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A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered 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 paralytic carried by four men. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking, and said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the paralytic, "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 2:1-12)

When four men tore open a roof to reach Jesus, He revealed that our deepest need is not physical healing but the forgiveness only God can give.

A Strange Interruption in Capernaum

This is one of those intriguing gospel stories—hard to imagine, but picture it. Jesus is teaching in a home in Capernaum, on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, and as He speaks the ceiling above Him begins to open. After it is torn open, a paralyzed man is lowered down by four other men who are desperate for help. I've taught the Bible for many years and had some strange distractions, but never anything like this.

Capernaum was an area where Jesus spent much of His ministry. We often imagine the Sea of Galilee as a huge body of water, but you can drive around it in about an hour and a half—it's really just a lake. Most of Jesus' work happened on the northern shores, between Capernaum and Bethsaida, places you could walk between in a day. You can still go to Capernaum today and stand near the ruins of the synagogue where Jesus taught. The home of Simon Peter is also believed to have been there.

What Jesus Noticed

The roof being accessible was not strange in that culture. Homes had flat roofs covered with an outdoor area where people spent the heat of the day, made of a kind of mud thatch. So these men went up, tore it open, and lowered their friend down.

What did Jesus notice about them? The Scripture tells us He saw their faith, since they were sure He would heal. Why else would they bring this paralyzed man to Jesus, unless they expected Him to do something special? Even at this early point in Mark's gospel, the news about Jesus was spreading rapidly. For hundreds of years Israel had not seen the power of God at work. Then John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching repentance, and now Jesus came preaching the same message—but doing something John never did. He was healing the sick and casting out demons. Multitudes came hoping He might heal their sicknesses.

"Son, Your Sins Are Forgiven"

As this man is lowered before Him, Jesus does something curious. The man has a very clear physical problem, yet Jesus doesn't deal with that first. He calls him "son" and forgives his sins. We saw the same kind of thing last week, when a sinful woman came to Jesus at the house of Simon the Pharisee and Jesus spoke forgiveness to her—and Simon was blown away.

Here too there is a stir. The teachers of the law were upset and questioned His authority to forgive sins. They knew their theology. They understood that there is only one who has the authority and ability to forgive sin. So they think, "Who does this man think he is? He is blaspheming."

Which Is Easier—Forgiving or Healing?

Jesus perceives their thoughts and responds with a question: which is easier, to say "Your sins are forgiven," or "Rise, take up your bed and walk"? Then He moves immediately to a bold statement: "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—He turns to the paralyzed man and says, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."

How did Jesus heal him? Simply by speaking. He didn't do anything elaborate—no Mr. Miyagi clapping of hands. There are passages where Jesus does various things in healing, but rarely the same thing twice other than speaking. This reveals the sheer power He has. The man immediately gets up, takes the mat he was carried in on, and walks out the door. The whole crowd, pressed into that small space, was completely astonished. I'm sure that man had tried many times in his life to will himself to walk, but there was never any power. Now Jesus speaks, and instantly there is power.

Three Needs in One Man

As Jesus interacts with this man, He addresses three issues. There is the physical—the healing. There is the emotional or relational, seen in the very first word He speaks: "Son." And there is the spiritual, the issue of sin and forgiveness. I would venture that every single person on this planet has all three—physical problems, emotional problems, and ultimately the greatest problem, the spiritual problem of sin.

Why did Jesus forgive before healing? The progression matters. Everyone in that room knew the observable problem was paralysis, not sin. But which is more important? If the man had been healed and not forgiven, he would still be lost. Without forgiveness he would still face the judgment of God. Not everyone has the physical problem of paralysis, but everyone has the spiritual problem of sin—and Jesus came chiefly to deal with that.

By starting with forgiveness and causing a stir, Jesus gave Himself an opportunity to reveal His true identity. The healing then became the proof of His authority to forgive.

The Root Cause of Suffering

This man had a real physical problem, and many of us face physical conditions too—incurable illnesses, the consequences of past decisions, all kinds of pain. Where do these things ultimately come from? Paul writes:

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

Paul is speaking of Adam's sin in Genesis 3. Historically, sin came first, and death and sickness are the result. Everywhere we look there is suffering, pain, disease, and war—constant reminders of the brokenness of the world. If you want to deal with these problems, you have to deal with the root cause: sin. A full cure treats sin.

The Power of His Word

When the teachers of the law heard Jesus speak forgiveness, they instantly asked, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" They knew their theology—only one has authority to forgive sin. Jesus perceived their thoughts and then healed the man using God's power through His word.

