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Well, you can turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 9. We'll return, 
the Lord willing, to our study in the book of Acts next Sunday. 
This morning we're going to look at the first eight verses in 
Matthew chapter 9. I'll begin reading in verse 1, 
Matthew chapter 9. And at once some of the scribes 
said within themselves, this man blasphemes. But Jesus, knowing 
their thoughts, said, why do you think evil in your hearts? 
For which is easier, to say, your sins are forgiven you, or 
to say, arise and walk? but that you may know that the 
Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. Then he said 
to the paralytic, Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. 
And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitude 
saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power 
to men." Amen. Let us pray. Father, thank you 
for the written word of the living and true God. We pray for the 
Holy Spirit to guide and direct us now as we consider this passage. 
I pray that we would see the glory of Jesus Christ as that 
one who is able to forgive sin, as that one in whom there is 
forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with God. We ask 
that you would guide our thoughts, direct our minds, encourage our 
hearts, and strengthen us in the faith. And Lord, for those 
who have yet to come to Jesus, those who are not believers in 
Jesus, we pray that today would be the day of salvation. We pray 
that your spirit would work in their hearts, granting them the 
graces of faith and repentance so that they may close with Jesus 
Christ. Forgive us again for all of our sin and transgression 
and everything that darkens our understanding. And we pray in 
Jesus' name, amen. Well, within the Gospel of Matthew, 
obviously, He sets forth the glory of Jesus Christ. And there 
is a particular emphasis that we ought to observe before we 
enter into an exposition of this chapter. If you go back to chapter 
7, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, that's chapters 5 
to 7, where Jesus goes up on a mountain, and there He teaches 
disciples and multitudes. And at the end of that sermon, 
verse 28 in chapter 7 says, So it was when Jesus had ended these 
sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching. For 
he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 
He wasn't just parenting. He wasn't just engaged in sort 
of a rote passing on of information to others, but he taught as one 
having authority. So now in chapters 8 and 9, Matthew 
shows the authority of Christ in his works. So chapters 5 to 
7, the authority of Christ and His teaching, and in chapters 
8 and 9, and later on to be sure, the emphasis is upon Jesus and 
His works. We see Him engaged in miraculous 
dealings, we see Him engaged in many sort of demonstrations 
of that power, of that authority. and specifically the section 
that we're looking at. If you look beginning at chapter 
eight and verse 23 to the end of our section, we have Christ 
and the storm in chapter eight, verses 23 to 27. And then in 
chapter eight, 28 to 34, Christ and the demoniac. So it shows 
his power over nature. It shows his power over demonic 
forces. And then our section shows his 
power over the human body and over the human soul. So the Christ 
with whom we have to deal is unique. He's not like other men. 
We know from the rest of Scripture that He is the second person 
of the Trinity. He is God, the Word. And He came into this world, 
He assumed our humanity. That means, kids, He took on 
our humanity. with everything that makes us 
human except without sin. So Christ assumes that humanity. 
He lives in obedience to the Father's law. He dies as a sacrifice 
and substitute at Calvary. He's raised the third day. He 
does that so sinners like us can believe on Him and receive 
forgiveness. So sinners like us can believe 
on Him and receive a righteousness so that we can one day stand 
before God Almighty. Jesus does that because of His 
great love for sinners. And we see and appreciate that 
as we marvel at what he does in passages like we have before 
us. And I want to encourage us to 
think beyond the physical paralysis that affected this man. I think 
Charismatics and Pentecostals are wrong at this point. They 
think that the miraculous demonstration of God is seen in healing. It's 
seen in resurrection physically. It's seen in persons that were 
blind but now can see, and persons who are dumb but can now talk. 
It's seen in the power of regeneration. It's seen in the salvation of 
a sinner that deserves damnation and hellfire for eternity. That 
is the magnifying of the power of Jesus Christ, and that is 
the way that we ought to approach this passage. So I wanna look 
at chapter 9, verses 1 to 8 under three considerations. First, 
we'll look at the declaration of Jesus in verses 1 and 2. Secondly, the confrontation with 
the scribes in verses 3 to 5. And then finally, the explanation 
given by Jesus in verses 6 to 8. So let's look at the passage 
beginning in chapter 9 at verse 1. Notice the situation. So he 
got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own city. Now 
his own city was Capernaum. He was certainly born in Bethlehem, 
he was raised in Nazareth, but he ultimately made Capernaum 
his home. You see that in Matthew 4, verse 
13, and then you see an extended section there in chapter 8, where 
they are in Capernaum. So he comes back to Capernaum, 
which is his city. Now publicly, his fame had begun 
to spread. People were interested in what 
this teacher had to say, and that's indicated here in verse 
1. He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own city. 
Then behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. 
