Passage: Mark 2:1-12
A major shift in Jesus’ ministry takes place in our text for this morning. Beginning with the healing of the paralytic, Mark records five consecutive events which show the increasing escalation of opposition to Jesus from the Jewish religious leaders. In the first confrontation, Jesus has been presented with a paralytic by four of his faithful friends, and rather than pronouncing healing upon the man, he instead forgives the man of his sins. This causes the Jewish scribes who were present to object strenuously, since only God can forgive sins. In fact, this is the issue at hand, as Jesus’ authority over sins will serve to reveal his true identity.