Reconciled to God
A Sermon on Matthew 9:1-8
Originally preached Jan. 14, 1962
Scripture
1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; …
Sermon Description
What is the greatest need in life? Perhaps a person is in a financial bind, has some broken relationships, or a physical ailment. But if those all were fixed, would they have a perfect life? In this sermon on Matthew 9:1–8 titled “Reconciled to God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches through the account of the paralyzed man whose greatest need was fixed by Jesus. This man had heard that Jesus could heal him and had faith that Jesus could do it. His faith brought him to have his friends lower him through a roof to get to Jesus; he was a desperate man. Yet Jesus offers something so much more than just the physical healing of the man—Jesus forgives his sins. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds listeners that unless sins have been forgiven, no one is able to live a truly happy life regardless of how “good” their situation may be. Jesus is the only one who has the power and authority to forgive anyone of their sins. He alone can save, and all must come to Him with faith like the paralytic. The Savior is always ready to forgive needy sinners.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage describes Jesus healing a paralytic man. The man's friends lower him through the roof so Jesus can heal him.
- Jesus sees the faith of the paralytic man and his friends. Faith is required for healing and salvation.
- Jesus tells the paralytic man "Your sins are forgiven." The man came for physical healing but Jesus addressed his spiritual need first.
- The scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins.
- Jesus asks whether it is easier to say "Your sins are forgiven" or "Get up and walk." Jesus claims to have authority to forgive sins.
- Jesus heals the paralytic man to prove he has authority to forgive sins. The man gets up and walks.
- The crowd glorifies God for giving such authority to men. Jesus has authority as the Son of Man.
- Our greatest need is forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God, not physical healing or relief from symptoms. Sin is the root cause of suffering.
- Jesus has authority to forgive sins because he is the Son of God who took the punishment for sins. His resurrection proves his authority.
- To receive forgiveness and healing, we must have faith in Jesus, repent of sins, and obey his commands. We must accept his diagnosis of our need and his method of salvation.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Matthew 9:1-8
What is the central message Jesus gave to the paralyzed man?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon, the central message Jesus gave to the paralyzed man was "Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins be forgiven thee." This statement is described as "a perfect epitome of the gospel." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus didn't immediately address the physical paralysis but went straight to the deeper spiritual issue. This message of forgiveness and encouragement is what Jesus offers to everyone who comes to Him, regardless of their condition or circumstances.
Why did Jesus address the man's sins rather than his paralysis first?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus addressed the man's sins first because He always deals with the root cause of problems rather than just the symptoms. In this case, Lloyd-Jones suggests that the man's paralysis may have been a direct result of sin in his former life. More broadly, Lloyd-Jones teaches that "all our troubles in life, individually and collectively, ultimately are due to sin." Jesus' method is to diagnose the true spiritual disease (sin) behind the physical symptoms, as our wrong relationship with God is the fundamental cause of all human suffering.
Why were the scribes upset with Jesus during this healing?
The scribes were upset with Jesus and accused Him of blasphemy because He claimed the authority to forgive sins. As Lloyd-Jones explains: "This man says he can do it. He's blaspheming. He's making himself equal to God. He's arrogating unto himself the prerogative that belongs to God and to God alone." Jesus wasn't merely making a general statement about God's love and forgiveness; He was claiming divine authority to personally remit sins and their penalties, which only God has the right to do.
How did Jesus prove His authority to forgive sins?
Jesus proved His authority to forgive sins by healing the paralyzed man. When challenged by the scribes' thoughts that He was blaspheming, Jesus asked which was easier: to say "thy sins be forgiven" or "arise and walk." Then He demonstrated His divine power by commanding the paralytic to rise, take his bed, and go home—which the man immediately did. Lloyd-Jones explains that all of Jesus' miracles served as "signs of authority, signs as to who he is" that proved His divine identity and right to forgive sins.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the most urgent human need?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the most urgent human need is forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God. He states: "The greatest need of the whole world tonight is not the dealing with this particular symptom that brings us to Christ. It's his diagnosis. It is that we be reconciled to God." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that all our problems stem from being "alienated from God," and that no amount of addressing social, economic, or political symptoms will solve humanity's fundamental problem, which is sin and separation from God.
What is the significance of Jesus calling Himself "Son of Man"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus' self-designation as "Son of Man" points to His unique identity and divine authority. Lloyd-Jones states: "He doesn't say, 'I'm a man.' The Son of Man. Oh, we go back to where we were last Sunday night. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world. You see, this isn't a Socrates, it isn't a Plato, it isn't a Mohammed, it isn't a Buddha, it isn't a Confucius. Who's this? Son of God. Son of man. The man, the unique person." This title underscores Jesus' authority to forgive sins because He is God incarnate.
What attitude does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is necessary when approaching Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that when approaching Christ, we must have an attitude of desperation and determination, like the friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus. He notes how they were so determined they broke through the roof when they couldn't get through the crowd. Lloyd-Jones asks: "Have you become desperate about this? Have you really taken these desperate efforts in order to get face to face with Jesus Christ?" He contrasts this with a casual, intellectual approach to spiritual matters, stating that without this sense of urgency and desperation about our spiritual condition, we'll never truly know Christ or receive His blessing.
How are forgiveness and healing connected in this passage?
In this passage, forgiveness and healing are connected as cause and effect. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus addressed the man's sins first as the root cause, then demonstrated His authority by healing the physical effect (paralysis). Lloyd-Jones suggests that in this particular case, the man's paralysis may have been a direct result of sin in his life. More broadly, he teaches that all disease ultimately entered the world because of sin: "I am saying this, that there will never have been influenza at all were it not that man sin. God made a perfect world and there was no disease in it."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the only solution for the world's problems?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies reconciliation with God through Christ as the only solution for the world's problems. He contrasts this with superficial political, economic, or social remedies: "My dear friend, it doesn't matter what your particular trouble is, your troubled mind. The problem of the whole world, of the whole human race, is that we are alienated from God." He argues that even if we could abolish war and reduce taxes, "life would still be miserable" because the fundamental issue of sin would remain unaddressed. Only through Christ's forgiveness and reconciliation can any lasting transformation occur.
What response does Jesus require from those who come to Him for healing?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus requires simple faith and obedience from those who come to Him. He points to the paralytic who simply heard Christ's command, believed, and obeyed: "He didn't stop to think. He didn't stop to argue. He just heard the command and he believed. And rose found he could do it." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we must first accept Christ's diagnosis that our troubles are due to sin, believe in His ability to forgive that sin, and then respond in obedient faith to His command to "rise up out of the old life you've been living and begin to walk after Christ."
Sermons on the Gospel
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.