Day 10

Mark 1-3

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

We know that it is only through the blood of Jesus that we are forgiven. Jesus came, lived a sinless life, and took the punishment for our sins on the cross. His death in our place was the ultimate substitution. 

When the scribes heard Jesus tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven (Mark 2:5), they said in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7) 

Obviously they did not know who this Jesus was. I find it so ironic that these same words of criticism, in the right context, could be used as words of affirmation and praise. “Who can forgive sins but God (Jesus) alone?” 

We know that, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7), and that it’s only “The blood of Jesus [that] cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).