This reminds us of Genesis 1, where God created the heavens and the earth simply by speaking: "Let there be light, and there was light." God's word comes forth with power. Here Jesus speaks healing into a paralyzed man, and it happens. This shows us who Jesus is. He is the Son of God, with God's nature and God's power. He is God in human flesh, revealing that to them.

Recall Nicodemus in John 3, who came to Jesus by night and said, "We know that you are a teacher come from God, because nobody could do these works unless God was with him." The religious leaders assumed Jesus was a godly man, but they had no idea of His true identity. With this miracle, Jesus begins to peel back the veil so they can see that He is God in human flesh.

The Character of Jesus

What do we learn about His character here? First, Jesus is always willing and available to meet people's needs. I'll be candid: as a pastor and a representative of God, I'm not always willing. There are times I'm tired, times I don't feel up to it. I don't always respond well to interruptions—can anyone relate? So I appreciate this challenge from Jesus. And it's an encouragement to me as a Christian, because He is always willing and available to meet my needs.

Second, Jesus was not angry about interruptions. People were more important to Him than His program. If you read the gospels, even His closest disciples sometimes got frustrated by the people crowding around Him. They're just like us. But Jesus is different—He doesn't get angry at disruptions.

Why God Doesn't Always Remove Suffering

If this man had not been sick, would he ever have come to Jesus? Probably not, and his sins would not have been forgiven; he would have remained lost. His condition pushed him to come. He couldn't even come on his own—four men had to carry him, men whose faith was evidenced by their actions. You cannot see a person's inner convictions, but you can see how their belief shapes what they do.

This reveals a good reason why God does not always remove suffering: suffering can be one of God's tools to bring us to Him. I know many people, perhaps some in this room, who came to seek God only because of an illness, a tragic loss, a lost job, a lost house, or a lost spouse. Look around—many hands are raised. God used their suffering as a tool to bring them to Himself.

Now, I've yet to meet anyone who likes suffering. I hate going through difficult things. But many people recognize that the very hardest things they endured were what God used to draw them to Him. Romans 8 says God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I say suffering can be His tool, and that matters. Be careful how you use this truth. As a pastor and chaplain I've sat with many people in deep suffering who ask, "Why is this happening to me?" That is not the moment to put on a theology hat and argue the point. Use this truth gently.

How a Holy God Can Forgive

In the story, Jesus both forgave and healed simply by speaking, so on the surface forgiving and healing appear equally easy. But are they?

What does it mean to forgive? To forgive means to set someone free from the punishment of breaking God's laws—to release them from the penalty. A friend of mine recently forgave a debt of over a hundred thousand dollars as a Christmas gift, setting that person completely free from payment. To forgive is to pardon.

We have all broken God's law and fallen short of His glory. So what would be the bad consequences of God always forgiving every sin? Imagine if lawbreakers were never punished. We have posted speed limits—which we all obey perfectly, of course. But if the highway patrol simply let everyone go every time, no one would keep the law. Sin would fill the world. The law would be meaningless.

This highlights the problem. Scripture tells us:

Be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)

God is holy. He is perfectly righteous and serious about His law. He cannot simply tolerate sin or grant blanket forgiveness. So how then can a holy, just God forgive sin? We know He found a way, because Jesus stood in that room and said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." He released the man from the penalty—while still keeping the seriousness of His law.

The Substitute

Imagine being sentenced for a crime with a one-million-dollar fine you cannot pay. A just judge must impose the penalty—you go to jail. But could someone else pay the fine in your place? Yes. If a substitute pays, the seriousness of the law is preserved, and you can go free.

This is exactly how God solved the problem:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly... God demonstrates his own love toward us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6, 8)

Jesus is our substitute. We deserve to die for our sins—"the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)—but Jesus, who is fully human yet sinless, died in our place, paying our penalty. John 1 tells us the Word was God, and "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." John 3:16 says God gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Because Jesus died, God can forgive sin while maintaining His holiness. And this reveals God's love for all sinners.

The Lamb of God

Seven hundred years before Jesus came, Isaiah prophesied of the suffering servant:

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Our sins were laid upon Jesus. When Jesus first appeared, John the Baptist introduced Him: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Why the Lamb? Because the lamb refers to the Old Testament sacrifices for sin.

The Old Testament is God's covenant with man about how sinful people could be forgiven through animal sacrifice. After Moses brought the law down from Mount Sinai, the sacrifices began and continued for over fourteen hundred years until Jesus came. But those sacrifices were never enough to deal with sin. They were like the minimum payment on a million-dollar credit card debt: enough to satisfy for a time, but never enough to pay it off. They were symbols pointing to the one true sacrifice that could take away sin—the sacrifice of Christ.

