The healing of the paralytic is the next miracle in our series…This miracle is recorded for us in Matt 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:18-26 .
This miracle took place as Jesus was inside a house, surrounded by a multitude. A man who was sick of the palsy (paralyzed) desired to see Christ believing he could be healed. The four men who were carrying this sick man took him upon the roof of the house, removed a portion of the roof and they let him down upon his bed. When Jesus saw this act of determination, His first priority was to take care of this man’s spiritual needs. He said “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee”.
There were those who heard this declaration of Christ that began to accuse Him of blasphemy. Their reasoning was that only God could forgive sins and (in their opinion) Christ obviously was not God. Christ’s response was to prove that He had authority to forgive sins by granting physical healing to the palsied man. This set of miracles (his salvation and then physical healing) resulted in God being glorified by, both, the healed man as well as the multitude that had watched the unfolding of these events.
There are two basic principles that we have highlighted in this account:
- This man’s spiritual need took first priority in Christ’s dealings with him. The forgiveness a fallen man’s sins, the most indispensable of all man’s requirements, is the greatest act of power, authority and divinity that Christ performs among fallen mankind.
- The miracles that Christ performed proved that He was God Himself. Once He proved Himself as God, it was then obvious that He had the authority to forgive sins. (Isa 43:25, Micah 7:18)
Have your sins ever been forgiven by God? As we have seen in this set of miracles by Christ, this is the most urgent need of your life. As we have also seen, the authority and ability to forgive sin is restricted to God Himself. God, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ has done everything that is necessary to grant you the forgiveness of your sin. Come before Christ humbly, realizing you can do nothing to secure forgiveness from your sins. Look to Him in faith, turning from your sin in an attitude of willingness to allow Him to be Lord of your life.
Act 4:10,12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole… Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
i often wonder how people can ignore God, knowing the word, and living in no fear of going to hell
I have no idea but sad to say there is a world filled with them….
The people who heard Jesus speak KNEW that He was claiming to be God. They KNEW there was only ONE way to interpret His words . . . and yet we get door knockers who try to “explain away” His statements, saying He was saying something else.
Sinful man who is blinded to God’s word will constantly deny the obvious teachings that He gave us. Another good example of this principle is in the US right now. The sin of homosexuality is now becoming an acceptable lifestyle. It amazes me to see how so called experts in the Word can make verses stand on their head to try to change God’s clear teachings on the subject. We were all spiritually blinded until the Lord be grace choose to openour eyes and show us the truth from His Word. Praise the Lord for what He has done for us.
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