Son, thy sins are forgiven.

As the Lord may be pleased to help us this evening, I would like to draw your prayerful attention to the words found in the chapter we read together, Mark chapter 2, and we'll take as our text verse 5. Mark chapter 2 and verse 5. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Mark chapter two and verse five.

What a wonderful blessing it is that our Lord Jesus came to this world and he gave his life a ransom for many. There was none other good enough to pay the price for sin. He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in. This same Lord Jesus is he who was born as a little baby in Bethlehem.

And it doesn't seem long ago that we were reading in Matthew's gospel about Joseph Mary, the mother of Jesus, his husband, a very gracious and God-fearing man was Joseph. And you can well understand his great concern. The young lady to whom he was about to marry, and she was his spouse's wife, we read, which was more powerful than an engagement between two to get married. It was a sealed agreement whereby they would get married. She was found to be with child. And Joseph, being a just man we read, he thought he would put her away somewhere quietly for a while. But then what happened?

One night in a dream, God spoke. And when God speaks, his people hear. As we were looking at the situation of Jacob this morning, God spoke to him. He was escaping, he thought, from his brother. But he was going straight into a situation of eternal value because God had singled him out and given to him that great promise and that great future of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with that ladder that was set up on the earth whose top reached to heaven. And there was that connection established between heaven and earth through the coming of the Lord Jesus. Many generations ahead, but Jacob believed. Good Joseph believed what God told him.

He said, fear not to take unto you Mary to be your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And then he gave a promise, and she shall bring forth a son, and thou, Joseph, thou, you who are listening to me in this dream, you will call his name Jesus. for he shall save his people from their sin. And a shall is a far more powerful word than will. Shall carries with it a God sent promise. And so Joseph went ahead and took Mary to be his wife.

And the Lord Jesus proved to be who God said he would be. His name shall be called Jesus For he shall save his people from their sin. And this same Jesus is he of whom we read in this part of God's holy word. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

The Lord Jesus Christ had been preaching and teaching in various areas and he comes back to Capernaum where much of the New Testament of the Lord Jesus' teaching is set in an area of Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee where this became a sort of headquarters for the making known of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. And we read in God's word that it was noised that he was in the house. It's as though as soon as Jesus went into this house, wherever it was, he doesn't say the exact location, but it was a house, not a big cathedral or a temple. No, it was a house, a humble dwelling, with a roof that could be easily broken into, we read.

And Jesus was there. And what a blessing it was that he was there. Because straightway, many were gathered together. It was noise, it was a rapid spread of information around that area. And people came, Jesus is there. It doesn't matter what the building is. If the King is there, there is the court. And where the King is, there is power. And what did Jesus do when these people gathered together? And there were many.

They couldn't all fit in and sit down nice and comfortably like we are this evening. I expect they were all standing so they could get as many as possible. And they were in the doorways and the windows and doing their best hear the words that the Lord Jesus spoke. There was no such room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word unto them, the word of life. They came to hear. They were among those blessed ones.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. The promise is, for they shall be filled. and how filled these people were because we read later on that they were all amazed. They wondered at the miracle that Jesus had performed. In Mark's Gospel we see very clearly the reason why Jesus came to this earth and the righteousness of Christ who came to this earth. His perfect righteousness is that which whereby he could secure salvation for those who depend on him. And his power is such that all who came to him with a felt sense of their need, he didn't send them away, no. When they did go away, they went away better than they were when they came.

And Jesus himself was gathering with these people in this house, and what a blessing it is in our houses. If we look to the Holy Scriptures to read and pray morning and night, What blessing times they are sometimes when we feel the Lord warming our hearts with his word. And when we gather together in his house like this chapel and the word is preached, God gives a hearing ear and a receptive heart, what a blessing it is. It's a miracle of grace that God prepares the heart to receive the word And God knows what the word should be to meet the need of his people. And God knew all about those who gathered in this house.

What happened? It's very remarkable, isn't it? They gathered for worship and Jesus was preaching the word to them. And while he was preaching the word, something happened. They came to him bringing one sick of the palsy, which was born, that is carried by four people. What a blessing it is that they had it in their heart to walk, we don't know how far, but carry this man who could not bring himself by any means to come to see Jesus. They felt the need for him to be cured of his palsy, this disabling complaint that this poor man had.

And they thought if anyone can cure him, surely Jesus can. Now we have the same privilege. We can carry our friends to Jesus in prayer. He hears us. But these had faith to believe that if they carried their friend to Jesus, Jesus would heal him. And Jesus did more than that, as we shall see. His gifts in abundance we daily receive. He has a redundance to all that believe. And these four men carried their friend to Jesus. And when they got there, there were crows right round the building. We can easily imagine it.

But they couldn't get in. But being a typical Eastern house, it most likely had an outside staircase. And this was very often for a practical reason. People grew crops. these peasant farmers, gardeners, and they would dry fruit and they would dry crops on the roof where the animals on the ground couldn't eat it. I expect the birds came and helped themselves a bit. But the roof was constructed quite flat so that they could do this. And they lifted up some of the roofing. It might have been thatch, it might have been some tiles that they could stack to one side. But there was room between the timbers to lower this man down. And while Jesus was faithfully preaching the word, this man came down through the ceiling and landed in the middle.

