SERIES: The Everyday Gospel
TEXT: Matthew 9:1-13
MESSAGE: “The Heart of the Gospel”

Q: What do you need today?

“The gospel must impact how we view everything, and there are issues that will be extremely important, but those issues cannot handle the weight of being the single thing or the main thing in a church…Nothing but the gospel can handle the weight and pressure of being a church’s main thing.” — Eric Geiger

TEXT: Matthew 9:1-13

“Matthew has already shown us in chapter 8 that Jesus has authority over disease—leprosy, paralysis, and fevers are all His servants. He also has authority over disciples, disasters, and demons. And all this is good news for followers of Christ. We trust in His authority over all these things and we rejoice in it. Now in chapter 9, this portrait gets more beautiful, for we realize that we have only been touching on the surface of the real problem. The real problem of the human condition is much deeper and much more severe than a cancer diagnosis or a tornado coming through your neighborhood. And the magnitude of this fundamental problem serves to magnify our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” — David Platt

Q: What do we learn in today’s text about the gospel? That Jesus identifies three aspects of the gospel: (1. The deeper problem 2. The greater healing 3. The unlikely guests)

1. The Deeper Problem (v. 1-2)

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

“The gospel is not just a new possibility for achieving joy and fullness in this life, as some seem to suggest. It is not just a solution to what were previously troublesome and frustrating problems. It is rather something much deeper that has been done, something relating to God, on the basis of which and only on the basis of which these other blessings of salvation follow. Packer says, ‘The gospel does bring us solutions to these problems, but it does so by first solving…the deepest of all human problems, the problem of man’s relation with his Maker; and unless we make it plain that the solution of these former problems depends on the settling of this latter one, we are misrepresenting the message and becoming false witnesses of God.’” — James Boice

“Sins is a comprehensive term, including all the man’s departures from the way of righteousness. Now the man has nothing to fear—all his sins are gone. In the early part of this Gospel we were told that Jesus would save his people from their sins (1:21), but this is the first occasion when we read of his giving anyone forgiveness.” — Leon Morris

“Forgiveness may not have been what he was looking for, and therein may be the key to the whole story…Jesus astounds everyone when He says, in effect, that the man had a much deeper issue than paralysis.” — David Platt

2. The Greater Healing (v. 3-8)

And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

“The scribes mutter among themselves (more likely than NIV ‘to themselves’). These Jewish leaders interpret Jesus’ declaration of forgiveness as a blasphemous usurping of divine prerogative (Isa 43:25). ‘This fellow’ refers to Jesus disparagingly.” — Craig Blomberg

“The fundamental problem for every human being is not an unmet felt need but the unkept law of God. Our primary disconnect is not between ourselves and our best lives but between our lives and our Creator.” — Jared Wilson

3. The Unlikely Guests (v. 9-13)

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

“In the first-century Jewish mind, it would be foolish to think the Messiah could come from Nazareth, but doesn’t such an origin reflect the very foolishness of the gospel itself—the message of a crucified Messiah? Jesus describes as ‘foolish’ those who were slow to believe all that the prophets had spoken, that the Messiah would have to suffer before entering his glory (Luke 24:25–26). In God’s mysterious design, his Son’s birth wouldn’t take place in a royal palace but in a cattle stall…He’d be scorned by the religious leaders; he’d be despised and rejected, being held in low esteem; and he’d suffer the shame and agony of a Roman cross.” — Bill Kynes

TAKEAWAYS: Grow through…

• Gospel Fluency

“Satan doesn’t control us with fang marks on the flesh but with lies in the heart…Our best defense in the fight against [his] lies is not the production of incantations but the rehearsal of truth.” — Timothy Keller

• Gospel Humility

As the gospel becomes clearer, it inevitably produces gospel humility. One of the most honest questions we can ask ourselves is this: Do you see yourself as an unlikely guest?

“That’s what it means to be a Christian. Take up your cross and follow Jesus, in his obscurity and humility, bearing his reproach, as he bore yours. Cast off all that would cause you to boast in the world—all your achievements and all your good deeds—all that would bring you honor and glory in the world’s eyes. In fulfilment of the words spoken by the prophets, Jesus was called a Nazarene. Are you willing to be called one, too?” — Bill Kynes

• Gospel Prayer

“In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less. Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy. As You have been to me, so I will be to others. As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.” — JD Greear (GOSPEL)

“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Matthew 9:13

“…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” — Hebrews 9:28