A Demonstration of Divine Power
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”
Luke 5:22–24
The message of Jesus was not well received by many of the religious leaders of His day. Despite the testimony of John the Baptist and the clear teaching of Jesus Himself, they did not accept the truth that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Just as the Pharisees did not go to Bethlehem to see the Messiah—even though they knew and were able to tell Herod that Jesus would be born there—so when He began His public ministry, they did not welcome or receive Him.
When the paralyzed man was let down through the roof to see Jesus, the Lord declared that he was forgiven. Yet that claim seemed outrageous to the Pharisees who were gathered to hear Jesus. They realized that only God has the power to forgive sins, and so they knew Jesus was claiming to be God. To drive home the point He was making, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. Those who opposed Him knew it was easy to say that sins were forgiven, because there is no outward way to confirm that had happened. But to say “Arise” to a paralyzed man gives an immediate evidence of power that cannot be ignored.
The God we serve has all power, and He has offered to us something far more valuable and important than physical healing. Jesus came not primarily to raise up the sick, but to heal the wounds of sin and offer us forgiveness through His blood. That is Divine power on display.
Luke 5:22–24
The message of Jesus was not well received by many of the religious leaders of His day. Despite the testimony of John the Baptist and the clear teaching of Jesus Himself, they did not accept the truth that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Just as the Pharisees did not go to Bethlehem to see the Messiah—even though they knew and were able to tell Herod that Jesus would be born there—so when He began His public ministry, they did not welcome or receive Him.
When the paralyzed man was let down through the roof to see Jesus, the Lord declared that he was forgiven. Yet that claim seemed outrageous to the Pharisees who were gathered to hear Jesus. They realized that only God has the power to forgive sins, and so they knew Jesus was claiming to be God. To drive home the point He was making, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. Those who opposed Him knew it was easy to say that sins were forgiven, because there is no outward way to confirm that had happened. But to say “Arise” to a paralyzed man gives an immediate evidence of power that cannot be ignored.
The God we serve has all power, and He has offered to us something far more valuable and important than physical healing. Jesus came not primarily to raise up the sick, but to heal the wounds of sin and offer us forgiveness through His blood. That is Divine power on display.
Today’s Growth Principle:
There is nothing that better demonstrates God’s love and power than His forgiveness of our sins.
| Today’s Scripture | |||||||||||||
| “...Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13, NIV) | |||||||||||||
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| Receive His Mercy | |||||||||||||
We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all made wrong choices, but as believers in Jesus, that doesn’t change our heritage. God doesn’t kick us out of the kingdom because we’re not perfect. Maybe you don’t feel like you deserve God’s goodness, or you think you’re supposed to suffer through life and just endure that problem. But this is what mercy is all about. His mercy will renew and restore you!
No matter what you may have done wrong, you are still the apple of God’s eye. You are still His most prized possession. You can still access God’s promises by faith today. Why don’t you shake off the guilt and condemnation? Put your shoulders back and say, “I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven. I may have made mistakes, but God knows my heart is to please Him, and I am changing my ways. Even though I may have brought this trouble on myself, I’m going to stay in faith and expect God to turn it around.” Access His mercy today and let Him empower you to move forward in every area of your life!
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| A Prayer for Today | |||||||||||||
| “Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for receiving me, cleansing me and changing me. I dedicate every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in me as I shake off guilt and condemnation in Jesus’ name. Amen.” PS https://www.youtube.com/watch? |
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