Matthew 9:1-8

The Great Physician

(1) So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. (2)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.” (3) And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” (4) But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? (5) For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? (6) 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.” (7) And he arose and departed to his house. (8) Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

(Matthew 9:1-8)

1. Last week we concluded our study in Matthew chapter 8, which gave us a picture of the divine power of Christ

2. We saw His divine power over sin, by healing a leper (8:1-4)

1. We saw His divine power to heal over a distance with the centurion's servant (8:5-13)

2. We saw His divine power to heal Peter's mother suffering from a brain fever (8:14-17)

3. We saw His divine power over the weather, winds and the waves which to us are uncontrollable (8:18:27)

4. We saw His divine power of the spiritual World with the demons in demon world in Gadarene (8:28:34)

3. After being rejected by the citizens of Gadarene, Jesus and his disciples got into their boat and returned to the other side and His own city. Like last week, we will use another Gospel to help us in our study Mark 2:1-12

1. In chapter 9 we see a continuation of Jesus showing us His power over everything

1. His power over the physical World

2. His power over the spirit World

3. His power over morality

4. His power over demonic disorders

5. All the disorders brought upon the world when Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority, thus giving Satan the power of influence over mankind’s life

2. In the first verse we read that Jesus returned to His own city.

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.

Matthew 9:1

1. His own city, is Capernaum, the city where Jesus based His ministry

1. Capernaum was a major crossroads for Middle Eastern traffic

1. If you had to travel North, South, East, or West you had to go through Capernaum

2. This gave Jesus maximum impact on touching peoples lives from across the Roman World

3. Many would hear of Him and pass on to others what they saw and heard, even if they did not accept Him, they would talk of Him when they came to other countries or when they got home if they were from far distances and traveling through.

2. By now His reputation for compassion towards the sick and sinful masses was widespread as multitudes from all over the promised land continuously to flocked to Him

1. 26 times we read of the word “Multitudes” in Matthew's Gospel

2. Multitudes means a great many, to vast to count by just looking out at them

3. It seems that Jesus always had many, many people around Him

2. This moment is no different, as four men bring a friend who is afflicted with a type of paralysis

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic,

Matthew 9:2a

1. We do not know from Scriptures how or when this paralysis came upon the man

1. Early church tradition say it was brought on by an immoral lifestyle

2. Like today, there were many diseases back then that were brought on by a person's lifestyle

2. What we do know is his friends really cared about him, they would probably do almost anything

1. With multitudes of people around they could not get to Jesus

2. So they went up on the roof and tore a whole into it to lower him down

3. Seeing the faith of the paralytic and his friends, Jesus tells the man

”Son your sins are forgiven”

Matthew 9:2b

3. See the man knew his condition was because of his sin, and being God, Christ knew he was remorseful and repentant, so he was ready to forgive and healed the man

3. At this point Jesus is accused of blasphemy by the Pharisees

And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
Matthew 9:3

1. Jesus immediately responds to them

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.”

Matthew 9:4-6

1. Knowing their hearts, Jesus challenges their sense of wisdom

2. By asking which is easier to say? ”Your sins are forgiven, or arise and walk?

1. One would think it easier to say "Your sins are forgiven." because that is an inward action that would be almost impossible to prove or to disprove.

2. However, to say To “Rise and walk” shows the glory and power of Christ because immediately the man does.This observable by all present, and thus proof of Christ's power

3. Both forgiving sins, and healing a paralytic are humanly impossible, but for God all things are possible

2. Consider the account of the rich young ruler who wanted to gain eternal life, in Matthew 19:16-26

1. He asked Jesus what he must do

2. Jesus told the man to follow to obey the commandments

1. You shall not murder

2. You shall not commit adultery

3. You shall not steal

4. You shall not bear false witness

5. Honor your father and your mother

6. You shall love your neighbor as yourself

3. The young man says he has done all that and desires to know what he still lacks, and Jesus tells him

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 

Matthew 19:21

1. The young man leaves disappointed, because he had great wealth, and loved his money

2. You must understand, Jesus did not say that all men should give up their wealth

3. Jesus wants us give up that which becomes our idle

4. This man's idle was his wealth, 

2. So, after the rich young ruler walked away from salvation, Jesus told His disciples, 

"Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

Matthew 19:24

5. Think about what Jesus is telling them

1. Remember, the Jews looked at wealthy people as truly blessed by God

2. Those who were in poverty, were not cursed, but they were not thought of as blessed

3. So then, if a rich will have such a difficult time making it into heaven, what does it say about everyone else, who are not blessed by God

4. That’s why His disciple asked Jesus

"Who then can be saved?"

Matthew 19:25

6. To whom Jesus replied

"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26

3. The point Jesus wants to make with the Pharisees, who accused Him of Blaspheme is

1. To show them He had the power to forgive sins

2. He says that which is more difficult of the two to prove

4. Thus proving that His words have the power and that His declaration, your sins are forgiven carry weight, He then said to the man who was sick of the palsy

"Arise, take up your bed and go home."

Matthew 9:6

1. The Pharisees know that Paralytics could only be cured by God

1. Even with all of today’s technology, we cannot cure paralytic

2. Only God can make a lame man walk

3. A blind man see

4. A leper clean

2. Just as God can only forgive sins

3. Jesus then must be God, he healed a paralytic and forgave his sins

2. But what do we read about the reaction of the people?

Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew 9:8

1. So while they properly give credit to God for the power bestowed upon Jesus

2. They still failed to realize who Jesus was

3. They admired him, not as God, nor as the Son of God, but as a man blessed by God

4. They thought of Him as nothing more than a prophet like Elijah

5. They failed to realize that the man they marveled over, the man named Emmanuel

6. Was “God who is with us”