Matthew 9:1-8
The Greatest Need
In this passage Jesus performed miracle. Jesus performed many, many
miracles. In fact, Jesus did so many miracles that John wrote this:
John 21:25 And there are also many other things
which Jesus did, the which, if they should be
written every one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the books that should be
written. Amen.
But this miracle was more than a miracle. It was also a controversy.
The controversy did not arise from WHAT Jesus did nor in HOW He did
it. The controversy arose from what Jesus said.
Matt 9:2 …Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be
forgiven thee.
Jesus knew when He spoke that phrase what would happen. He knew it
would cause a controversy. He is God. He knows everything. Jesus knew
who was there, the scribes. Jesus knew how they felt, that they knew
everything. He knew how they would react, with fever and zeal to
defend what they believed to be true. So Jesus knew—before He
said what He said—what was going to happen, but He said it anyway.
Jesus did not have to say what He said to perform this miracle. He
could have said nothing. Jesus is God. He did not need words to
heal. Or He could have spoken some of the phrases that He more often
used such as:
"As you have believed, be it unto you."
"Rise up and be healed."
or like He indicated in verses 5:
"Arise and walk."
But He chose to speak words to a crowd that He knew would object:
Matt 9:2 "…thy sins be forgiven thee."
The question is why? Why would Jesus say something that He knew would
cause a problem? The short answer is that Jesus wanted to teach us
some things WHILE He healed this man.
What Jesus Taught
I. Jesus taught that sickness is a result of sinfulness.
A. Notice that in the phrase, Jesus connected the man’s
healing with his sin and forgiveness.
1. That is not me doing it. That was Jesus.
2. By connecting the two, Jesus was saying that the man’s
sickness is a result of sinfulness.
B. That does not mean that every sickness is the result of a
specific sin you have committed.
1. Some do believe that, but that is not what the Bible
teaches.
2. Jesus discussed that very thing with disciples in John 9.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man
which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master,
who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he
was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned,
nor his parents: but that the works of God
should be made manifest in him.
a. What did Jesus mean?
b. Perhaps many things but one thing is for certain;
namely, that man was not born blind because of a
specific sin that was committed. He was born blind
because it was part of the plan of God for His life.
3. However, all sin is the result of sin.
a. If there were no sin, there would be no sickness.
b. And even better, when we get to the place where
there is no sin (heaven), there will be no sickness.
c. That favorite verse about heaven… is true because sin
will never be in heaven.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain: for the former things are
passed away.
(1) No sin, no tears.
(2) No sin, no death.
(3) No sin, no sorrow.
(4) No sin, no crying.
(5) No sin, no pain.
C. Why did Jesus want to teach that truth?
1. Because many people in this lost and ignorant world want
to accuse God of making a planet that is filled with
suffering and sickness.
2. God did not make this planet with suffering and sickness.
3. God made the world sinless and suffering free.
4. Suffering and sin came into this world when Adam and
Eve invited it in.
5. This messed up world is what man created, not God; and
everyday man is making it a little more like hell on
earth.
6. Some say, "Well, if there’s a God, He could fix it."
(1) Yes. He could.
(2) But to do so, He would have to take away your free
will to sin, and God will not do that.
(3) God wants a people who want Him and the only way
He can gather such a people is to give them freedom
to choose.
D. On that day, Jesus was teaching the people something with
His words.
1. He was teaching that sickness is a result of sinful world.
2. Like it or not, the best thing we can do for our health is
to live righteously.
3. The best thing that we could do for our economy is to
live righteously.
4. The best thing that we could do for our environment is
to live righteously.
E. If we want to change this world for the better, choose God
and turn from sin.
II. Jesus taught that God wanted to help with both sickness and sin.
A. When Jesus saw a sick person, He wanted to help. When He saw
A lost person, He wanted to help.
B. This man was not just sick. He was sinful.
1. By that, I do not mean that this man was any more sinful
than any other.
