Jesus forgives a man

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus had made many ill people well. But he did not come only to make people‘s bodies well. The health of their bodies was important. But the health of their souls is much more important. The soul continues to be alive after the body is dead.

God sent Jesus because he wanted to save people‘s souls. God wants people to live in his home, called heaven. But people have done things that are wrong and bad. God is completely good and he is always right. He cannot let wrong and bad people into heaven. And everybody is wrong and bad (Romans 3:23).

But God saves people, by Jesus. God forgives them because of Jesus‘ death. People must believe God. They must ask him to forgive them. And, with his help, they must stop the bad things that they are doing.

The people knew that this man was ill. But they did not know that his soul was also ill. But Jesus knew that. The man needed God to forgive him.

The man‘s friends believed. Clearly, the man believed too. We know that because Jesus forgave him. God forgives people who believe him.

The teachers did not think that Jesus was able to forgive anyone. They thought that only God can forgive. But Jesus showed them that God had given that authority to him. He told the man that he should stand. Then he told the man that he must walk to his home. That could only happen if God had made the man well.

God had given to Jesus the authority to make the man well. So clearly, God had also given to Jesus the authority to forgive the man.