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, be 
of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven you. Now, 
Matthew gives us the bare bones, but Mark and Luke tell us that 
there was a great multitude pressed into this house. There was a 
lot of people. Again, public interest in Jesus' 
ministry had been spreading. And so there's a horde. of people, 
they weren't concerned about social distancing, they weren't 
concerned about masks or anything like that, they all crammed into 
this building so they could hear Jesus speak the truth. Now the 
building was so packed, there was so many people in there, 
that the men, the friends of the paralytic, actually opened 
up the roof and lowered that paralyzed friend right down in 
the midst of that. It's a beautiful and a wonderful 
thing when you consider it. The roofs in that day and age 
were flat, and certainly they would have pulled away a few 
tiles, dug away a bit of dirt, and lowered that man so that 
he could be healed of his paralysis. So the large crowd gathers to 
hear Jesus preaching, and the four men lower the paralyzed 
man through the roof. Now notice what it says there. 
Then behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. It's a good thing for us as friends 
of people in need to bring them to Jesus. Now, that's not the 
main emphasis in the passage, but it's certainly a great corollary. 
When we have people that are in need, we bring them to Jesus 
in prayer. Obviously, if we had the ability 
to bring a paralyzed man to Him for healing, we would hopefully 
do that because it's an application of the second great commandment. 
that we love our neighbor as ourself. So these men bring him, 
they open the roof and they lower him down. Now notice what it 
goes on to say in verse 2, when Jesus saw their faith. Now I 
take this to mean the man, but also the paralyzed man. wasn't 
just their faith. Some people teach it that way. 
Maybe that, you know, I'm not saying that's necessarily wrong, 
but I think the paralyzed man had faith as well. He had heard 
of Jesus. He knew that this man possibly, 
perhaps, could cure him of this paralysis. And for those who 
don't know that word, it just means you can't move. You've 
got your conscious ability, your mind functions, everything works, 
but you can't move from the neck down. You are paralyzed. You 
are a paralytic. You are suffering paralysis, 
and there is no ability to move whatsoever. So as that man is 
being lowered down from the roof, perhaps his heart is beating 
at the thought and prospect that maybe today I'll get to walk. 
Maybe this Jesus is what he claims to be, and I'll be able to take 
up this bed and walk home and praise God Almighty for the healing 
that I received. There is that human element involved, 
and certainly it was the men, but it was also the paralyzed 
man that had this obvious faith. Now notice what Jesus says when 
this man is lowered down into the midst of that. He doesn't 
miss a beat, does he? Jesus is the kind of preacher 
that doesn't say, well, I can't be thrown off my notes, or I 
can't be thrown off my game. This is not you know, protocol 
where somebody is lowered through the roof during a sermon. I mean, 
that would be bizarre. If that actually happened here, 
not sure how I would handle it. I certainly wouldn't handle it 
the way Jesus did and the way Jesus obviously could, but he 
doesn't miss a beat. And notice what he says to this 
man. He says, son, your sins are forgiven you. When the man 
is being lowered down, and when his friends had opened the roof 
to lower him down, they were looking for healing in terms 
of paralysis. They were looking for their friend 
to be able to walk again. What's this about the forgiveness 
of sins? What is Jesus pronouncing upon 
this man? What does Jesus know about this 
man? Well, Jesus knows everything about this man, because he's 
obviously Jesus. But the primary problem that 
this man suffered was not his paralysis. We often think that, 
oh, if only my legs worked, if only my arms worked, if only 
I could see, if only I could hear. That doesn't tend to the 
bottom line issue. We're estranged from a holy God. We have transgressed His law. 
We have lacked conformity unto it. We're justly liable to his 
curse and his wrath in this life and in that which is to come. 
Simply fixing the outer man doesn't fix the inner man. So we see 
the beauty of Christ and the glory of Christ in that he fixes 
the inner man. He heals this man of the bigger 
malady, the spiritual problem, not the physical. Now he will 
because he's great and glorious and wondrous, but there's a reason 
why in context, he does what he does. So the primary problem 
with the paralytic was not paralysis, it was sinfulness. Go back to 
Matthew chapter 1 for a moment. Matthew chapter 1, after the 
genealogy and as we enter into the birth narrative concerning 
our Lord Jesus Christ, we're given a statement that should 
really help us understand the entirety of Matthew's gospel. 