But Jesus saw their faith. He could see into their heart, mind and soul exactly what they were thinking. If only they could get to Jesus, Jesus could help this poor man. Jesus saw their faith, faith in action. They weren't just sitting at home thinking, I wonder if Jesus could help him. No, they had a mind and a heart to truly seek him. And we don't know how far they came, but they arrived and no one stopped them making a hole in the roof to let this man down. And there he was, a helpless man, in front of the Lord Jesus.

But when Jesus saw their faith, when Jesus saw their faith, he looked at this poor man, and he said, son, thy sins be forgiven thee. That poor lady that pressed through the crowd to touch Jesus, and she said in her heart, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be made whole.

And you know what happened, how that Jesus turned around and said, someone had touched me. She felt straight away that she was healed. Because there is power in Jesus and if she believed that she could just touch his garment, she should be made whole.

But Jesus knew that healing had gone out of him. He looked round and said, who touched me? And the disciples said, Well, thou seest the crowd master and sayest thou who touched me? But Jesus said somebody had touched me because he knew that virtue had gone out of him.

Now what a blessing it is that when you feel God's work in your heart and soul, it may be while you read his word, it may be while you're listening to his word being preached, It may be in a hymn that you sing or in the Bible as you read it and your heart is warmed and your affection goes up to the Lord Jesus with love and power from your heart. Jesus knows all about that. He knows when a blessing goes out of him.

And this man looked at this poor helpless man laying on the ground and he said, son, just as he said daughter go in peace to the lady who was cured, she went in peace. She was healed from that very hour. This man, he said, son, thy sins be forgiven me. Now this man didn't look any different for Jesus having said that.

We can't see the expression on his face, but he might have looked more pleasant because if he had a burden for his sin and Jesus said, thy sins be forgiven thee, with that authority divinely given, his face might have shone. But he was still helpless. But why did Jesus deal with his sin when he was obviously helpless and unable to walk himself or motivate himself or do anything.

It's all because the Lord Jesus started with the root of the problem. Healing can only come following cleansing. If there's an infection, we don't heal, do we? People that carried this man to Jesus, no doubt they thought, and we can't blame them for thinking, the Lord Jesus has power to heal. We read how he gave sight to the blind, the dumb could speak, the deaf hear, and the poor had the gospel preached to them. But this man was still laying there motionless, because Jesus was dealing with the cause of the problem, by which this man was sick of the palsy and disabled.

And therefore, what a blessing it is. I don't want to bring myself into this, but I was taught something some months ago and it spoke to me at the time. I was clearing a bit of ground, there were some blackthorn bushes there, and any of us that have to do with trees and tree grubbing or anything like that, beware of blackthorns, they're poisonous. And I had one go in the back of my hand, quite a long one. got a pair of pliers and pulled it out and it bled a bit and I thought that's not very comfortable but I carried on and then it came up like a sort of a boil and it kept weeping and it wouldn't heal and I went for quite a long time with a patch on it but it still wouldn't heal then it came up again and I think it was sort of last autumn sometime and I got a needle and poked about and I saw something black and I managed to hook it out and there was the sharp end of a blackthorn that was still in there well now I've got a little pink place on the back of my hand but the skin's grown over it Now, until the poisonous infection is dealt with, healing can't take place. Now, the Lord Jesus taught these people these wonders of grace when he dealt with this poor helpless man. So the Lord Jesus began by going to the root of why this man who had such a disabling condition had to be carried to Jesus by his four friends. We can carry our friends to Jesus, can't we?

Sin is the cause of all that is wrong in this world. Praise God that he has and always had a covenant of grace. And what is that covenant of grace? Well, I think it's neatly contained in that well-known verse in John chapter three, verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And this is consistent throughout the scripture. That sin and the forgiveness of sin is that which God in mercy works first in his wondrous grace and then satisfies the hungry soul with his blessing and goodness.

It's a basic fact in medicine I think that infection has to be dealt with before healing can take place. That's what I learned. So which is easier to say? In verse 9 we read, Whether it is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and take up thy bed and walk.

The Lord Jesus said this in answer to the thoughts of those who were sitting there listening to him attempting to disclaim the divine power of our Lord Jesus. There were certain scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts. The Lord Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking. He has power to look into people and know their thoughts. This is quite consistent in scripture. Time and time again we read Jesus knew their thoughts. We don't read that they said anything verbally. They reasoning in their hearts, why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? In the book of Leviticus we read that if anyone portrays themself as God and attempts to forgive sin, and they're not God, they're guilty of blasphemy and they could be stoned.

And these scribes and the Pharisees were among those of whom we read in the beginning of John's Gospel He came to his own and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to those that believe on his name. These people, they received him not. And the sad part is they didn't realize the blessing, but they were about to be taught a wonderful blessing, which comes at the end of this part of God's word.

Immediately, the word immediately and straightway come up quite often in Mark's gospel. Immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that those so reasoned within themselves He said, whether it is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, arise, take up thy bed and walk.

