Child, Your Sins Are Forgiven (Mark 2:1–12)

 

Child, Your Sins Are Forgiven (Mark 2:1–12)

What is the good news we can ever hear? It is receiving the forgiveness of sins. When a prisoner finishes a sentence and walks out of prison, we cannot even imagine how long he has waited for that day. But even that cannot be compared with receiving God’s forgiveness.

To be forgiven of sins is to fully restore the love-relationship with God that had been broken. It means receiving eternal life and inheriting the everlasting kingdom of heaven. Now, in Christ, we stand boldly before the throne of grace and share fellowship of love, joy, and peace.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1–2)

In Mark 2:1–12, when Jesus saw people bringing a paralyzed man to Him, He saw their faith and declared forgiveness of sins. The paralyzed man represents Israel and all humanity, because every person desperately needs the grace of forgiveness.

People bring a paralyzed man to Jesus

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. (Mark 2:1–4)

Many people came to Jesus, listened to His teaching, and were healed. His fame spread quickly. When people heard He was at a house in Capernaum, huge crowds gathered. There was no room left at all. At that moment Jesus was teaching the gospel of the kingdom.

In that sea of people, His teaching came as a fresh, piercing word of truth that opened the mysteries of God’s kingdom. The Word who created heaven and earth became flesh and spoke directly into the hearts of the listeners. People were amazed because Jesus taught with authority and power (Mark 1:22).

This same word is the Bible we read every day. God has revealed His word through the prophets long ago. Themes of creation, fall, and restoration run through all of Scripture. We hear the unchanging voice of God’s love, promises of blessing for those who obey, and warnings and discipline for those who do not. Above all, through the sacrificial love of giving His own Son, God brought the light of salvation to countless people who were wandering in darkness.

At that moment, some men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. But because of the crowd, they could not get near Him. Paralysis then was similar to what we call stroke today—a cerebrovascular condition caused by blockage or rupture of a vessel, resulting in paralysis and speech impairment.

Since they could not reach Jesus, they opened the roof above where He was and lowered the mat. Houses then were built differently, so making an opening was not as difficult as it would be today. Still, the act itself was bold and surprising. No matter what it took—even if it meant damaging someone’s roof—they had to bring the man to Jesus.

Why? Because this is what life is like. There are moments when friends, family, society, and wealth are no help at all. Everyone reaches such moments eventually, though many do not recognize it because their eyes are still blind. Life is not a picnic. After all our days are done, the day of reckoning comes before God, the Lord of all. Therefore, God calls everyone to come to Him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Child, Your Sins Are Forgiven

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)

Jesus saw their faith above everything else. What God looks for, in any circumstance, is that we come to Him by faith. What kind of faith? They believed Jesus could heal the paralyzed man. They didn’t know how it would be possible, but they believed that the Lord of love could do what they could not.

Abraham was counted righteous by faith. What did he believe in his situation? God promised that Abraham would become a great nation and that his name would be great. Yet he had no children. Then God took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5). “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” (Romans 4:18)

Jesus called the paralyzed man “son,” or “child,” referring to one chosen as a child of God, like Israel (Mark 7:27; 10:24).

Then Jesus declared, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” On what basis is forgiveness given? Faith. Believing in the Christ whom God sent is the way of salvation. Christ shed His blood and died for the sins of the world, and through His sacrifice He atoned for all sin. Jesus’ declaration of forgiveness pointed forward to His death on the cross. Forgiveness comes only through the blood of Christ.

Why must we receive the forgiveness of sins? Because sin blocks the way to God. When we cannot come to God, we have no true life, and we face eternal judgment. Few things are as painful as being abandoned like an orphan. If we do not receive forgiveness through the blood of Christ, we are cut off forever from the love of God. There is nothing more urgent than receiving the forgiveness of sins.

So why do we receive forgiveness by believing in Christ? Because salvation does not come from people but only from God. Human beings cannot save themselves; we are completely unable. So God gave his Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice to redeem the sins of the world. Whoever trusts in this love of God receives the grace of forgiveness from now through eternity, overflowing without ceasing. From beginning to end, we enjoy God’s grace of forgiveness only through faith.

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life” (Romans 5:10).

And we don’t stop at simply receiving the forgiveness of sins. We go further by forgiving and loving our neighbors. God’s forgiveness isn’t a one-time event—it's something we need every day and every moment. Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive his brother up to seven times. Jesus answered that he should forgive “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21–22). So we live by God’s merciful and gracious forgiveness, and by that same grace, we forgive our neighbors.

Who can forgive sins but God alone?

“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”?’” (Mark 2:6-9)

The teachers of the law sitting there thought Jesus was committing blasphemy. They believed that no one could forgive sins except God alone. They did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They did not believe in the Christ whom God had sent. That is the same as not believing in God. It makes no sense to say one believes in God while rejecting the Son he has sent.

There is no other way to receive forgiveness of sins except by faith. In the end, because they did not believe in God, they arrested Jesus, put him on trial, and sentenced him to death. Unbelief does not receive forgiveness, and it sets a person in opposition to God. Not believing God is the work of the evil one.

Jesus knew that there was no faith in their hearts, so he asked them a question: Which is easier, to tell the paralyzed man his sins are forgiven, or to tell him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk? He wasn’t asking for a verbal answer. He wanted them to think deeply.

For human beings, both are impossible. If we compare, maybe a doctor could treat paralysis under certain circumstances, but no one can forgive sins. Jesus wanted them to consider why forgiveness is necessary. He wanted them to look at why the God they claimed to serve sent his Son into the world, and how the works Jesus was doing were the works of God. They didn’t like that Jesus had suddenly appeared and was ministering throughout Judea and Galilee. They believed he violated the Sabbath commands given through Moses, so they resented him and plotted to kill him (John 11:47-53; Mark 3:6; Matthew 12:14; Luke 6:11).

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

“‘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)

Jesus asked them that question so they would think first about why people need forgiveness, and then so they would know that the Son of Man, who came as the Son of God, has authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus came to this earth as the Son of God (Mark 1:1). God has given the Son all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Jesus is equal with God (Philippians 2:6).

Yet when he came to this earth, he revealed the authority and power of his Father by offering his own body as the living sacrifice (John 5:19). God forgives sins because Jesus Christ, his Son, redeemed the world’s sin with his own blood. When Jesus told the man to get up, take his mat, and go home, he got up and walked out. Everyone was amazed and gave glory to God. Jesus offered his body entirely to the Father to reveal the glory of God.

This is God blessing us. We offer our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice. God has given us neighbors: some who are ignorant of the gospel, some who don’t care at all, some busy with money and business, and some who are even hostile toward the gospel. Our lives are full of responsibilities, yet God has given us the grace to offer ourselves so that his glory may appear in the forgiveness of sins.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)

November 30, 2025

Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2025, David Lee Ministries ©2025 – All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotes are from the.