Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960428.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part VIII: The Proof Of Jesus As Israel's Messiah
E. Christ's Authenticating Authority To Minister To Weary Sinners Seeking Forgiveness
(Matthew 9:1-17)
  1. Introduction
    1. People who sense the guilt of their sin can be seriously plagued by it. Yet, the Bible teaches that Christ came to provide victory over sin and its effects, cf. 1 Cor. 15:56-57.
    2. Matthew 9:1-17 details the great authority of Jesus not only to forgive a sinner, but to do so extensively in all of our lives, and serves as a great encouragement to those who suffer great guilt as follows:
  2. Christ's Authenticating Authority To Minister To Weary Sinners Seeking Forgiveness, Mtt. 9:1-17.
    1. Christ demonstrated His authenticating authority to forgive sin on the earth, Mtt. 9:1-8.
      1. When some associates brought a man stricken with palsy to Jesus for healing, before healing the man, Jesus announced that his sins that had led to his illness had been forgiven him, Mtt. 9:1-2.
        1. Under the Law, God promised health for obedience and illness for disobedience, Dt. 28:1-35.
        2. Since this man under the Law was ill, sin had led to his condition, so Jesus addressed his sin first!
      2. Some religious leaders seriously objected to this statement of Jesus as it put Him in the place of God:
        1. Only God can forgive sins, and the Jews in Jesus' day knew it, B.K.C., N.T., p. 39 (Mk. 2:7)
        2. When Jesus forgave this man's sins, putting Himself in God's role, it upset the authorities, Mtt. 9:3.
      3. To prove He was God and that this man's sins had been forgiven, Jesus authenticated His forgiveness announcement by asking the paralytic to rise and carry his bed to his house, Mtt. 9:5-6.
      4. The man did so, demonstrating that Jesus was God, having authority to forgive sins, Mt. 9:7-8 with 9a.
    2. Christ demonstrated His authenticating authority to forgive a bad sinner, Mtt. 9:9.
      1. Jesus asked Matthew, a publican tax collector, to follow Him as His disciple, Mtt. 9:9.
      2. These men abused Rome's authority over people to extort, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Mtt. 9:10.
      3. When Jesus asked Matthew of all sinners to follow Him, Matthew's great sins were forgiven him!
    3. Christ demonstrated His authenticating authority to forgive many of these bad sinners, Mtt. 9:10-13.
      1. Having been saved, Matthew apparently invited his former colleagues to dine with Jesus, Mtt. 9:9,10.
      2. When Jesus dined with them, the Pharisees took offense at Christ's mingling with awful sinners, 9:11.
      3. Knowing that these sinners were interested in what He had to say, Jesus responded that He had been sent to help the needy like a physician whose job it is to address the needs of the sick, Mtt. 9:12.
      4. Jesus pointed out that God preferred mercy above even sacrifice, a value system the Pharisee critics violated, and mercy involved forgiveness of the sinner who truly repented, Mtt. 9:13 with Hosea 6:6.
      5. Thus, Jesus had the power to forgive many tax collectors who were bad sinners!
    4. Christ demonstrated His authenticating authority to offset the ruinous effects of sin, Mtt. 9:14-17.
      1. Some of John the baptizer's disciples asked Jesus why Jesus' disciples did not fast like others, Mtt. 9:14.
      2. Fasting is a hardship that is the result of sin: (a) when God created the world, he gave man license to eat whenever he desired, Gn. 2:16. (b) In fact, the only command by God to fast is given for the Day of Atonement when God ordered Israel to grieve for their sins, cf. Ibid., ftn. to Mtt. 9:14. (The fasts of Purim and the 9t h of Ab. commemorating Jerusalem's falls were national fasts not set up by Scripture!)
      3. Jesus explained that as He was the Bridegroom of Israel, the Messiah, come to present the Messianic Kingdom when all would be celebrations and feasting for victory over sin, fasting was pass<\i> , Mt. 9:15.
      4. However, to push John with his usual practice of fasting into avoiding fasts was too much of a change for him to take before glorification; thus, Jesus didn't push avoiding fasting on John, Mtt. 9:16-17.
Lesson: Jesus demonstrated His authority to (1) forgive sin, (2) to heal a sinner of the effects of his sin, (3) to forgive a bad sinner, (4) even to forgive many bad sinners, (5) to reverse the discomforts of false legalistic burdens that wrong va lues caused by sin has put on man's existence (having the disciples feast, not fast) and (6) even to go SLOW on RELEASING people from their pet legalistic habits when it would be a burden for them to do so (not stopping John's fasting). Indeed, Christ is a breath of fresh air for the burdened sinner seeking refuge from his sin and its ill effects!