In other words, when we read in chapters 27, specifically 
26 and 27, about the passion, about the death of Christ, the 
suffering of Jesus Christ, this verse in Matthew chapter one 
helps us to provide the rationale. If we ever were to cry out, why 
is he going through what he's going through here? Matthew 1.21 
sets it in the context. Notice, though, in chapter 1, 
verse 20. But while he thought about these 
things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 
This is Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, saying, Joseph, son 
of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, 
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And 
she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, 
for he will save his people from their sins. So when that man 
is lowered down and Jesus says what he says, Son, be of good 
cheer, your sins are forgiven you, makes perfect sense, doesn't 
it? Certainly he did come to heal 
paralysis. Certainly he did come to restore 
sight to the blind. He certainly did come to feed 
the hungry. But the primary emphasis in the 
life and ministry of our Lord Jesus is on salvation from sin. The scribes and the Pharisees 
missed that, obviously, but today many people in the church miss 
that. We see Jesus as a social justice warrior. We see Jesus 
as a helpful buddy. We see Jesus as a boyfriend. We take him from the throne of 
glory and bring him to a place and a position that suits us. 
The bottom line is that he will save his people from their sins, 
and this is precisely what he does with reference to this man. 
The miracles of healing are amazing to be sure, but the miracle of 
forgiveness, all of us have experienced that. All of us who are in Christ 
know what it is. to be found in Him, not having 
a righteousness of our own, which is according to the law, but 
a righteousness given by God, received through faith, and it's 
the righteousness of Jesus that answers to the law of God. Plus, 
we've been forgiven of all of our sins. We sing a hymn in our 
hymn book, my sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My 
sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I 
bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. 
If that miracle of healing doesn't promote in you a desire to worship, 
then I suspect you don't know that miracle. Because each and 
every day, now we are forgetful, so I'll give us a bit of slack, 
but a lot of times during the week, we ought to be musing. on the beauty that what I once 
was, I am no longer, and that by the grace of God. That being 
a child of Satan, that one being committed to enmity against God, 
that one who drank sin like men drink water, and that one who 
is continually offending a holy God, we have been forgiven. That's 
the miracle in the passage. Now, with reference to this particular 
situation, notice that even before the Lord heals the paralytic 
of his physical problem, He commands him to be of good cheer. Son, 
be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you. I had a friend, 
or I have a friend, who had a friend. And this particular friend was 
like in his 40s. And if you happen to fit this 
profile, I'm sorry. But he was in his 40s. And he 
didn't have any prospects for marriage. And he seemed like 
a sad camper at times. And the counsel and encouragement 
to this particular fellow was, I know you're sad. And I know 
you want a woman. And I know you want that sort 
of aspect of blessedness and temporal good in your life. But be of good cheer. Your sins 
are forgiving you. That's ultimately everything. 
If you're not a believer in Christ here this morning, you are dead 
in your sins. You have problems with a holy 
God. You have problems with the God 
of unrivaled majesty and glory, the God who made you, the God 
who feeds you, the God who waters you, the God who gives you the 
ability to work, the God who sustains you. You're gonna meet 
that God one day. And if you are in your sin, you're 
going to hear, depart from me. For I never knew you into the 
hell prepared for the devil and his angels. But when we have 
forgiveness, we can be of good cheer. Now that obtains for all 
of us as God's people. We may be having a miserable 
time in our lives right now. We may be going through afflictions. 
I got to tell you, when I look at the news and I see what's 
happening in the United States, and we see what just happened 
in Quebec, the pulling down of a statue, you wonder, is what's 
happening in Portland coming our way? Brethren, that is discouraging. That is disheartening. But at 
the end of it, we can be of good cheer because our sins are forgiven. And the hope is that this gospel 
goes forth, conquering and to conquer. So that BLM and Antifa, 
instead of having as their end game, the dissolution of society, 
will have joy in the presence of God Most High, cleansed in 
the precious blood of the Lamb. We ought to pray for churches 
that they regather. We pray for pastors that they 
preach. This world is desperate. This 
world is in bad shape. And this world needs the gospel 
of free and sovereign grace. and a full forgiveness, not a 
partial, not a bit, not 98% and you make up the rest. If it isn't 
100%, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. And Christ answers 
to that. His blood is efficacious. His 
blood atones. His blood washes us from all 
filth, all spot, all wickedness and all sin. So Christ pronounces 
this upon this man. He says, son, be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven you. Now 
you might ask the question, what kind of trouble can a paralyzed 
man get into? I mean, if he's paralyzed from 
the neck down, he's not out visiting prostitutes, he's probably not 
able to smoke crack cocaine, he's not murdering people, he's 
not looting businesses, he's not pillaging and raping and 
destroying. Brethren, the heart of man is 
desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. If the man 
can't actuate his limbs, his heart is still in abject rebellion 
against the true and living God. This paralytic got into a lot 
of trouble. He was in Adam, and as that position 
in Adam, or from that position of Adam, all his actual transgressions 
proceeded. Love to God, love to man. Those 
are the two primary commandments in the law that none of us measure 
up to. So he says, son, be of good cheer. 
