Jesus Has Authority to Forgive Sin
Jesus is the friend of sinners to all who come to Him in the humility of repentant faith. In other words, when sinners like you and me come to Jesus in the humility of faith we find Him to be a tender, forgiving Savior who receives us as we are—bankrupt, broken, needy sinners—prone to wander from the Lord, like sheep without a shepherd.
When we come to Jesus, we receive God’s healing grace. We are pardoned from all condemnation because of the completely satisfying work of Christ on our behalf. This marks the beginning of a new life, a life of worship and obedience to Christ, and a life of unending praise to God for His redeeming love. Jesus accepts us as we are—sinners. Then God accepts us in Christ; i.e. because of His Son.
Luke 5:17-26 describes such an experience, the experience of a paralyzed man who is brought to Jesus. Here we meet a man who receives two gifts from Jesus.
- He receives healing from his physical disability.
- But—more importantly—he is healed of spiritual disability. He receives a full pardon of sin, which results in God being glorified by many.
Here is a dramatic demonstration of Jesus’ power to heal and His authority to forgive.
[Click here to listen to last Sunday’s sermon.]
