Tag: glorified God

32.b. “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

 

Matthew 9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

 Psalms 32:1-2  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

 Isaiah 44:22   I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

 Jeremiah 31:33-34   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

 Romans 4:6-8    just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

 Isaiah 35:5-6  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

 Isaiah 43:25   “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

We also note that the presence of so much sickness among Israel was evidence of their unfaithfulness to the covenant and their low spiritual condition. God gave them the opposite of what He promised under Exodus 15:26: If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

I am not sure this man’s paralysis had anything to do with a particular sin.  Could it be that Jesus wanted all to know the importance of sin and the need for forgiveness? Physical healing has benefit this side of eternity but does nothing in terms of eternity destiny.  I wonder how many people would choose physical healing over the forgiveness of sin? By far the better choice would be forgiveness of sin. This man’s friends had faith even though it does not mention the faith of the paralytic. Their faith drove them to bring their friend to the feet of Jesus Christ. I doubt they were thinking of “forgiveness of sin” being the result of their faith.  They wanted their friend to be healed. yet, Jesus gave far better healing, a healing of the soul with eternal value. What was the reaction of the Scribes – within their own minds they proclaimed Jesus to be blaspheming. Know their thoughts Jesus address the evil that is in these scribes’ hearts. Jesus pardons sin first and this is seen as an act against God by the very people (scribes) who should have been able to recognize and know Jesus was the promised Messiah. Certainly, they were familiar with prophecy in scripture. Psalm 103.3 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases.”

Jesus knew the faith of the paralytic and his friends. Jesus knew the condition of the paralytic’s heart regarding sin. Jesus knew the thoughts of the Scribes. We can see physical healing when it takes place, but forgiveness of sin in another person is beyond our knowing. Jesus gave proof of His ability o forgive sin by healing the paralytic. People seeing the healing gave glory to God. You have to imagine this act of healing gave pause to the Scribes. Surely some of them took it to heart, and yet, others would not. 

Healing of the heart and soul through faith in Jesus Christ results in eternal life. Rejecting this healing results in eternal Hell and torment.

15.u. “And many followed him, and he healed them all”

John 6:1  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

Matthew 4:24-25    So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.  And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 12:15    Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all

Matthew 15:30-31    And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,  so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Fame spread and large crowds, great crowds, and many followed Jesus.  The fame of His healing the sick, healing those possessed by demons, healing the blind, mute, and lame all pointed to Jesus being who the prophets spoke of hundreds of years before.  Can’t you hear what people were saying?  He healed my blind son, He cast the demon out of my brother, He healed my paralyzed friend, My dad can hear again, my daughter is no longer sick……. and the word spread about Jesus.  Signs and wonders were all given out of grace and mercy but they were also given to show that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  Many glorified God because of the miracles that Jesus did.  Don’t you wonder how many came to the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel after Jesus was crucified?  Do you wonder how many hearts were broken when He was hung up on the cross?  How hard would that have been to see the very man who healed you or a friend or a family member being beaten, whipped, and hung on a cross?  Wouldn’t your heartache?  Wouldn’t you have questions?  Wouldn’t you say this is all wrong?  You have to know there were those in the crowds who doubted Jesus Christ even though they saw what He did.  People today are healed still today but I would have to say that there is more doubt than ever before in the history of mankind.  Jesus Christ is still the same though we have changed and thoughts about Him have dwindled.  Our culture shouts out that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are nothing more than fairytales or man-made stories of weak men.  In their hardened hearts they have set their path straight to eternity in hell.   In their wisdom, they deny signs, wonders, and miracles that have been recorded for us so that our faith in Jesus Christ would continue to grow and we would forever continue to give glory to God.