And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12)

Jesus Claimed To Be God

The fundamental truth of salvation is to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. If a man refuses to accept Jesus as God’s Son, there can be no salvation. John writes in his gospel that Jesus was the Word and He was God. The miracles were written to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing there would be life in His name. Critics suggest that Jesus never claimed to be God. During the first year of His ministry, the Lord is in Capernaum teaching in a home crowded with disciples. It was so crowded; there was no room to come in the door. Four friends brought a paralytic seeking Jesus to heal their friend but they could not find a way into the house. They uncovered the roof and let down the bed with the man upon it. Jesus, seeing their faith, forgave the sins of the man.

Jesus did not heal the man at first. He chose to forgive the man’s sins and then He perceived what the crowd was thinking. Those gathered included the scribes and the Pharisees. The Jewish leaders kept a constant attack on Jesus challenging Him with His teachings. They never denied His miracles. When Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven, the Jewish leaders were incensed. What they thought was correct and in accord with the will of God. They thought Jesus spoke blasphemy to forgive sins. On the surface, the scribes and Pharisees were correct to say that no man could forgive sins because only God has the authority and the power to remove sin. Sadly, what they failed to see was the power of God affirmed the authority of Christ.

The paralytic man remained on his bed without any healing. He remained in the same condition physically as he had when he arrived. Jesus, knowing the hearts of the people, challenged them with the proclamation that anyone can say they forgive sins but who among men can show the power to raise a paralytic from his bed? Turning to the man He said, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” The man did. Immediately. There was no hesitation, no therapy, and no long lapse of time. It seems the man was near death when brought by his friends and yet now he immediately arises, takes up his bed, and goes out in the presence of the crowd. Jesus proved He could forgive sins because He healed the man.

No man can forgive sins unless they are God. Jesus demonstrated that He was God when He healed the paralytic. The miracle proved Him to be the Son of God. He claimed that right to be God and forgive sins. When Jesus was crucified between two thieves, He forgave the sins of one thief as he begged for mercy. How could Jesus forgive the thief? He was God. The power and authority of God gave Jesus the right to forgive any person of sin. No record is given of others Jesus may have forgiven but the healing of the paralytic establishes that Jesus affirmed to the multitudes that He was God. Refusing to believe Jesus is the Son of God is refusing the avenue of salvation for the forgiveness of sins. There is salvation in no other name.