April 16, 2023
Who's Got Your Back?
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Luke 5:17 NIV
One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.
"For God is triune, and it is as triune that he is so good and desirable…" — Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith
Luke 5:18 NIV
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
Luke 5:19 NIV
When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
Luke 5:20 NIV
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
"For a moment, imagine yourself as the paralyzed man. You would have felt (and if you had a bold personality you might have said), 'Uh, thanks—but isn't it obvious I have a more urgent need here?' And if you had said that, Jesus would have answered, 'No, you don't.'" — Timothy Keller, Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?
Luke 5:21 NIV
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Jesus is not just another prophet or a good man. He is claiming to be God.
Luke 5:22-23 NIV
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?"
Luke 5:24 NIV
"But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home."
Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
The title, Son of Man, shows Jesus' humanity, humility, and holiness.
Matthew 26:64 NIV
"You have said so," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Matthew 26:65 NIV
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy."
Luke 5:25-26 NIV
Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
"It's likely that the man had been feeling, "If I could just walk again—then I'd be happy. I'd never complain. I'd be content." But Jesus, as it were, is saying: "Look around you at all these people—they can all walk. Are their hearts all filled with contentment? Are they all happy? If I only heal you, you will be overjoyed for a while, but then you will become like everyone else."
No. What the man needed was forgiveness. Forgiveness gets down to the bottom of things—to the alienation we feel from God and from ourselves because of our wrongdoing. Jesus was saying: "I want to show you that the deepest need of your nature is for me. Only I can bestow perfect love, new identity, endless comfort, hope, and glory. And the doorway into all of that is to know forgiveness." It's time to open that door and walk through it."— Timothy Keller,Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?
In Christ, your worst day can be completely forgiven.