2. There is no reason to believe that.
3. One does not have to be a great sinner to be a sinner.
C. Even the most moral of people are a sinners.
1. The Bible makes it clear that all of us are sinners.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;
2. The Bible goes on to say that we are born sinners.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
a. That verse says that by one man sin and death came
into the world and are passed down to every human
being.
b. The proof that we are sinners is that we all die!
(1) That is the reason even babies get sick and die,
some even before they are born.
(2) It is also the reason everyone gets older and
weaker and eventually we all die.
(3) 100% of the human race dies because 100% of
the human race are sinners.
D. While on earth, Jesus performed many miracles of healing.
1. However, Jesus wanted the people to know that our biggest
need is not a healthy body.
2. Our biggest needs is a forgiven soul.
3. For some reason Jesus selected this man on that day to
teach us that man’s greatest need is not physical but
spiritual, not a healing but a forgiving, not a miracle
body but a miracle of the soul.
III. Jesus taught that what man needed the most, he could only get
through forgiveness.
Matt 9:2 …Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be
forgiven thee.
A. People want miracles of healing; (I do too.), but what we
need is forgiveness.
1. What is forgiveness?
2. Jesus did not teach that in our text.
a. Jesus taught the NEED for forgiveness.
b. But He did not in this text teach what it is.
B. What is forgiveness?
1. Forgiveness is never a sin just being forgotten by God.
a. God doesn’t just erase, forget, or do away with a
sin.
b. It seems that is what God does—at least to a
Christian, but that is not what happens.
2. Before God can forgive a sin, someone must pay the price
for that sin.
a. What is the price?
b. The price is always the sin for every sin, death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
3. There are two ways in which a sin can be paid. If God
had not stepped in, there would only be one way to
pay for sins; but because God stepped in, there are two.
a. Each individual can pay for their own by dying.
(1) When a person dies, all we see is a small portion
Of death.
(2) The small portion we see has caused a lot of
false beliefs about death.
(3) Death is not what a lot of people think it is.
(a) Death is not ceasing to exist.
(b) Neither is death done and it’s over.
(4) We only see a small portion of death but even
what we see, we know that death is separation.
(a) When you lose a loved one, they did not
cease to exist.
(b) Everyone lives somewhere forever.
(c) What death did is it separated them from
you.
(d) The separation is the misery of death.
(5) But God gives us this glimpse to warn us of
eternal separation from Him.
(a) When a person dies separated from God, they
will be separated from Him forever.
(b) But they will not be separated just from God
but also from everything that is God.
i. It is separation from God, from His
goodness, from His mercy, from His
gentleness, from His kindness, from
His forgiveness, and EVERYTHING ELSE.
ii. The Bible calls this the second death.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
iii. Friend, no one in their right mind
would want that and no one in a wrong
mind will want it two seconds after it
begins.
b. We can let Jesus pay it for us.
(1) That is called substitution.
(2) Substitution is where Jesus takes our place
and we take His.
(3) Jesus took our place on the cross.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
(4) Jesus’ death, if applied, pays for our sin.
(5) Now we get to take Jesus’ place.
(a) We become children of God—like Jesus.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name:
(b) We become heir to all the riches that are
God’s.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs
of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.
(c) We get to live with God forever in heaven—
like Jesus.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus:
C How do I get forgiven?
1. The answer to that is you do two things:
a. You believe…
(1) that Jesus is who He said He was (Son of God),
(2) that He did what He said He would do (die for our
sins),
(3) and that He will do what He said He would do
(save you).
b. Repent - The best you know, you turn from sin and
surrender yourself to Jesus Christ.
2. If you will do these two things, you can be forgiven of
sins!
Jesus deliberately caused a controversy that day because He wanted to
get some truths out to the world. This morning, the same words may
be causing a controversy for your soul. If you are without Christ or
living a backslidden Christian life, I pray that they will, and I
pray you will experience the power of God’s forgiveness today.
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