7

Jesus’ Authority to Forgive Sin
(Mark 2:1–12)

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet 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 say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” (2:1–12)

The most distinctive benefit that Christianity offers the world is not sacrificial love for others, a high standard of morality, or a sense of purpose and satisfaction in life. All of those virtues are by-products of biblical Christianity, but they are far from Christianity’s greatest gift to humanity. The gospel offers one surpassing benefit that transcends all others and is provided by no other religion. It corresponds directly to mankind’s greatest need. Only Christianity provides a solution for humanity’s fundamental and far-reaching problem—namely, the reality that sinners stand guilty before holy God, who has justly condemned them to eternal hell because of their rebellion and lawlessness.

Ultimately, God does not send people to hell because of sin but because of unforgiven sin. Hell is populated by people whose sins were never forgiven. The difference between those who look forward to eternal life in heaven and those who will experience everlasting punishment in hell is not a matter of personal goodness, as other religions teach, but is bound up entirely in one word: forgiveness. Since “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), both eternal destinations are inhabited by people who were sinners in this life. Only those in heaven were granted divine forgiveness and the accompanying imputed righteousness that is appropriated by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 5:9, 19). Simply stated, every person’s greatest need is the forgiveness of sin. Consequently, the greatest benefit of the gospel is its offer of divine pardon to those who believe. No other religion provides the means for full forgiveness; consequently, all other religions are actually collecting souls for hell.

Both divine judgment and divine forgiveness are consistent with God’s nature. While His righteousness demands that every sin be punished (cf. Ex. 23:7; Deut. 7:10; Job 10:14; Nah. 1:3), His mercy patiently stays His wrath and makes provision for sinners to be pardoned (cf. Num. 14:18; Deut. 4:31; Pss. 86:15; 103:8–12; 108:4; 145:8; Isa. 43:25; Joel 2:13). The justice and mercy of God are repeatedly juxtaposed throughout Scripture, and there is no sense in which they represent irreconcilable truths (cf. Rom. 9:14–24). In Exodus 34:6–7, God introduced Himself with these words,

Nehemiah 9 reiterates that same refrain: “You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. … However, You are just in all that has come upon us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly” (vv. 17, 33). In Romans 2:4–5, Paul emphasizes both the mercy and justice of God when he warns unbelievers what will happen if they do not repent: “Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” On the one hand, there is nothing more offensive to God’s holiness than sin. Unforgiven sinners will be punished by divine wrath. On the other hand, in His mercy, God finds glory in offering to all the forgiveness and absolution of sin through the gospel.

God can both uphold justice and forgive sinners because His justice has been satisfied by His Son, who died as a substitute for sinners (2 Cor. 5:20–21; Col. 2:13–14). Therein lies the heart of the Christian message: the Son of God became a man and died for sinners so that God’s justice was satisfied and sinful men might be reconciled to God (cf. Heb. 2:14–18). The sacrifice of Christ is the sole means by which God offers forgiveness to the world (John 3:16; 14:6). The apostle Paul said it this way in Acts 13:38–39, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you and it is granted to all those who believe.” Ephesians 1:7–8 echoes those words, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” The good news of salvation is that God eagerly forgives all who truly believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second chapter of Mark opens with a story about forgiveness. In the first chapter, Mark emphasized the divine authority of Jesus in several ways. His proclamation of the gospel was authoritative, as He called His disciples to leave everything and follow Him (1:14–20). His teaching was authoritative, such that it astonished those who heard Him (1:27). His healings were authoritative, as He displayed supernatural power over both demons and disease (1:25, 31, 34, 42). In this passage (2:1–12), Mark highlights the most necessary aspect of Jesus’ divine privilege, the authority to forgive sins. That emphasis is at the heart of this unforgettable miracle.

The account centers on four different characters: the curious spectators, the crippled sinner, the compassionate Savior, and the calloused scribes. After tracking each of these, Mark concludes this account by returning to the crowd of onlookers and noting their surprise at everything they had just witnessed.

THE CURIOUS SPECTATORS

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. (2:1–2)

Earlier, when Jesus left Capernaum, He went to preach the gospel in the surrounding towns and villages (1:38). After He healed the man with leprosy, the word about Him spread to such an extent that He “could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere” (1:45). Mark’s comment that it was several days afterward is a very broad phrase that encompasses an indefinite period of time (cf. Luke 5:17). However long it had been (possibly weeks or even months), when Jesus came back to Capernaum, He must have done so quietly. The need for a discreet entrance into Capernaum is indicated by Mark 1:45. It was not long, however, before it was heard that He was at home. Though He had come back secretly, His presence became very public and eager crowds began to gather. The reference to Jesus’ home was in keeping with His decision to make Capernaum His base of operations during His Galilean ministry. While in Capernaum, He likely stayed at the house of Peter and Andrew (cf. 1:29).