Your sins are forgiven you. Now notice the confrontation 
with the scribes. There are Pharisees present as 
well, according to the parallels in Mark 2 and Luke 5. But we 
have this big contrast. Notice verse 3, and at once some 
of the scribes said within themselves, this man blasphemes. So you've 
got these four men, I take it as four, each on one side of 
the mat, could have been two men, I don't know, maybe Mark 
and Luke say it specifically, but we have these men who are 
walking, carrying, opening a roof, and lowering down their friend. 
Contrast that with the scribes whining, grumbling, complaining, 
and charging the Savior of sinners with blasphemy. C. H. Spurgeon made this observation, 
I always feel pleased at the idea of the dust and debris of 
the roof coming down upon the heads of the Pharisees and the 
doctors of the law. It always delights me to think 
that those gentlemen would have dust on their heads for once, 
since there they were, they were bound to have a little of it. 
When that roof was opened, the dust fell on their heads. And 
Spurgeon says, that's a pleasing thought. That's a good thing 
to ponder and a good thing to consider. These men are reasoning 
in their hearts, this man blasphemes. Now, don't miss the significance 
of the charge. Blasphemy is a capital offense. 
Leviticus 24 underscores that. The Word of God highlights that. 
To blaspheme or to charge someone with blasphemy is to charge them 
with a capital crime. So as far as they're musing, 
as far as they're concerned, they think that Jesus is fit 
to die. Now, Matthew, as I said, gets 
to the nuts and bolts. He just gives us the particulars. The scribes said within themselves, 
this man blasphemes. Mark and Luke lead us in their 
reasoning process. They reckoned, who does this 
man think he is? Only God can forgive sins. Both the other gospel writers 
indicate that for us. Again, Matthew just gets to the 
bottom line. They say this man blasphemes. So what we have here is an accusation 
on the part of these wretches that Christ was guilty of a capital 
crime and therefore worthy of capital punishment. Now, notice 
the confrontation between them. Look at what Jesus does. Jesus, 
knowing their thoughts. Now, some have suggested, wouldn't 
it have been too tough to figure it out? I mean, sometimes you 
tell your kids, you know, your guilt is written all over your 
face, right? You know, you got chocolate there 
on your lips. You've got chocolate on your hand. You're not fooling 
anybody. You're not the man of mystery 
you think you are. I know you just stole cookies out of the 
cookie jar. And then you say, you got guilt 
written all over your head. They might run over to the mirror 
to see if there's actually guilt written all over their head. 
So some suspect that Jesus wasn't hard to sort of figure this out. 
I mean, their faces would have been contorted. They would have 
been thinking in those sorts of ways. Or it could be a demonstration 
of the divinity of Christ. He knew their thoughts because 
he's the second person of the Trinity. He knew their thoughts 
because He is the Son of Man who has power on earth to forgive 
sins. And I think that's one of the 
grand demonstrations in this passage, is that Jesus is showing 
us who He is. Yes, He is man, but yes, He is 
God. And so He knew their thoughts, 
and then He confronts them. He says in verse 4, why do you 
think evil in your hearts? Which it is to think evil when 
you accuse somebody of blasphemy that is actually not guilty of 
blasphemy. He says, why do you think evil 
in your hearts? For which is easier to say your 
sins are forgiven you or to say arise and walk? Now, think about 
this question for just a moment. Which is easier to say? Notice 
what he's saying. Which is easier to say? Not which 
is easier to do, but which is easier to say. It's easier to 
say your sins are forgiven you, because we don't really know 
if that takes place, right? When you got saved, when you 
got forgiven of your sin, it wasn't like a halo appeared around 
your head. It wasn't like there was now 
a sign on your forehead that said, forgiven. We know it's 
a matter of the heart. The Lord God forgives. He cleanses 
the soul of all sin and filth and wickedness. So it's easier 
actually to say, your sins are forgiven you, than to say, take 
up your bed and walk. Because if I say, take up your 
bed and walk, what are you going to do? You're going to stare 
at the man and see if he takes up his bed and walks. If I say 
your sins are forgiven you, you don't know whether I've had that 
ability or I've had that power to do that actually. But if I 
say take up your bed and walk, then all eyes will be on that 
man to see or discern whether or not Jesus has that power. 
R.T. France makes this statement. 
He says, the rhetorical question of verse 5 implies that the harder 
of the two options can be demonstrated, the easier may be assumed also 
to be possible. It might be suggested that to 
forgive sins is the harder, since only God can do it. But Jesus' 
question is not about which is easier to do, but which is easier 
to say. And a claim to forgive sins is 
undoubtedly easier to make, since it cannot be falsified by external 
events. Whereas a claim to make a paralyzed 
man walk will be immediately proved true or false by a success 
or failure, which everyone can see. This will be the logic of 
what follows. When Jesus heals the man of his 
paralysis, that underscores that he has got the power to have 
forgiven him of his sins. We come to this passage or some 
come to this passage and say, wow, isn't it wonderful this 
paralyzed man went home. We should come to this passage 
and say, wow, isn't it a wonderful thing this sinful man was forgiven. The harder thing to do is the 
forgiveness of sins. The easier thing to do is to 
raise the paralytic up from his sickbed. But in terms of saying, 
it's easier to say, your sins are forgiven. It's easier to 
say it because it's not demonstrable. So when he says, take up your 
bed and walk, it underscores that he has the power and authority 
to do the greater, which is to forgive him of his sins. And 
you know the irony of the situation? It really is easier to heal the 
paralytic. Now, indulge me a moment to do 
some theology proper. When we talk about easy with 
reference to God, it's senseless. There's nothing difficult for 
God. He is a sovereign being. He's omnipotent. He's omniscient. 
