How does Matthew 9:6 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Verse in Focus “ ‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ — He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’ ” (Matthew 9:6) Authority to Forgive: Divine Prerogative Foretold • Psalm 103:2-3 foretells a Savior who “forgives all your iniquity and heals all your diseases.” • Isaiah 43:25 records the LORD Himself saying, “I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions.” • Jeremiah 31:34 promises the new covenant where God declares, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.” → By forgiving sins publicly, Jesus assumes the uniquely divine role these texts assign to God, identifying Himself as the promised Redeemer. The “Son of Man”: Echoes of Daniel • Daniel 7:13-14 pictures “One like a Son of Man… given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples… worshiped Him.” • Jesus adopts this title in Matthew 9:6, signaling that the Messianic figure with everlasting dominion has arrived and now exercises that foretold authority on earth. Healing the Lame: Signposts from Isaiah and Psalms • Isaiah 35:4-6 predicts the Messianic age: “Then the lame will leap like a deer.” • Isaiah 53:4-5 links physical healing to atonement: “Surely He has borne our sicknesses… by His wounds we are healed.” • By telling the paralytic to walk—and the man immediately doing so—Jesus fulfills these healing prophecies in real time. Messianic Combination: Forgiveness + Healing • The Old Testament keeps the two together: forgiveness and restoration (Psalm 103; Isaiah 53). • Matthew 9:6 showcases both in one moment: authority over sin and over bodily brokenness, confirming Jesus as the comprehensive Messiah Scripture anticipated. Takeaway: Fulfillment in Living Color Matthew 9:6 gathers strands from Daniel, Isaiah, Psalms, and Jeremiah into a single scene. Jesus, the prophesied Son of Man, proves His divine right to forgive sins by performing the very miracles the prophets said the Messiah would do—causing the lame to walk and, more importantly, cleansing hearts from sin. |
    |