Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
"Who is this that speaks blasphemies?
Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them,
"Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven you;’
or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"
(he said to the paralyzed man),
"I tell you, arise, and take up your cot,
and go to your house."
Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying
on,
and departed to his house, glorifying God.
What does this reveal about Jesus?
Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.
Notes:
Notice again that Jesus is responding to their faith. Salvation comes after belief.
The Bible revealed that only God could really forgive sins. Yes Jesus does speak of people forgiving one another for sins committed against one another. But that has to do with relationships between people. You can forgive someone who has sinned against you to restore the relationship between you and him. But you can't restore that person's relationship with God through such forgiveness. Only God can forgive people their sins committed against Him.
Here Jesus declares that he has the authority to forgive such sins. As such the Jews interpreted this to mean that he was making himself equal with God, which was reckoned blasphemy. But in fact he was the Son of God and was indeed given such authority. But how could he prove it?
"Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." John 10:37,38His miracles affirmed his claims about himself. And in this case his healing of this paralyzed man affirmed his authority to forgive sins.
A related passage on Jesus' supposedly blasphemous claim:
Jesus said "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33Notice again he makes reference to his miracles to affirm his claims.
Application:
Being physically healed is one thing. But it is far less important than having our sins forgiven. For decay and death is an effect of sin. Physical healing only deals with the symptoms and not the root problem. Therefore in our prayers for physically healing, let us not neglecting the need for the forgiveness of our sins.