He is omnipresent. He is all glorious. He is sovereign. There's no easy with God. There's 
no difficult with God. He is God. He is pure spirit. Pure act. There's no potentiality 
in God. There's no becoming with God. 
There's no betterment with God. There's not anything that would 
say, oh, well, I can do that because that's easy. This is 
going to take a bit more demand. So when we talk about which is 
easier relative to deity, it's a moot point. But with reference 
to the humanity of Jesus Christ, the Word of Power, as the Son 
of God, brings health and healing to this paralyzed man. What ultimately 
brings the forgiveness of sins? Well, you keep reading Matthew 
and you will see. How is it that he will save those 
people from their sins? He's going to obey the Father's 
law perfectly for 33 years of his life. He is going to be handed 
over to godless men. He is going to be nailed to a 
cross. He is going to be exalted, not on a throne, but on a cross. 
And there he's going to be mocked, insulted. He is going to be scorned, 
abused, ultimately cut off by men and by God the Father, according 
to his humanity. So it is easier for Christ to 
issue the word of power to raise this sick man from his bed. The 
more difficult action in terms of the humanity of Christ is 
the suffering and the death associated with paying for the sins of the 
world. So when Christ says this, he 
is leading them. He is teaching them. He is showing 
them the very mission of the Son of God. So notice what he 
says, verse six. But that you may know that the 
Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. Then he said 
to the paralytic, arise, take up your bed and go to your house. 
So now listen, let's just summarize this. Which is easier to say? 
It's easier to say your sins are forgiven because we don't 
know. But in order to show that he has the power to forgive sins, 
that's why he tells the man to take up his bed and walk. The 
idea is that if he can do that, then he can do the other. The 
idea is it's exhibit A in the courtroom. Did you cause that 
man to pick up his bed and walk? Yes! That underscores the greater 
ability that he was able to forgive that man of his sins, of his 
lawlessness, of his unrighteousness, of his transgression against 
God's holy law. So he says, or he said to the 
paralytic, this brings us to the explanation given by Jesus. 
Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. The scribes 
question this very assertion by our Lord in terms of his ability 
to forgive sin. But he says, this is why I came. 
I am telling this man to now rise up, to go take your bed 
and go to your home, in order to demonstrate the reality that 
the Son of Man has power, authority, on earth to forgive sins. And 
as I said at the outset, Matthew 5 to 7, the authority or power 
of Christ in His words. Here, Matthew 8 and 9, the authority 
or power of Christ in His actions. And that action of the forgiveness 
of sins is his prerogative, it is his ability, it is his function 
as deity in order to be able to engage in this. And so the 
walking man, the fact that he's no longer affected by paralysis, 
is evidentiary of the reality that there is forgiveness with 
thee that thou mayest be feared. France again says, the Son of 
Man, who according to Daniel 7, 13 and 14, will be enthroned 
in heaven to share God's sovereignty over all peoples, is already, 
during His earthly ministry, authorized to dispense God's 
forgiveness. That's what we come to grips 
with in this passage. So the paralysis is a problem, 
but there is a problem worse than the paralysis, and it's 
the sin. Even if Jesus didn't heal him 
of his paralysis, the man could be of good cheer because his 
sins were forgiven him. I think this is the proper perspective 
that we ought to adopt. Again, it is not wicked. It is 
not wrong. It is not evil. If you are afflicted 
with physical calamity, to pray to God to take that calamity 
away. Paul was buffeted by a messenger 
of Satan, and he prayed three times. And I don't take that 
as, God, please deliver me. God, please deliver me. It was 
agonizing, earnest, ongoing, entreaty to the Lord to take 
this thorn from his flesh. But the bottom line is if God 
doesn't take that thorn from the flesh, Paul can still be 
of good cheer because his sins are forgiven. Do we think that 
way, brother? Is our happiness and our joy 
connected to temporal circumstances? Because if they are, they're 
fleeting. If they are, they may vanish. And then what do we do? You remember that bit in Luke 
chapter 10, the 70 return after having preached the gospel. And 
they say, Lord, the demons were subject to us in your name. Lord, 
we saw people healed. Lord, we saw the power of God 
manifest. And Jesus says, don't rejoice 
in this. Nevertheless, I say to you, rejoice 
that your names are written in heaven. Whenever we connect our 
happiness or our well-being or our gladness or our joy with 
temporal circumstances, we are setting ourselves up to fail. 
