‘But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”’ (Mark 2:10-12)
Here is evidence of Jesus’ divinity:
- The accusation (Mark 2:7). Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus doesn’t correct that statement.
- The knowledge of the Pharisees’ hearts (Mark 2:8). He knows what they are thinking. Only God knows the heart.
- The healing (Mark 2:10-11) is the demonstration that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. He really can forgive sins. Therefore, He really is God.
This passage also shows the priority of Jesus. Even before He heals he says (v5), “Your sins are forgiven.” Healing is good, and we should be thankful for it. Forgiveness of sins is even more amazing because sin is our greatest problem: it separates us from the love of God for all eternity. Once our sins are forgiven, there is no separation from God, we are brought into His kingdom, we are adopted as children and we are saved from eternity. Praise the Lord for forgiveness of sins!
The best is yet to come 