order to do their part? Strength, courage, willingness to suffer disgrace or rejection... All of these qualities were important.

I recently saw an unusual Crossfit event (Rescue Randy Drag) that mirrors the work of a soldier carrying a wounded or deceased comrade to safety. Think of those bearing their friend to the only Man who could possibly help him.

Who would you be willing to carry this way to Jesus? Who would carry you?

Amazingly, they “removed the roof” above the Lord. In order to do this they had to climb up on top of the house carefully carrying their friend. Then they had to take out sections in the rustic ceiling, dismantling a portion big enough for them to “let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.”

Wow! Even Jesus was impressed. He “saw their faith”—not the faith of the needy man, but that of His companions—and then He said to the one these men loved, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Some of the scribes

This was already a very powerful happening, yet the man was still paralyzed. His sins were forgiven, but his legs did not work. Even so, I am sure it was impressive in a way that Jesus, who had performed many miracles very recently in Capernaam, was speaking so definitively about this greatest need of mankind.

Yet some people were again upset. “Some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts.” What was the problem? Jesus' teaching. He pronounced that the man's sins were forgiven, and they found that very offensive. They were not just curious about Jesus: “Why does this man speak like that?” It was more than that. They were accusatory. “He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Blasphemy is an attack against God Himself or His sacred institutions. The point is that the scribes knew that it was God who had to be satisfied concerning the offensiveness of sin. Who was Jesus to say that the man's sins were forgiven?

The Son of Man and the forgiveness of sins

Jesus did not ignore their grumbling and inner accusations. He proved His “authority” as the “Son of Man” to “forgive sins” by healing his infirmity. He said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And “he rose.” In front of everybody! “They were all amazed.” Far from starting an anti-God, blasphemous movement, the results of Jesus' words were that the large crowd “glorified God.” As they said, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus' question in the verbal sparring that day was, “Which is easier?” A liar could declare the man's sins forgiven, but who could know whether the deed had been accomplished. What the liar could not do was heal the paralytic. By doing the harder work (in terms of proof), Jesus had proven Himself reliable in all that He asserted.

Yet there is another question: “Which is more impressive, forgiving sins, or healing legs.” If a man is truly able to forgive sins, He has done the ultimate healing. Do we have the faith to believe that Jesus has that authority, and that the church that He founded has the right to declare the forgiveness of sins according to His Word (John 20:23)?

How do we know that Jesus is right about sin? The miracles displayed His divine authority, but no work of the Messiah was more to the point than His own resurrection. It was as if the Lord said, “That you may know that I forgive sin, here I am alive again.”

Jesus healed a paralytic brought to Him by four friends who had faith in Jesus' power to restore the broken. Those who saw with their own eyes what happened that day were shocked. Yet what took place in unseen realms was more significant. The Son of Man came to bring about the forgiveness of sins, and the full impact of that will not be visible until we see Him face to face.

Sermon Point: The unseen works of Jesus are even more amazing than His visible miracles.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 69 – You Know My Reproach

New Testament Reading—2 Peter 1:16-21 – The Word