The last time He had been at Peter’s home, the residents of Capernaum gathered en masse outside the house as Jesus healed all the sick who were brought to Him (1:33–34). As usual, on this occasion word spread that Jesus was there and a crowd immediately began to form. Mark’s comment that many were gathered together is an understatement. People were crammed in so tightly that there was no longer room, not even near the door.

As always, the crowds primarily consisted of inquisitive onlookers and miracle seekers (Matt. 16:4), more interested in pursuing their own desires (John 6:26) than in mourning over and repenting from sin, thereby seeking salvation from Christ. There were, of course, some genuine followers and true believers, but they represented a small minority. For the most part, the multitudes remained spiritually indifferent to Jesus—drawn by their curiosity and fascination with His supernatural works, but ultimately unwilling to embrace His saving words (Mark 8:34–38; John 6:66). Despite such spiritual apathy and ambivalence, the Lord continued to preach to the throngs, knowing that the Father would draw out the elect from among them (John 6:37, 44). On this occasion in the house in Capernaum, as was His custom, He was speaking the word to them.

The crowd included a number of Pharisees (Luke 5:17), who were the primary guardians and advocates of the legalistic traditions and rituals that permeated first-century Judaism. The name “Pharisee,” meaning “separated one,” defined the philosophy behind the movement. Those who joined the sect, which numbered around six thousand, diligently avoided any interaction with Gentiles, tax collectors, or people whom they regarded as “sinners” (cf. Luke 7:39). Even their attitude toward the common Jewish people was one of disdain and condescension (cf. John 7:49). They considered themselves to be the most holy of all Israelites, but their “holiness” was entirely external and superficial (cf. Matt. 23:28). It mainly consisted of adherence to their own man-made rules and regulations—stipulations they had added through the years to the law of Moses (cf. Matt. 15:2–9).

The precise origin of the Pharisees is not known. It is likely that their sect formed sometime before the middle of the second century B.C. By the time of Jesus’ ministry, they comprised the dominant religious group in Israel. Fervently devoted to keeping the people loyal to both the Old Testament law, and more importantly, the complex set of extrabiblical traditions they had developed around the law, they were highly esteemed for their apparent spirituality and scriptural fidelity.

Within the sect there were scribes (2:6, 16), also referred to as “lawyers” (cf. Luke 10:25), who were professional theologians and Old Testament scholars. They traced their history back to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Israelites returned to their homeland after the Babylonian captivity. An ancient Jewish tradition asserted that God gave the law to angels, who gave it to Moses and Joshua, who gave it to the elders, who gave it to the prophets, who gave it to the scribes in order to lead and teach in the synagogues. The scribes were responsible both to copy and preserve the Scriptures, as well as interpret them in order to instruct the people. Because there were no more Old Testament prophets after Malachi, the scribes fulfilled the foundational teaching role in Israel. Scribes could be found in various Jewish sects (such as the Sadducees or Essenes), but most scribes in Jesus’ day were associated with the Pharisees.

Though a few Pharisees would come to believe in Jesus (cf. John 19:39; Acts 15:5), collectively they appear openly opposed to Him. The scribes and Pharisees who intermingled in the crowd this day were not there to support Jesus’ ministry or learn from Him. Rather, they were present because they saw Jesus as a growing threat. Most of them were not even from Capernaum but from other cities around Galilee and even from Jerusalem (Luke 5:17). They had embedded themselves in the crowd of curious spectators to hear what Jesus had to say for the sole purpose of finding fault with Him, in order to discredit and eventually eliminate Him.

THE CRIPPLED SINNER

And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. (2:3–4)

The account moves from the crowd of curious spectators to focus on a paralytic, carried by four men. His condition had made him completely dependent on others. Unlike lepers (cf. 1:40–45), those who suffered from paralysis were not shunned by Israelite society, since their condition was not contagious. Nonetheless, because disease and disability in general were assumed to be the immediate consequence of sin (cf. John 9:2), this man was likely stigmatized by many in his community.

According to Matthew 4:24, Jesus healed many who suffered from paralysis. Yet, all three Synoptic Gospels draw attention to this particular man (cf. Matt. 9:1–8; Luke 5:17–26). His story is noteworthy not only because of the undaunted determination displayed by him and his friends to get to Jesus, but more importantly because of what Jesus did for him beyond healing his body.

Upon arrival, the five were confronted with an overflowing throng of people so tightly packed in and around the house that they were unable to get to Jesus because of the crowd. According to Luke 5:18, the four friends made an unsuccessful effort to get in through the door. Refusing to give up, they devised an aggressive and extreme plan for reaching Jesus. As Luke explains, “Not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof” (5:19). Once there, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

Jewish houses were typically one story with a flat patio roof accessible by an external staircase. The typical roof was constructed using large wooden beams with smaller pieces of wood in between, covered by a thatch consisting of grain, twigs, straw, and mud. Tiles would then be installed on top of the thatch. The four men carried their friend around the crowd and up the stairs to the roof. After determining where Jesus was located in the room below, they began removing the roof—tiles, mud, and thatch—in their effort to create an opening large enough to lower the pallet.

