The Authority of Christ to Forgive


The authority of Jesus Christ[1] to forgive sins was exemplified in Mark 9:1-8. A paralyzed man was brought to Jesus. Jesus, being moved by the faith of the men carrying the man, said to the man “your sins are forgiven.” The teachers of the Old Testament law took exception to this statement because they believed that only God could forgive sins. Jesus countered by asking them if it was easier to forgive the man his sins or to tell him to take up his mat and walk. To the astonishment of the teachers, Jesus told the man to pick up his mat and go home, which he did. The same account is also recorded in Mark 2:1-9 and Luke 5:17-26.

In another account, Jesus was invited to have dinner at a Pharisee’s house (John 7:36-50). A woman who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus would be at this house and brought an alabaster jar of perfume. She came from behind and wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee (Simon) who invited Jesus was surprised and perplexed at the woman’s behavior because of her past. Jesus told a parable about two people who owed money to a money lender. One of them owed a lot more than the other. The moneylender forgave both debts. Jesus asked the Pharisee which person would love him more. Simon responded the one who owed him more. Jesus made the connection between the person who owed a large debt and the woman who had a past history of sin. Jesus then turned to the woman and said, “Your sins are forgiven” (verse 48). This was an important account since it demonstrated that there is no sin too large for Christ’s forgiveness. It points to the fact that every person has an opportunity to come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins and eternal life no matter what their background is, provided they come to Him with a truly penitent and sorry heart for the sins they have committed as exemplified by the woman in this story.


[1] The Son of God (who is God according to Hebrews 1:3).