We are setting ourselves up to lose, because temporal circumstances 
are not concrete. They come, they go, they ebb, 
they flow. There's riots in the streets. 
There's not riots in the streets. There's horrible people marching, 
you know, doing horrible things. And then there's not. We cannot 
put our joy in the basket of temporality. It has to be connected 
with the forgiveness of sins and the reality that we are accepted 
in the Beloved. That one day when we stand before 
God Most High, when we look eyeball to eyeball with Jesus Christ, 
the man He's ordained to judge the living and the dead, we will 
hear, well done, good and faithful servant. That is what makes us 
happy. That is why we have good cheer. That is why we connect our joy 
to the spiritual benefits that God blesses us with. The Lord Jesus did the miracle 
they could see to demonstrate the miracle that they could not 
see. And that's why he says to this 
man, take up your bed and walk. Now let's just end the exposition 
by looking at the response of the people. So I think this is 
very instructive as well. The healed man, he arose and 
departed to his house. So remember he gets lowered down, 
he can't move, he's a paralyzed man. He's now of good cheer because 
his sins are forgiven, but he's of doubly good cheer because 
his legs work. He's able to pick up his mat now and he's able 
to take it home. The beauty of this is not necessarily 
that he can now physically stand and that he can physically walk, 
but the beauty is that now he can stand before a holy God dressed 
in a righteousness not his own. That's the glory that this man 
knew when he came face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now 
look how everybody else responded. Verse 8, now when the multitude 
saw it, they marveled and glorified God who had given such power 
to men. In the parallel passages in Mark 
2, 12, the crowd is amazed. In Luke 5.26, the crowd is amazed 
and filled with fear. There's a variant reading here 
as well. Some say, or some texts say, now when the multitude saw 
it, they feared and glorified God, or they marveled and glorified 
God. The argument is that all of these 
elements combine in those who have witnessed the power of God. 
Remember, when Christ calms the storm, the disciples are amazed 
by this. The parallel passage says that 
they were fearful. You know why they would be fearful? 
If you were with me, and it was windy out, and I spoke to the 
wind and it stopped, you'd probably get a little weirded out. If 
you were with another person that had the ability to calm 
the waves of a sea, you'd go, wow, that's amazing. And then 
you'd say, what kind of a man is this? That's precisely what 
the disciples said. What manner of man is this? We've 
met a lot of men. We've met tall men. We've met 
short men. We've met strong men. We've met 
weak men. We've met rich men. We've met poor men. But we've 
never met a man who can talk to nature and Nature obeys His 
voice. Of course, that promotes fear. 
And of course, when the crowd saw this, they were amazed. When they saw this, there was 
fear, but it led ultimately to them glorifying God. That is 
the response of the people of God when they witnessed the power 
of God. Fear, trembling, marveling, and 
worshiping that God of glory and majesty and honor. Men should 
fear the one who has the authority to forgive sins. This is D.A. 
Carson. Indeed, they should fear whenever 
they are confronted by an open manifestation of God. And then 
he says this, it's beautiful. Such fear breeds praise. So I think this is counterintuitive 
to us. We think that the fear of God 
minimizes the ability to be happy in God. No, it's the fear of 
God that promotes happiness, gladness, and joy in the presence 
of God. Turn to Psalm 2 for just a moment 
to get a view of this in a Psalm of David, directing his attention 
to the nations around, the rulers, the civil authority in those 
nations surrounding Israel. Verse 10, Psalm 2, now, therefore, 
be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth, serve 
the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. See, this idea 
that fear or trembling and joy are not consistent in the Christian 
life is absolutely contrary to the Christian scriptures. The 
Bible tells us that when we actually understand who God is, there 
will be fear. The Bible tells us that when 
we come face to face with the living and true God, there will 
be trembling. But it's in that place, as we 
recognize ourselves rightly before a holy God, that joy then overtakes 
us. When the disciples find the empty 
tomb at the end of Matthew's gospel, they run, they're trembling 
with joy. These are not inconsistent. If 
you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But 
there is forgiveness with you that you may be what? You may 
be feared. That is a legitimate response 
from the people of God, and it inevitably breeds the praise 
that is consistent with this God. And then notice at the end, 
the verse of Psalm 2, "...kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and 
you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. 