The strategy was effective, though it must have been incredibly disruptive. Jesus was, no doubt, teaching in the large central room of the house with people pressed around Him, when debris suddenly started falling from the ceiling onto the heads below. One can easily imagine the shock and dismay as the opening grew bigger and bigger, until it was finally large enough to lower the stretcher. Carefully, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. According to Luke 5:19, the four men had calculated well because their friend came down directly in front of Jesus.

THE COMPASSIONATE SAVIOR

And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (2:5)

As the man was lowered in front of Jesus and the stunned onlookers, the reason for the gaping hole in the ceiling became obvious—the man had been brought in order to be healed. Everyone else in the room could see the man’s physical need, but only Jesus perceived the deeper, more significant problem—the paralytic’s need for forgiveness. Obviously, the man wanted physical restoration. Jesus knew he longed for more than that; He addressed the more serious issue first. His words to the paralytic must have stunned everyone in the room. Seeing the faith of both the desperate man and his friends, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” As shocking as the man’s dramatic entrance through the roof had been, Jesus’ statement was even more astonishing.

Sinful mankind has no greater need than forgiveness. It is the only means for reconciliation to God, bringing blessing in this life and eternal life in the next. The reason Jesus came is so that He might “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21), and that through Him sinners might be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18–19). As Peter told Cornelius, speaking of Jesus, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43; cf. 5:31; 26:18; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 2:13–14; 3:13; 1 John 1:9; 2:12; Rev. 1:5). Divine forgiveness, by grace alone apart from works, is distinctive to the Christian gospel. It distinguishes the true message of salvation from every false system of self-righteousness and merit-based religion.

The statement seeing their faith seems to indicate more than just a belief in Jesus’ ability to heal (cf. John 2:23–24). The forgiveness that the Lord granted indicates a genuine, repentant faith. This man (along with his friends) must have believed that Jesus was the One who offered salvation to those who repent (1:15). The Lord, recognizing his true faith, said to him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” The crippled man saw himself as a guilty sinner, spiritually disabled and in need of forgiveness, like the penitent tax collector in Luke 18:13–14 who cried out, “God, be merciful to me the sinner!” Like the tax collector of Luke 18, this man went home justified. Through faith in Christ, he received forgiveness. The same is true for every sinner who believes. Salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 17:30–31; Rom. 3:26; 1 Tim. 2:5).

Recognizing the man’s genuine faith and desire for salvation, Jesus compassionately and authoritatively forgave him of his sin. The Greek word rendered are forgiven refers to the idea of sending or driving away (Ps. 103:12; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:19). Complete pardon was granted by divine grace, apart from any merit or works-righteousness on the part of the paralyzed man. Jesus obliterated his guilt, and in that very moment, the crippled sinner was delivered from a future in everlasting hell to one in eternal heaven.

THE CALLOUSED SCRIBES

But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet 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 say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” (2:6–11)

Jesus’ declaration of forgiveness gave the hostile religious leaders all the ammunition they were looking for to attack Him. When they heard what Jesus said, some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” Their premise, that only God can grant full forgiveness of sins, was absolutely correct. The justification of sinners is a prerogative that belongs to God alone. As the supreme Judge, only He can grant eternal pardon to wicked people. Since every sin is ultimately an act of rebellion against Him and His law (Ps. 51:4), the right to forgive, as well as the right to condemn, belongs to God alone.

Because He claimed a level of authority that belongs only to God (cf. Matt. 26:65; John 10:33), the scribes saw Jesus as a blasphemer. From the perspective of the Jews, blasphemy was the most horrendous crime a person could commit. The first-century Jews identified three levels of blasphemy. First, a person was charged with blasphemy if he spoke evil of the law of God. Stephen (Acts 6:13) and Paul (Acts 21:27–28) were each wrongly accused of doing this. A second, more serious, type of blasphemy occurred when a person spoke evil of God directly (cf. Ex. 20:7). Cursing the name of the Lord, for example, was a crime punishable by death (Lev. 24:10–16). A third form of blasphemy, even more heinous than the other two, took place when a sinful human being claimed to possess divine authority and equality with God. For a mere mortal to act as if he were God was the most egregious offense of all. It was this form of blasphemy that the Jewish religious leaders charged Jesus with committing (cf. John 5:18; 8:58–59; 10:33). Eventually, they would use these same accusations to justify His murder (John 19:7; cf. Lev. 24:23).

