Mark 2

Who can forgive sins?

Mark 2

Mark 2:5

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (use)

Let Abraham's prayer be for Ishmael, let Hannah pray for Samuel, let David plead for Solomon, let Andrew find first his brother Simon, and Eunice train her Timothy: they will be none the less large or prevalent in their pleadings for others, because they were mindful of those allied to them by ties of blood.

Spurgeon, C.H., 1871. Household Salvation. Nov.5
spurgeon-1871-householdnov5~a1

The truly baffling part of this story is not that Jericho experienced such extensive judgment and destruction but that Rahab and her family receive such extensive mercy and grace.

Watkins, E. 2020. Redemptive Judgment.
watkins-2020-redemptive~a1

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (use)

We must not lose sight of the fact that God’s wrath is very real and very justified... we have rebelled wilfully against his commands, defied his moral law, and acted in total defiance of known will for us.

Bridges, J., 2017. Trusting God.
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Psalm 103:10

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. (use)

There is nobody who doesn't deserve to walk into their local church and have others look them in the eye and understand that we are all in the same position. We are all sinful, flawed, selfish imperfect people - saved only by the grace of God and the love of Christ and the power of the holy spirit.

Houston, B., 2016. Live, Love, Lead. 54
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What will matter most in the hour of death is: Have my sins been put away by the blood of Christ?

Pink, A.W., 2005. The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross.
pink-2005-seven~a3

Mark 2:10

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic— (use)

Mark 2:7

Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? (use)

Leviticus 16:30

For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins. (use)

Psalm 51:4

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. (use)

Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is truly an act of treason against the cosmic King.[ch. 3]

Sproul, R.C., 2007. The Truth of the Cross.
sproul-2008-truth~c3a

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (use)

Psalm 103:12

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (use)

2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (use)

This doctrine of god's judgement should not be an embarrassment to the church. It is not simply a negative doctrine. It is profoundly positive.

Wells, D.F., 2008. The Courage to be Protestant.
wells-2008-courage~a8

Isaiah 43:25

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (use)

Jesus is to be acknowledged as both sin-bearing Saviour and enthroned Lord, and trusting him entails both repenting of sin and becoming his disciple - a truly life-changing transaction.

Packer, J.I., 2013. Taking God Seriously. pg. 43
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Mark 2:11

I {Jesus} say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home. (use)

Jesus didn't come primarily to solve the economic, political, and social problems of the world. He came to forgive our sins.

Keller, T., 2017. He came to forgive our sins. Twitter.
keller-2017-came~a1

Matthew 16:16

Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (use)

Revelation 7:10

and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (use)

Do they {religions} retain the power to shape the world, or are they just inert relics from our past, tossed here and there by the mighty forces of modern states, economies and technologies?

Harari, Y.N., 2018. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. 126
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Mark 2:17

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (use)

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives; who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?

Nietzsche, F., 1882. The Gay Science.
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Broken lines, broken strings, Broken threads, broken springs, Broken idols, broken heads, People sleeping in broken beds Ain't no use jiving Ain't no use joking Everything is broken

Dylan, B., 1989. Everything Is Broken.
dylan-1989-everything~a1

Ecclesiastes 7:20

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. (use)

Seven out of ten adults (69%) believe that "people are basically good."

American Worldview Inventory. 2020. At a Glance AWVI 2020 Results.
awi-2020-results~a2

The sinless self is sinned against, not the sinner. They are the helpless victims of social structures, institutions, and corporate bodies. It is with these perpetrators that responsibility lies, not with the “innocent victims” of their distorted practices.

Mann, A., 2015. Atonement for a Sinless Society: Second Edition, 2nd edition. ed. Cascade Books, Eugene, Oregon.
mann-2015-sinless~a1

Guess I’m broken by design

Humberstone. H., 2021. Friendly Fire
humberstone-2021-friendlyfire~a1

...that natural Men are held in the Hand of God over the Pit of Hell; they have deserved the fiery Pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his Anger is as great towards them...

Edwards, J., 1741. Sinners in the hands of an angry God.
edwards-1741-sinners~a2a

I am tempted to think that there are some sins for which I have no natural taste, such as strong drink, profane language, etc., so that I need not fear temptation to such sins. This is a lie-a proud, presumptuous lie. The seeds of all sins, are in my heart, and perhaps all the more dangerously that I do not see them.

Bonar, A.A. and McCheyne M., 1960. The Life of Robert Murray McCheyne.
bonar-1960-lifeof~a1

Psalm 103:8

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (use)

Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (use)

So evangelism must start with the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the demands of the law, the punishment meted out by the law and the eternal consequences of evil and wrongdoing. It is only the man who is brought to see his guilt in the way who flies to Christ for deliverance and redemption.

Lloyd-Jones, D.M., 1977. Studies in the sermon on the mount.
lloyd-1977-studies~a1

It's true, Jesus was a friend of sinners, and because he was a true friend, he called those friends to repent and believe.

Parsons, B., 2022. It's true, Jesus was a friend of sinners. Twitter.
parsons-2022-friend~a1

Mark 2:27

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (use)

Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.

Watterson, B., 2015. Calvin and Hobbes.
watterson-2015-weekends~a1

Exodus 20:8

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (use)

1 Samuel 21:6

So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. (use)

Psalm 103:17

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, (use)

Psalm 103:18

to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. (use)

Matthew 12:8

For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. (use)

Colossians 2:16

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (use)

Romans 14:5

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. (use)

Hebrews 4:9

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God (use)

Topics and Themes

About Jesus

Bible DIY

Key Verse

Mark 2:7

"Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (use)