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." So the two 
elements are present in this passage, the manifestation of 
Christ's power, And the manifestation of Christ's power promotes in 
the people who saw it fear, trembling, amazement, marveling, and glorifying 
God. This is why our worship services 
shouldn't be marked by frivolity, shouldn't be joke time, shouldn't 
be, you know, story time, shouldn't be chatty pastors with their 
hands in their pockets and their latte on their platforms. when 
he pulpits with men who have backbones that spare not cry 
aloud, lift up their voices like trumpets, and tell Jerusalem 
her sins. This is what God said to the 
prophet Isaiah. Brethren, it's not that we come 
on Sunday morning just to cry out, nice, nice, nice, is God 
most high. He's wholly Holy, holy is the 
Lord of hosts. We need to come to grips with 
that reality because it tempers the way we approach Him, it affects 
the way we respond to Him, and it definitely ought to shape 
the way the church worships Him. This isn't a band, it's not a 
concert, it's not entertainment, it's not whatever time we think 
it ought to be. It is strictly defined by God's 
Word how we approach Him. Well, in conclusion, a few lessons 
and then we're finished. First, the salvation of the paralytic. You think that man had good cheer 
that day? Yes. His sins were forgiven. You were 
probably going to say, yes, he can now walk. We think like charismatics. We think like Pentecostals. We 
think the bigger miracle in this passage is that he took up his 
bed and he walked home. That's not the bigger miracle. 
The bigger miracle is that God Most High cleansed his guilty 
soul. His sins were forgiven. He was washed in the blood of 
the Lamb. He was now heaven bound. He could 
stand, not physically, but spiritually in the presence of God Almighty. Secondly, we ought to learn something 
of the glory of Jesus Christ. In the first place, his authority. 
Again, it's riddled throughout the section, chapters eight and 
nine, but specifically in verses six and eight. but that you may 
know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins." 
Verse 8, now, when the multitude saw it, they marveled and glorified 
God who had given such power to men. Sometimes you meet people 
and you tell them about Jesus and you tell them about God, 
you tell them about holiness and righteousness and transgression 
of the law, and they say things like, well, I'm so bad, I don't 
think this Jesus could save me. I'm so bad, I think I'm beyond 
hope. We all said that at one time, 
didn't we? We at least thought it. But we've tested, we've tried, 
and we've proven our God. The Apostle Paul says this is 
a trustworthy statement. It deserves all acceptation that 
Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save. And then he 
goes on to say, of whom I am chief. So if you think yourself 
too sinful to be saved, you're not. You're so sinful, you need 
Jesus. That's the emphasis in Holy Scripture. This Christ is able to save to 
the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through Him. His blood 
is efficacious. His blood cleanses. His blood 
washes. It purges. It purifies. It fits us to stand in the presence 
of a holy God. So we see the authority of Christ. 
Secondly, we see the omniscience of Christ. The Lord saw, or the 
Lord knew, the faith of the men, including the paralytic, and 
He saw the thoughts of the hearts of these scribes. He knew exactly 
what they were thinking. This man blasphemes. Who can 
forgive sins but God alone? We see something of the omniscience 
of Jesus Christ. But then thirdly, we see His 
deity, His divinity. Yes, the Bible teaches us, as 
I said at the very outset, He takes on our humanity. He identifies 
with us. He has flesh, He has blood, He 
has bones, He has everything that makes man, man. But He is 
God, everlasting God, and He has the ability, He has the power, 
He has the prerogative to forgive sins. And that is precisely what 
He exercises in this passage. And then as we consider this, 
I want you to just look at a few passages with me because I think, 
again, we overlook how good forgiveness is. You know, I think about this 
sometimes. I say to myself, Jim, no, I don't 
actually do that. But I say, you know, you preach on forgiveness 
a lot. People are going to start to think you're a really bad 
guy and you love forgiveness. Let me just tell you, I'm a really 
bad guy and I love forgiveness. And in my mind, that's one of 
the chief boons of the Christian gospel, justification by faith 
alone. It's the forgiveness of sins, 
and it's the imputed righteousness of Jesus. We receive that the 
moment we believe, by God's grace, in Jesus Christ. Isn't that glorious? Every sin washed away, every 
sin cleansed, every sin dealt with. Turn to the prophet Micah, 
just a few sample passages concerning the forgiveness of sins and the 
prerogative of our Lord Jesus to forgive sins. Micah chapter 
7. It's a beautiful passage. And 
we can multiply texts. Sometimes pastors or preachers 
say that when they don't have much to say. I got a whole litany 
of texts, but I don't want to take you too far in the day here. But in terms of Micah 7, 18, 
and 19, who is a God like you? The prophet is basically speaking 
concerning his own name. The name Micah is that. Who is 
a God like you? So he's sort of musing now, using 
his own name as a reference point. Who is a God like you? Notice 
what does not blow the prophet's mind. It's not the justice of 
God. It's not the righteousness of 
God. Because as image bearers, we 
are inherently convinced that persons who do bad things should 
be punished. If you doubt that, have kids. If you doubt that, watch the 
news. If you doubt that, live for like five seconds in this 
world. We know that people who do bad things should get punished. 
