WWUTT 1986 Jesus Heals a Paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8)

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Jesus healed a paralytic just by telling him, get up, pick up your bed and go home.

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And he did this to demonstrate that he also had the authority to forgive sins when we understand the text.

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Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text is committed to teaching sound doctrine and rebuking those who contradict it.

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Visit our website at www .utt .com. Here once again is Pastor Gabe.

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Thank you, Becky. We're back to our study in the Gospel of Matthew this week in Chapter 9, where we'll see more demonstrations of Christ's authority, not only over sickness and demons, but even with the authority to forgive sins.

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Let me read here these first 13 verses out of the Legacy Standard Bible. And getting into a boat,

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Jesus crossed over the sea and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed.

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Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, take courage, son, your sins are forgiven.

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And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, this man blasphemes. And Jesus, knowing their thought, said, why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

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For which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say, get up and walk?

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But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

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Then he said to the paralytic, get up, pick up your bed, and go home.

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And he got up and went home. But when the crowd saw this, they were afraid and glorified

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God, who had given such authority to men. And as Jesus went on from there, he saw a man called

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Matthew sitting in the tax office, and he said to him, follow me. And he stood up and followed him.

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Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table at the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and his disciples.

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And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, why is your teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?

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But when Jesus heard this, he said, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

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But go and learn what this means. I desire compassion and not sacrifice.

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For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Did you notice how many times we heard the word authority in there?

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Remember, going back to the end of chapter 7, we're seeing Christ's authority demonstrated.

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At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the people were astonished at his teaching because he spoke as one having authority.

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And then we've read about Christ's authority to forgive sickness. The centurion acknowledging

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Jesus' authority and believing that he could just speak a word and heal his servant.

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And here, as we've come into chapter 9, we've read more about authority, where Jesus even says to the

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Pharisees, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority, not only to heal, but to forgive sins.

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And so we see more demonstrations of Christ's authority and his ability to do miracles, for he himself is

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God, the Son of God, who has been given this authority by the

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Father. Perhaps the most famous authority verse in the Gospel of Matthew is

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Matthew 28, 18, where Jesus says, all authority on heaven and earth have been given to me.

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And that precedes what we call the Great Commission, for he then says to his disciples, therefore, go.

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Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

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And lo, I am with you always to the very end of the age. This section here that we're looking at in Matthew 8 and 9, we're seeing more instances of that word authority being used than anywhere else in the

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Gospels. And so here we come again to seeing Christ's authority to heal and even to forgive sins.

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That's what we have in this story here of Jesus healing the paralytic. Each one of these stories that we've read in this section, from chapter 8 into chapter 9, it's almost like the ante gets upped.

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In the first miracle that we read, the healing of the leper, it was dependent on Christ's willingness before it's dependent on the leper's faith.

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But then the centurion has faith. That's not to say that faith is unimportant because Jesus marvels at the centurion's faith.

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And then Jesus heals Peter's mother -in -law. He calms a storm. He has authority even over the natural.

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Then he casts out demons. He has authority over the supernatural. And here in chapter 9, we're seeing once again

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Jesus' authority not just over sickness, but even authority to forgive sins.

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So Jesus gets into the boat. Previously, he had come to the other side of the

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Sea of Galilee to the Gadarenes. He cast the demons into the pigs. We know this was a pagan or a

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Gentile area because Jews didn't raise pigs. So because there was a herd of pigs there, we know that these were

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Gentiles that were living in that particular region. And because Jesus had done this thing, casting the demons out and into the pigs which ran into the sea and were drowned, the people were terrified of him and they asked him to leave their region.

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So Jesus hops in a boat again, goes to another part of the sea, and this time to his own town, which would have been in Nazareth, of course.

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And with this story, you might have noticed at the end of chapter 9 that the people were afraid of him here as well.

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So we see that with the Gentiles at the end of chapter 8, and we're seeing it even among the

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Jews, even among people in his hometown who knew who Jesus was at the conclusion of this story in chapter 9, verses 1 through 8.

