What does "the Son of Man has authority" reveal about Jesus' divine nature? Text Spotlight: Mark 2:10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Scene Snapshot • A paralytic is lowered through the roof (Mark 2:1-12). • Jesus forgives the man first, then heals him, proving His authority is real and present. • The scribes call it blasphemy because, in their view, only God can forgive sins. The Weight of “Son of Man” • Draws directly from Daniel 7:13-14—“One like a son of man…was given dominion, glory, and kingship…His dominion is an everlasting dominion”. • A humble, human-sounding title that at the same time carries end-time, divine rulership over every nation. • Jesus applies this title to Himself nearly 80 times, weaving humanity and deity together. Authority That Belongs to God Alone • Old Testament clarity: “I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions” (Isaiah 43:25). • Psalm 130:4—“But with You there is forgiveness”. • By declaring forgiveness personally, Jesus steps into a space reserved exclusively for God. More Passages Reinforcing the Same Claim • Matthew 9:6; Luke 5:24—same event, same wording. • John 5:27—“He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man”. • Mark 2:28—“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath”. • John 10:18—“I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again”—life and death themselves fall under His command. Bottom Line: What It Says about His Divine Nature • Possessing the sovereign right to forgive sins shows Jesus exercises a prerogative Scripture assigns to God alone. • Rooted in Daniel 7, “Son of Man” identifies Him as the Messianic ruler who shares the Father’s eternal dominion. • His authority spans the moral (forgiveness), the judicial (judgment), the temporal (Sabbath), and the existential (life and death)—a scope only possible for Deity. • The miraculous healing serves as observable evidence: if His word can instantaneously restore a body, His unseen act of forgiving sin is equally trustworthy. • Therefore, “the Son of Man has authority” reveals that Jesus is fully God while walking among us as true man. Walking It Out • Confidence: our sins are genuinely forgiven when we come to Christ—no priest, ritual, or good work can add to what His authority has settled. • Worship: recognizing His divine right deepens our awe and shapes every song, prayer, and act of service. • Submission: the One who forgives also rules; yielding to His commands is the logical response to His unquestionable authority. |
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