Nobody says, who is a God like you punishing the iniquity of 
sinners? Who is a God like you casting vile reprobates into 
hellfire created for the devil? That's not a perplexing issue. 
The justice of God and the righteousness of God, even in the most obliterated 
image bearer, Still, they understand it is just with God to punish 
criminal offenders or to punish sinners. What blows the mind 
of the prophet Micah, and what I suggest ought to blow our minds 
as well, is the forgiveness of God. It's the reality that He 
cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Again, 718. Who is a God like 
you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the 
remnant of His heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever 
because he delights in mercy. He will again have compassion 
on us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into 
the depths of the sea, and you will give truth to Jacob and 
mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from days 
of old. It is that which promotes in 
the prophet this question, who is a God like you? It's at the 
display of mercy and forgiveness and loving kindness and grace. We read it in the outset of worship. 
David understands Psalm 130 verse three, if you Lord should mark 
iniquities, Lord, who could stand? None of us is obviously the answer, 
not a one. But, he says, there is forgiveness 
with you that you may be feared. One of the big problems that 
Wilk culture has promoted here in North America is a demand 
for self-atonement and no forgiveness. There's no forgiveness to be 
had out in the world, but there's forgiveness to be had with the 
One who matters. There is forgiveness to be had 
with the God of glory and majesty and excellence and power. We 
want to identify people as something in their past. They just pulled 
down the statue of the first Prime Minister of Canada because 
he wasn't perfect. How do you remember David? Do 
you remember David as an adulterer and a murderer? You might just 
be woke then, because I remember David as a man after God's own 
heart. What about the good kings in Judah? Were they perfect? 
Not by a lick. Did they all remove the high 
places? No, but there is commendation by the sacred writer under inspiration 
of the Spirit, commending the likes of those men. There is 
forgiveness with God that he may be feared. If this culture 
doesn't want to preach it, the church had better continue to 
proclaim it, because we're dealing with a whole host of people that 
are bruised, broken, and battered, not because of their physical 
maladies, but because of their sin against a holy God. And deep 
down in all of our heart of hearts, we know this is the case. We 
know that things are not right between us and heaven. And so 
the Christian gospel comes to men, women, boys and girls and 
says, believe on Him and you will be forgiven. There's woke 
among the professing churches that have disenfranchised the 
likes of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Brethren, 
are they more holy than God himself? They can't find it in their hearts 
to forgive persons that weren't perfect? Never anyone ever thought 
they were perfect? This idea in our day that we 
have to atone for the sins of the past or atone for our own 
sins and there's never any forgiveness coming. They can have it. The 
world can have it. They can die in it for all I 
care. We preach a gospel. Actually, 
that's a bit harsh. I want them to come to our side 
and hear the truth as it is in Jesus and get washed in the precious 
blood of the Lamb of God. Because it is He who takes away 
the sins of the world. And if you're not a believer 
here this morning, that's it. Believe. Not go out and try harder, 
go get more woke, go get better, go fix yourself, go become perfect. That's not the answer. The answer 
is to look and live. It's to believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and you shall be saved. Let us pray. Father in heaven, 
we thank you for your word. We thank you for the Savior and 
what a blessed reality it is that our sins are forgiven. God, 
I pray that all of my brothers and sisters in this church would 
think on this, be daily encouraged by it, and that it would empower 
us to worship and to praise and to glorify you and live as we 
ought in this world. The same emphasis in the book 
of Romans, chapters 1 to 11 show us the the method, the way that 
Jesus saves us from our sins. And then chapter 12 calls us 
to live in light of that. I pray that we, as those forgiven, 
would be of good cheer and that we, as those forgiven, would 
shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and preach 
forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God, be 
merciful to sinners here. Open hearts and cause sinners 
to look unto the Lord Jesus and find that blessedness in him, 
and we ask in his most holy name, amen. We'll close our service 
this morning by singing 568. 568, the doxology, and we'll 
stand together. ♪ Praise Him, all creatures there 
below you ♪ ♪ Praise Him above the earth below you ♪ ♪ Praise 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ O Israel, hope in the Lord, for 
with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption, 
and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Father, thank 
you that this psalm is true. Thank you that it's the Son of 
David who brought these things to pass. Thank you that the Son 
of Man has power, had power, in His earthly ministry to forgive 
sin. And we know that He has that 
power now to forgive sin for the believer who still struggles 
and for the unbeliever who needs that grace, that mercy, that 
life. And I pray that you would be 
gracious to each one here, that you would bless the Word of God 
to our hearts and minds, and that you would go with us now, 
help us to enjoy the Sabbath, to call it a delight, and to 
rejoice in the God of heaven and earth. And we pray these 
things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Please be seated 
for a brief time of meditation.