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Here we are again at the start with Jesus coming to Nazareth. It doesn't say

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Nazareth, but we know that was his hometown. And verse 2, behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed.

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You probably know this story from the other Gospels. It's detailed in Mark and in Luke as well.

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And Mark even includes a few more details than we get here in Matthew. For example, it says that there were four men, four friends, who brought this paralytic to Jesus.

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And it also says that they peeled back the roof and lowered him through the roof to get him to Jesus because the crowds were gathered there at the house and they couldn't get through the crowds.

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That isn't included in Matthew's gospel, but it does come about in other gospel narratives.

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Here, we're just told they, an unspecified group of friends, doesn't even say there's four of them, it just says they brought him a paralytic lying on a bed.

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It doesn't say they lowered him through the roof, it's just a paralytic that's brought to Jesus. That doesn't mean these stories contradict.

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Mark just includes a few more details than Matthew does. And Jesus says to the paralytic, it says, seeing their faith,

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Jesus says to the paralytic, take courage, son, your sins are forgiven. Now, this expression that he sees their faith, that doesn't mean that the man is forgiven because his friends believed for him.

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We're not given anything like that in the text, but just because they believed, they knew that Jesus could heal this man because of their faith, they brought him to Jesus.

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And so Jesus, seeing their faith, says to this man, your sins are forgiven.

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They've given this man, because they believe they've given this man an opportunity to be healed by Christ, and even more than this, to be forgiven.

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Now, there are a few commentaries that you can find. I don't know where I stand on this particular view. I haven't made up my mind yet, but just I wanted to put this out there to you.

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There are a few commentaries you can find that will say, because Jesus says this to the paralytic, this indicates that the reason for his paralysis was his sin.

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Now, this may not have been like a major spinal injury or something like it could have been, but it also could have been paralysis that was brought on because perhaps the man was a really heavy drinker.

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And from giving himself over to alcohol has caused him seizures or certain debilitating effects in his body that have essentially paralyzed him.

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Sometimes alcohol affects one person different than it affects another. So this man, by his sin, has become paralyzed.

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That could be the reason for his paralysis. We don't know that for sure. And like I said, I don't know where I stand on that particular theory.

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But given that Jesus says to the paralytic that your sins are forgiven would be one indication that the reason for his paralysis is because he did something sinful in no other occasion of Jesus healing that we've seen so far in the gospel of Matthew, as he said, your sins are forgiven.

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He's not said that before. He just he just heals. In this case, he's forgiving the sins of this paralytic.

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Now, this could be because in this particular story, he's trying to demonstrate something to the

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Pharisees, who, of course, don't believe in Jesus authority. And they say they say the man blasphemes because he claims to have the authority to forgive sins.

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It could be that's the reason why Jesus says this here and that we haven't had that mentioned in any of the other miracles.

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Or once again, the theory goes, this man was a sinner. And that's the reason why he's paralyzed.

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So Jesus begins by telling him, your sins are forgiven. Now, that really is better news to this paralytic than being told that he can get up and walk.

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To have your sins forgiven is a way bigger deal. Why? Because we need the forgiveness of our sins in order to inherit everlasting life.

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You can have your body healed, but if your sins aren't forgiven, then you just have a comfortable seat on your way to hell.

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But to be told that your sins are forgiven means you've got access to the very dwelling place of God.

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You have been made righteous that you may dwell in his righteousness. And so that's a way bigger deal to hear from Jesus, who has the authority to say this, your sins are forgiven.

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So they bring to him this paralytic lying on a bed, Jesus seeing their faith, says to the paralytic, take courage, son, or in some translations, be of good cheer, because, of course, having your sins forgiven would be the most delightful thing in the world to hear.

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Now, this had to happen first, the man's sins to be forgiven before Jesus heals him of his disease, which again might be brought on by a particular sin.

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Verse three, and behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, this man blasphemes. Why do they think that he blasphemes?

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Because he's claiming to have authority to forgive sins. And who can forgive sins? No one can forgive sins but God.

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Therefore, if Jesus is forgiving the sins of others, he's claiming to put himself in the position of authority as God.

