In what ways can we trust Jesus' power to heal and forgive today? Witnessing the Miracle in Matthew 9:6 “ ‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’ ” (Matthew 9:6) What the Moment Reveals • One spoken command heals years of paralysis. • The same command proves Jesus’ divine right to cancel sin’s debt. • Forgiveness and healing are inseparable demonstrations of the same authority. Why His Authority Still Stands Today • Hebrews 13:8—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” • Isaiah 53:5—His wounds purchased both peace with God and the promise of wholeness. • 1 Peter 2:24—The cross finished what the mat in Capernaum previewed. • Matthew 28:18—“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Nothing since has diminished that authority. Trusting His Power to Forgive Right Now • 1 John 1:9—Confession meets a guaranteed cleansing: “He is faithful and just to forgive.” • Psalm 103:12—Forgiven sins are removed “as far as the east is from the west.” • Colossians 2:13-14—Our record of debt was nailed to the cross; no sin outruns His blood. • Because forgiveness is anchored in a past event (the cross) and a living Savior, assurance is present-tense and personal. Trusting His Power to Heal Today • James 5:14-16—Prayer, anointing, and confession invite God’s restorative touch. • Psalm 103:2-3—He “forgives all your iniquities” and “heals all your diseases”; both verbs rest on the same faithful character. • Mark 5:34—“Your faith has made you well.” Faith is the channel, Christ is the healer. • While ultimate healing awaits resurrection (Revelation 21:4), moments of earthly healing preview that future wholeness. How to Lean Into That Trust 1. Come honestly—bring sin, sickness, and doubts into His light. 2. Anchor hope in Scripture—read the healing accounts aloud; let them reset expectations. 3. Pray boldly—ask specifically, yet surrender to His perfect will. 4. Seek community—invite elders and trusted believers to pray and lay hands (James 5). 5. Celebrate partial answers—each improvement is a reminder that the final, complete healing is certain. 6. Keep worshiping—whether He heals now or later, His authority remains worthy of praise. The Bottom Line The mat left behind in Matthew 9 is a down payment on the total restoration Jesus secured at Calvary. Because He still reigns, we can trust Him to forgive every confessed sin and to heal—sometimes instantly, sometimes gradually, and ultimately in eternity—with the same sovereign power He displayed in that crowded Galilean house. |
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