ESOCS Devotional 24 October
TEXT: MARK 2:1-12 KJV
MEMORY VERSE: “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Luke 5:21 KJV
The person of Jesus was quite an enigma to the people of His day – both the highly lettered and the simple. This Jesus who was both divine and human went about doing good, teaching the good news, healing and performing diverse miracles, to the bewilderment of his detractors. But in our case today, He added another colour to this perplexity by proving also that He has power to forgive sins (v 5).
However, to the Scribes, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They were right, of course. Only God can forgive sins, for sin is against God. Ironically, they were not able to make the deduction on their own and understand that the One in their presence, who healed the paralytic, was God! They assumed in their error that Jesus was only a mere man!
Jesus did not only teach forgiveness of sins (Matt. 6:12; 18:21-22), but also He had the power to forgive sins (Matt. 9:2; Luke 5:20; John 8:11). Jesus in His divinity healed all manners of diseases (John 5:8; 9:6), and delivered people from all sorts of afflictions (Mark 5:1-12), including raising the dead (John 11:43-44; Luke 7:12-14). Historically speaking, it was only when Jesus came that God did unleash the realm of the supernatural into the physical world in order to confirm that Jesus was divine, even as confirmed by unclean spirits (Mark 3:11; 5:6-9).
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Rejoice therefore, for we have an advocate, our GREAT HIGH PRIEST (JESUS CHRIST), whose name is undisputedly proclaimed throughout the universe.
CHALLENGES
- When in Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me” and that we should go and “make disciples of all nations …” it included the power to deliver from evil, raise from the dead, heal the sick, including forgiveness of sins. Do you agree?
PRAYER POINT
- Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 2 Kings 22:10-20; 23: 1-16; Ephesians 5:13-33; 6:1-10
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ESOCS Devotional 24 October