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Well, of course, we know that because Jesus is God. We know that. The Pharisees don't know that.

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Jesus, knowing their thoughts, and once again demonstrates his authority and his power as God, he knows exactly what it is that they're thinking.

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Knowing their thoughts said, why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say, get up and walk?

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But so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins, then he said to the paralytic, get up, pick up your bed and go home.

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Now what is the reason for this argument that Jesus raises here? Which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say, get up and walk?

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What do you think? I'm asking the question to you now, and I'm going to give you a bit of pause, a moment to answer the question for yourself.

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So think about it. What did Jesus mean by asking this question? Which one is easier to say?

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Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or is it easier to say, get up and walk?

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Which is easier? And I'm not talking about the physical act of doing those things. It takes just as much effort to say your sins are forgiven as it is to say, get up and walk.

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So we're not talking about the ability to utter the phrase rather, which phrase is easier to say unchallenged.

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It's easier to say your sins are forgiven because there's no outward test that could be used to demonstrate whether or not you accomplish what it is that you said.

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The only person that would know that their sins are forgiven would be the person whose sins are forgiven.

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But you can't demonstrate that to everybody else that a person's sins have been forgiven.

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It's harder to say, it's more difficult to say, get up and walk, because then you have to show an outward fulfillment of what it is that you just said.

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You can say to somebody, get up and walk, but if they don't get up and walk, well, what you just said didn't accomplish anything.

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Jesus says to these Pharisees, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he passes the outward test.

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And he says to the paralytic, get up, pick up your bed, and go home.

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You can see outwardly the authority that Jesus has, even over the paralysis of this man, that he can tell him by a word to get up and he will be healed, even taking up his bed and going home.

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This man that everybody has seen and known is a paralytic.

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They know this man can't walk. He's known in the region as a paralytic. And yet they see right here,

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Jesus telling him to get up and walk, and he does. So by seeing his authority demonstrated in that way, they know he has authority to forgive sins.

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So once again, let me come back here to verse 4, where Jesus begins to speak to the

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Pharisees there. Knowing their hearts, he said, why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

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For which is easier, to say your sins are forgiven or to say, get up and walk?

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But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

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Then he said to the paralytic, get up, pick up your bed, and go home. This miraculous demonstration right here shows

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Jesus' authority, that when he had said earlier, your sins are forgiven, something was indeed accomplished there.

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Only God has the ability to do this, to speak a word, and a man would instantly, miraculously be healed.

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And so Jesus is the Son of God with authority to forgive sins.

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Again, just as he said back in verse 2, take courage, son, your sins are forgiven.

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Now, why he calls the man son, I guess I didn't address that when we were there in verse 2. There could be two reasons for that.

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Either he was a Jew, and so therefore being a son of the kingdom.

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Remember that Jesus referred to the sons of the kingdom when he was talking about the centurion previously in chapter 8.

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So being a Jew, being one who is a descendant of Abraham, therefore

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Jesus refers to him as a son. Or it could also be that this is an invitation or rather signifying that you are part of the kingdom, because I call you child, because I call you son, you are a child of the father.

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So take courage, son, your sins are forgiven. That could be, you know, either way,

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Jesus is showing an inclusion into something by calling him son and giving him these comforting words, take courage or be of good cheer.

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And then the best news that the man could hear of all, that his sins are forgiven. And so demonstrating that he has the authority to forgive sins by telling him to get up, pick up your bed and go home.

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Now, in a lot of the depictions, like the movie depictions and the film depictions of Jesus performing this miracle, if you've ever seen this portrayed in some sort of cinema or something like that, oftentimes it's like Jesus will say to the paralytic, get up and go home.

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And like he struggles, he kind of wiggles his foot, he moves his legs, just like you would see somebody do in a hospital.

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If a doctor came in and said, OK, well, let's see how you're doing here. Wiggle your toes a little bit.

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And there's always kind of a struggle to be able to do that. And every time you see this done in a TV show or a movie, it's like the paralytic or whoever is lame that is being healed.

