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Isaiah 43:25
I,even I,am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Micah 7:18
Whois a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delightethin mercy.

Mark 2:7,10
Why doth thisman thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? …

Arise.

Matthew 9:5
For whether is easier, to say,Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Luke 13:11-13
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift upherself…

Acts 9:34
And Peter said unto him, AEneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

that the Son of Man
"Son of Man" is a title Jesus frequently used for Himself, drawing fromDaniel 7:13-14, where it describes a heavenly figure with authority and dominion. This title emphasizes both His humanity and His divine authority, bridging the gap between heaven and earth.

has authority on earth
The concept of authority is central to Jesus' ministry. In Jewish understanding, authority to forgive sins was reserved for God alone. By claiming this authority on earth, Jesus is asserting His divine nature and His role in God's redemptive plan. This authority is not limited to the spiritual realm but extends to earthly matters, demonstrating His comprehensive sovereignty.

to forgive sins...”
Forgiveness of sins is a core aspect of Jesus' mission. In Jewish culture, sin was often associated with physical ailments, and forgiveness was seen as a divine prerogative. By forgiving sins, Jesus is not only addressing the spiritual condition of individuals but also challenging the religious leaders' understanding of God's work.

Then He said to the paralytic,
The paralytic represents those who are spiritually and physically in need of healing. Jesus' interaction with him is a demonstration of His compassion and power. The paralytic's condition also serves as a metaphor for the spiritual paralysis caused by sin.

“Get up,
This command signifies a call to action and transformation. It is a moment of divine intervention where Jesus' words bring about immediate change. The act of getting up symbolizes resurrection, new life, and the breaking of the bonds of sin and infirmity.

pick up your mat,
The instruction to pick up the mat is significant. It serves as a tangible sign of the healing that has taken place. The mat, once a symbol of the man's paralysis, now becomes a testimony to Jesus' power and authority. It also indicates a complete and undeniable healing, leaving no trace of the former condition.

and go home.”
Returning home signifies restoration to community and normalcy. It highlights the holistic nature of Jesus' healing, which restores individuals not only physically but also socially and spiritually. The homecoming is a return to one's rightful place, symbolizing reconciliation and peace.

Jesus openly states His purpose: to give undeniable evidence of His divine power.

• The crowd and the skeptical scribes (Matthew 9:3) needed confirmation that forgiveness, an invisible act, had truly occurred.

• Throughout Scripture, God provides signs to validate His word—think ofExodus 4:5 or1 Kings 18:37–39.

• Here, the sign would bridge the seen (physical healing) and the unseen (forgiveness), showing that the two flow from the same authority.

• “Son of Man” links directly toDaniel 7:13-14, where the divine figure receives everlasting dominion; Jesus applies that prophecy to Himself.

• Authority “on earth” underscores that this power is not postponed to heaven’s throne room—Christ exercises it in real time among real people (cf.Mark 2:10;John 5:22-27).

• Forgiveness is exclusively God’s prerogative (Isaiah 43:25). By claiming it, Jesus unmistakably claims full deity while remaining in human flesh.

• The Lord turns from debating religious leaders to addressing the broken sufferer before Him, modeling compassion that moves beyond argument (Matthew 12:20).

• Personal encounter matters: salvation and healing are never merely theoretical (Luke 19:5-9).

• The paralytic embodies every sinner—immobile, unable to help himself until Christ speaks (Ephesians 2:1-5).

• A single command carries the creative power that called the universe into existence (Genesis 1:3).

• Physical restoration mirrors spiritual resurrection; compare Jesus’ word to Lazarus, “Come out!” (John 11:43) and Peter’s word to the lame man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3:6-7).

• Immediate obedience demonstrates genuine faith (Hebrews 11:1).

• No lingering infirmity remains; he is strong enough to carry what once carried him (John 5:8-9).

• The mat becomes a testimony: every step proclaims what Christ has done, much like the demoniac’s restored life inMark 5:20.

• Responsibility follows grace—he takes ownership of his life rather than returning to dependency (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

• Restoration is social as well as physical; he re-enters family and community (Luke 15:24).

• Going home turns private healing into public witness, “Declare how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

• The everyday setting of home shows that discipleship is lived out in ordinary places, not just religious arenas (Colossians 3:17).

Matthew 9:6 reveals Jesus as theDaniel 7 “Son of Man,” exercising divine authority in the present world to pardon sin and reverse its curse. By healing the paralytic on command, He makes the invisible visible, proving that when He says “Your sins are forgiven,” it is done. The man’s immediate rise, mat in hand, and return home showcase a complete salvation that restores body, soul, and community, calling every observer—and every reader—to trust and obey the One who forgives and makes whole.

Arise, take up thy bed.--As St. Mark gives the words we have the very syllables that had been spoken to the "impotent man" at Bethesda (John 5:8), and in any case words identical in meaning; and the natural inference is that our Lord meant to recall what the scribes from Jerusalem had then seen and heard. . . .

(1) that our Lord does not say "I," but "the Son of man" ;

(2) that the emphatic words in the sentence are "hath authority," and "on earth." It would therefore appear as though our Lord wished to call the attention of those present to a phrase which they already knew, but did not rightly understand. He seems to point them toDaniel 7:13, and reminding them that even there "one like unto a son of man" (cf.supra,Matthew 8:20, note) receives authority (ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, ver. 14), tells them that this authority includes forgiving sins, and that this may be exercised not only in the future and in "the clouds of heaven," but now (ἔχει) and "on earth." Further, if, as seems likely,. the phrase was understood to symbolize the nation, he desired them to see in himself the great means whereby the nation should rise to its ideal. If, as is possible, though hardly probable, this saying of our Lord's is chronologically earlier thanMatthew 8:20, and there,-fore the earliest occasion on which he used the phrase, the almost direct reference toDaniel 7:13 makes it the more interesting.(Then saith he to the sick of the palsy). The thought of the sentence is continued, but as he now turns directly to the sick man, its form is altered.Arise, take up. The Revised Version, retaining the wrong reading,ἐγερθείς, inserts "and."Thy bed (ver. 9, note),and go unto thine house. Thus avoiding publicity.

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