But that ye may know that the Son of Man, and I think this is the first time in Mark's gospel that the title Son of Man is given to the Lord Jesus. And you will notice as you read on, it comes time and time again. The Son of Man, yes, he is God. in the form of mankind. And he had to come as a man and live a life of perfection that love's redeeming work might be completed and secured and sin forgiven. But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he said to the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, arise and take up thy bed. and go thy way into thine house.

And immediately he arose, took up the bed, the bed that he was carried on. You imagine, he had to be carried there and let down through the roof. And now he's standing up and folding up this bed. Take up thy bed and go thy way into thine house. So the bed that carried him there, he was now carrying it out. What a miracle. What a wonder of grace. Such a helpless man, yes, but with no physiotherapy. But the miracle and the sign that Jesus did was so powerful.

Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they were all amazed, yes, all who were gathered, including the scribes, those who were skeptical and thought that Jesus was making himself to be God when he was not. He now proved that he is God in the form of a man. to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth.

He also said, I and my father are one. He that has seen me has seen the father. No man taketh my life from me. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This have I received from my father. There is no man on this earth ever, never will be, more powerful, more divine than our dear Saviour. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, we never saw it on this fashion. The Lord Jesus could not just pretend this was done if he could not have the ability to physically cure this man from his disabling condition.

He asked these scribes a good question. Why do you reason these things in your hearts? He said, which is easier to say. It's a good question, isn't it? The way the Lord Jesus spoke, it was as easy for Him to say, to this man, thy sins be forgiven thee, as to say, rise, take up thy bed and walk.

Who had power on earth to forgive sins but Jesus only? And of course, in the eyes of God, He had already suffered for our sin. He had already gone as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. And therefore, this man walked out of the house in the presence of them all, and they were all amazed, them all. So what is God saying to us here this evening? What is God saying?

Sin is a disease that came into the world and as the result of sin only Christ has power over sin. And sin came into the world of course because of man's obedience, man's disobedience. And the only remedy is the perfect obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I firmly believe that the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work was first preached in the Garden of Eden.

It's worth remembering, dear friends, that it was God who first made the call by his wondrous grace to Adam and Eve when they had sinned. And he called unto Adam and said, Where art thou? And before ever they were cast out of the garden of Eden, he said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The enemy of souls, the devil, is active. but the Lord Jesus Christ is he to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth. He alone has the power to forgive sin and to put away sin to the extent that God sees his people without sin. He it is who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that works in us. And that power that works in us is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the disease of sin, he alone is the one who has power over sin. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son his son of perfect obedience.

He who said, no man taketh my life from me, I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it again. Yes, on that sad night when they took the Lord Jesus on that false trial and to persecute him and to put him on the cross to die, He had power, if he wanted to, to take himself down from that cross. But no, what we read is in the holy scriptures, he for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. Pilate said, I find no fault in him. The Roman governor said he's not worthy of death. They could find no fault in him. No, he was perfect.

And yet he knew that the only way of salvation was for him to be the lamb which taketh away the sin of the world. So Christ could not have cured this sick of the palsy, which was the effect of sin, if he could not take away sin, which was the cause of such a condition.

God's pardoning love. Sin is the disease of the soul. And when sin is pardoned, the soul is healed and saved. What pardoning grace is only found in our dear Saviour. By grace, through faith. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. And they were forgiven because of the wonders of grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. And these wonderful words of truth and blessing, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians and reminded them of who they were and what they were, and encouraged them.

He said, and you, Hathi Quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation, that is our citizenship, in time past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But, and where you see a but in the Bible, Something very profound follows. Having reminded them of what they were in their lost condition of darkness, he says, but God, who is rich in mercy with his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together. Quickened is to be made alive.

Quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved. and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith. Remember, Jesus saw their faith. By grace are ye saved through faith. Faith is a wonderful gift, and it's made a blessing when we use it, dear friends. And that faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained that we should walk in them. What a wonderful gospel we have. poor, helpless, ruined, lost souls come to Jesus and He is able to send us on our way rejoicing in hope of life eternal. For this is life eternal. The Lord Jesus said that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.

May Jesus be precious to us each, And may the Lord add his blessing. Amen. Let's sing together our final hymn of the day from hymns for worship number 141. One for one. My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Saviour Divine. Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away. O let me from this day be wholly Thine. Hymns for Worship 141, Tune 524. Ahem. Thy face looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine. Now hear me while I pray, Take all my guilt away, Lord, let me from this day be wholly Thine.

May Thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart, Thine still inspire. Thou hast died for me, O there my love to Thee, Thou, the warm and changeless tree, our living fire. Where night's dark maze I tread, And creeps above me stray, Did darkness turn to day? My sorrow tears away. Oh, let me headline straight from the other side. Will its light trudge your dream? Will death's cold silence scream?

Pleasure, Saviour, then in love, Fear and distrust removed, Thou help me, Saviour of the nations. Now may the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Son, thy sins are forgiven.

Sermon Transcript

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Son, thy sins are forgiven.

Sermon Transcript

Comments

More from Philip Buss

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book