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When they get healed, it's always kind of a struggle to do it. I don't think that's what happened. I don't think it's like he struggles to get up and then he does and then suddenly finds his balance like a like a baby elephant that was just born attempting to walk for the first time.

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I don't I don't think that's how that went. I think Jesus just said it and he just did it.

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He just got up as though nothing were wrong with him at all, because he has the power to not only forgive a man and and restore his ability to walk, but even to give his brain the cognitive function to be able to do it and do it with balance.

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Jesus can do that. He has the authority and the power to do that. And right there before the people, they see this incredible miracle has been performed.

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And indeed, it says in verse seven, he got up and went home. That's an important detail in Matthew's recollection of this event that Jesus not only tells him to get up, but that he does.

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He got up and went home and look at verse eight. But when the crowd saw this, they were afraid.

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Now, that sounds like the same kind of reaction that the Gentiles had at the end of chapter eight when

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Jesus healed the demoniacs and cast the demons into the herd of pigs. And then the people come out, the whole city came out to meet

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Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. They were afraid of him. He's got even more power than these demoniacs had.

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But they asked Jesus to leave here in this particular occasion, this this story, which is now immediately following the one we just read.

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So we go from the Gentiles to the Jews, the people of Jesus' hometown. They also were afraid.

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But what was their reaction? Even in their fear, it says they glorified

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God who had given such authority to men. So this was a healthy, a reverent kind of fear that they would fear the

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Lord. He's given authority to men to be able to do this, that they might tremble before God and know that if Jesus has the ability to forgive sins, he also has the power and the authority to condemn a man and his sins as well.

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That may have been that may have been part of their fear, why they were afraid, because they were in the midst of someone who had been given such incredible authority.

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Now, we need to know that Jesus alone has the authority to forgive our sins.

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You may have come to an understanding of who Jesus is. You may have come to believe the gospel because someone else had faith and brought you to a place where you could hear the gospel and so be saved.

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They believed, they brought you to it, and that increased your chances to come to salvation.

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Praise be to God for that. Just like these men believed in Jesus, so they brought their paralytic friend to him in order to be healed.

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And he received so much more than that, more than just healing. He had his sins forgiven. But you know that Jesus is the authority to forgive your sins.

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It's not granted to a priest. There's no priest that can say to you, your sins are forgiven.

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They have no authority to be able to do that. God has not given them authority to do that. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive your sins.

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And if you know by what is said in his word, that through faith, you've been forgiven your sins, then, you know,

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Romans 8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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And you can rejoice. You can go on guilt -free. You can continue in the righteousness of Christ, shouting, hallelujah, my sins are forgiven.

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As it says in Psalm 103, verse 12, he has thrown them as far as the east is from the west and he remembers them no more.

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I think it's in Isaiah 34 where God says, I have blotted out your transgressions, return to me and I will make you new.

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And you rejoice in this because God has done it. By his mercy and his grace, your sins are forgiven.

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And that's the best news that you can receive. Just like I said earlier about the paralytic, to know your sins are forgiven.

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Better news than even having physical ailments in your body healed.

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Because you know that by the forgiveness of your sins, you've been given a place in the family of God.

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Just as Jesus said to this paralytic, take courage, son, your sins are forgiven.

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So you know by faith in Jesus, you've been made a son or a daughter of God. And if a son or a daughter of God, then fellow heirs with Christ of his eternal kingdom.

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And that's the best news that you could hear today. And so in light of the fact that your sins are forgiven, don't walk in those sins anymore.

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But continue in the righteousness of Christ, pursuing holiness and godliness today for his namesake.

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That you also, by your life, may glorify God and others with you when they see what

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God has done in your heart. Let's finish with prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what we've read here.

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And I pray that indeed it causes us fear, but fear in a reverent way that we would love the

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Lord our God and desire to obey you and walk in your ways. Lead us in these things that we may be more like Christ, that we would walk as Jesus walked, as it says in 1

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John 2, 5. And as David prayed in Psalm 51, then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn to you.

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And may that be the testimony in our lives as well, pointing others to the gospel of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

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Amen. You can find a complete list of videos, books, devotionals, and other resources online at www .tt