In the face of their allegations of blasphemy, Jesus demonstrated His deity in three important ways. First, He read their minds. Immediately Jesus was aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves. The fact that He knew their thoughts proved His deity, since only God is omniscient (1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 17:10; Ezek. 11:5). Jesus did not need them to verbalize their thoughts, “for He Himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25).

Second, He did not argue against their basic theological premise, that only God can forgive sins. Rather, He affirmed that truth. Jesus knew that the religious leaders were accusing Him of the blasphemy of claiming equality with God. That was His whole point. His claim to be able to forgive sins was nothing less than a claim that He was God.

Third, He backed up His claim by demonstrating divine power. Having unmasked their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?” Jesus was not asking which is easier to do, since both are beyond human ability. Rather, He was asking which is easier to claim as a convincing reality. Obviously, it is easier to say that someone’s sins are forgiven since there is no empirical way to confirm or deny the reality of that claim. Conversely, telling a paralyzed man to get up and walk is something that can be immediately tested.

Jesus purposely waited to heal the paralyzed man until after He declared His authority to forgive sins. Disease and disability are consequences of living in a fallen world, meaning that sin’s permeating effects are the root cause of all sickness and suffering. By healing the paralyzed man, in demonstration of His power over sin’s effects, Jesus proved His authority over sin itself. The Lord thus performed the undeniable miracle of physical healing so that everyone watching may know that the Son of Man had authority on earth to forgive sins. The title Son of Man was one of Jesus’ favorite self-designations. He used it more than eighty times in the Gospels (with fourteen of those occurrences in the book of Mark). Not only did the title humbly identify His humanity, it also had messianic implications (cf. Dan. 7:13–14).

Looking with compassion at the man still lying on the stretcher, He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” This miracle would prove whether or not Jesus had power over sin and its effects. More to the point, it would demonstrate whether or not He truly had the divine authority He claimed to possess. The scribes accused Jesus of being a blasphemer, but blasphemers are not able to read minds. They cannot forgive sins, and they cannot validate their claims by healing people who are paralyzed. By performing this miracle, Jesus proved for all to see that He was not a blasphemer. If He was not a blasphemer, then He was God as He claimed.

THE CROWD’S SURPRISE

And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” (2:12)

Jesus dramatically put His lofty claims to the test by telling the paralyzed man to get up and walk. Verification came instantly. The man got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone. Whenever Jesus healed anyone, the person experienced a complete and immediate recovery. No recuperation period was needed, nor were there any lingering effects of the infirmity. This man was no exception. The moment the words left Jesus mouth, the man regained feeling, function, and full strength in every part of his body. He did not need months of physical therapy to relearn how to stand or walk. Instead, he stood right up, picked up his stretcher, and walked home. This time the crowd, utterly amazed by all that had just transpired, parted to let him pass. According to Luke 5:25, the former cripple went home “glorifying God” that not only had his body been healed but his sins had been forgiven.

Unlike the calloused scribes and Pharisees, who continued to reject Christ in spite of the undeniable signs He performed (cf. Luke 6:11; 11:15, 53; 13:17; 15:1–2; 19:47; John 5:36; 10:37–38), the crowds responded with surprise and astonishment. As Mark explains, they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” The Greek word for amazed means to be astonished, confused, or even to lose one’s mind. The people were absolutely dumbfounded by what they had just seen. Luke adds, “They were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen remarkable things today’” (Luke 5:26). The word Luke uses for fear is phobos, which, in this context, describes the awestruck reverence that comes from being exposed to the person, presence, and power of God (cf. Luke 1:12, 65; 2:9; 7:16; 8:37; 21:26; Matt. 14:26; 28:4, 8; Mark 4:41; Acts 2:43; 5:5, 11; 9:31; 19:17). They responded by glorifying God, surely by offering familiar expressions of praise.

For most in the crowd, this response was still reflective of a superficial faith. Matthew 9:8 records their reaction to this very miracle with these words, “But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” Though they were awestruck, and though they glorified God, they still viewed Jesus as just a man to whom God had granted authority. In spite of the obvious miracle and the unprecedented demonstration of divine power, many remained unconvinced of Christ’s deity. They witnessed His supernatural works, but they refused to believe in His divinity. As John explained, “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him” (John 12:37; cf. 1 Cor. 1:22).

Jesus’ miracles functioned as signs validating His claim that He possessed divine authority to forgive sinners. Moreover, Jesus not only had the power to forgive sinners, He became the perfect sacrifice on which divine forgiveness is based. The words Jesus spoke to that paralyzed man two millennia ago are the same words He still speaks to all who come to Him in genuine faith: “Your sins are forgiven.” The greatest benefit Christianity offers to the world is the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ made forgiveness possible through His death on the cross. He offers that forgiveness to all who are willing to repent of their sin and believe in His name (cf. Rom. 10:9–10).