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Main Theme

Jesus is the one who possesses all authority.

Outline

  1. Authority Over Sickness (1-10)
    1. Key Verses - Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it. (vv. 7-8)
    2. This chapter focuses on the question, “Who is this Jesus?”. Through his actions, Jesus reveals that he is the Son of God, the promises Savior, the one who has the authority to command sickness and disease to cease.
  2. Authority Over Death (11-17)
    1. Key Verses - Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. (vv. 14-15)
    2. Building on his previous miracle, Jesus raises a dead man to life, revealing his authority over life and death. We are also reminded that Jesus's heart is full of compassion.
  3. The Promised One Has Come (18-35)
    1. Key Verse -  And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” (v. 22)
    2. In the middle of this section about Jesus’s authority, followers of John the Baptist are sent to Jesus to see if Jesus is really the promised one. Jesus points them to his actions to confirm for them that, yes, he is the promised savior, the one who possesses all authority.
  4. Authority to Forgive Sin (36-50)
    1. Key Verses - And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”        (vv. 48-49)
    2. Not only does Jesus have authority over sickness and death, he has the authority to forgive sin, an authority reserved for God alone.

Gospel Connection

This section builds from the lesser miracle to the greater. Jesus first heals a man with just his word. Then, he raises a man from the dead. Finally, he performs the greatest miracle of all: forgiving someone of their sin. Only God has the authority to forgive sin because our sin is against Him. As we see in the gospel of Luke, Jesus is God in the flesh. He has the authority to forgive sin because he took upon himself the punishment sinners deserve for their sins and died in the place of sinners.

Whole Bible Connection

Going back to Adam and Eve, we see that God alone has the authority to forgive and atone for sin. In Genesis 3:21, God sacrificed an animal to atone for and cover Adam and Eve’s sin. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the sacrificial system where people would offer animals as a sacrifice to God so that their sins may be atoned for. The great tension of the Bible is how God can be holy, which means he must punish sin while also being merciful and compassionate to forgive sin. It is at the cross where God’s holiness and mercy converge.

Key Takeaways

Jesus is God. There is one God who exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Throughout his time on earth, Jesus revealed to people that he is God in the flesh. The uniqueness and beauty of Christianity is that man does not have to work to get to God. God has come to us to save us by grace through faith.

Salvation is through Jesus alone. We see in this section that Jesus has the authority to forgive sin. Jesus also stated in John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. Acts 4:12 also tells us, And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Because of this, we must feel the urgency to share the gospel because unless people hear the good news of Jesus and place their faith in him, they cannot be saved from their sins and have a relationship with God.

The works of Jesus reveal his nature. All that Jesus does proceeds from his heart. Throughout the Bible, the works of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make clear who God is. The more we understand who God is, the more we will fall in love with Him.

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