The New Covenant

When Jesus died, the Old Testament sacrificial system was abolished. Long before, Jeremiah had promised it:

The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah... not like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I... brought them out of Egypt. (Jeremiah 31:31-32)

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the cup and said, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The New Testament is the new agreement that all can be forgiven based on Christ's death. This is exactly what the book of Hebrews is about.

Does this mean everyone's sins are automatically forgiven? No. We must personally accept His death for us, like accepting bail money offered as payment. If you stood before a judge and refused the payment someone offered, insisting the judge was simply too loving to convict you, the just judge would still have to require the penalty. So to obtain God's forgiveness, we must accept that Jesus died for our sins in our place. And as the previous lesson showed, we must repent—turn back to God, willing to obey Him.

Questions: Two Deaths

There are two deaths humanity can experience. The first is physical death—this body still dies, because the effects of sin remain in it from the fall. It is appointed for all men to die once, and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The second is spiritual death—the separation of the soul from God for eternity. That second death is experienced only by those who have not received the forgiveness of God. If you put your trust in Christ and are forgiven, you will not experience the second death (Revelation 20-22).

Questions: Those Who Never Heard

What about the person raised by atheists who dies young having never been handed a Bible? Remember the first lesson: the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19), and God's invisible attributes are clearly seen in creation, so that humanity is without excuse (Romans 1). God has given the necessary evidence through creation and through the conscience to know that He exists. So even without the written word, people are still accountable.

This should compel believers to share the gospel. There are people right here in San Diego County who have never heard it. God still loves these people—that is why Jesus came and gave us the commission to bring the gospel to the world. The heavy reality that all will die once and then face judgment should stir us to preach it, even when we feel embarrassed.

Questions: Can a Person Lose Their Salvation?

When we come to God in repentance, His forgiveness is complete. At the cross Jesus paid the penalty of sin completely—"it is finished," an accounting term meaning paid in full (justification). Through His resurrection He conquered the power of sin, which is death, so He will raise us to be with Him forever. And He deals with the persistence of sin daily, sanctifying and transforming us so we become more like His children. One day He will remove the very presence of sin when this corruptible body puts on incorruption.

So can you lose your salvation like a wallet or car keys? No. The bigger question is whether someone can reject it. The book of Hebrews contains challenging warning passages (Hebrews 6 and 10), and the church has long debated this. One side, the Arminian position (after Jacob Arminius), says you can lose or reject your salvation; the other, the Calvinist position (after John Calvin), says you cannot. Read Romans 8-11 and you'd conclude you can never lose it; read Hebrews 6-10 and you'd think you can.

Why are both in Scripture? Because some people need a warning to draw close to the Lord, and others need an encouragement because they constantly feel defeated. You are eternally secure as long as you abide in Jesus—so stay close to Him. When someone fears they have lost their salvation, the very fear is evidence they haven't, so I tell them to stay close to Jesus. When someone is living in open, unrepentant sin yet claims to be saved, I tell them to preach the gospel to that person and call them to repent.

Here at Cross Connection we work hard to stay in the middle: God is fully sovereign, and He has sovereignly given man responsibility. The interesting thing is that both the Calvinist and the Arminian, looking at someone who has walked away, conclude the same thing—that person needs the gospel and needs to repent. At the end of the day, both sides say the same thing. This argument has continued for five hundred years, and it will continue until Jesus comes back; we won't fix it.

Questions: The Authority to Forgive

Some ask about Jesus giving the disciples authority to forgive sins (Matthew 10; John 20). What we do is speak forgiveness in the sense of declaring the Lord's authority—it is an imputed authority, not our own. I have no power to absolve anyone from sin. Only Jesus forgives sin. The gospel is the message of forgiveness, and the authority the apostles had was to preach that gospel. If they said, "Your sins are forgiven," it was on the basis of the death of Jesus Christ. The idea that the apostles continue redemptive work does not fit Scripture. Only Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins, because He dealt with the penalty of sin Himself.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You that You have loved us so much that You sent Your Son to die for us. Jesus, we thank You that You took all of our sin on the cross and paid the debt completely, so that we could be released from the penalty of sin—and ultimately from its power, its persistence, and its presence. God, I pray that our lives would be a demonstration of Your grace and Your truth, and that You would give us a passion to share the gospel with people who haven't heard it yet. There are family members, neighbors, coworkers, and friends who do not yet know Your forgiving grace. Stir our hearts to share that good news this week, even tomorrow, Lord, and to be persistent in the sharing of our faith. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.