Matthew 9 – Jesus’ Authority to Forgive, Heal, and Call Sinners
Matthew 9 showcases Jesus’ divine authority over sin, sickness, and death. Through miraculous healings, the calling of Matthew, and teaching on new wineskins, Jesus reveals His mission to restore, redeem, and bring new life.
The Power of Christ to Transform Lives
Matthew 9 continues to reveal Jesus’ authority, compassion, and mission. He forgives sins, heals the sick, calls unexpected disciples, and challenges religious traditions, proving that His Kingdom is unlike anything the world has known.
✔ Jesus demonstrates His power to forgive sins.
✔ He heals the paralyzed, bleeding, and blind, showing His authority over sickness.
✔ He calls Matthew, breaking social and religious barriers.
✔ He challenges old traditions, bringing a new way of life.
📖 Key Verse: “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Matthew 9:13
🔎 Jesus invites the broken, outcasts, and sinners into His Kingdom, offering mercy instead of religious legalism.
Matthew Chapter 9 - Overview
Matthew 9:1-8 – Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
📖 Matthew 9:1-2 – “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
🔎 Faith is visible. The paralytic’s friends showed determined faith by bringing him to Jesus, illustrating how intercession can lead to breakthrough. Their actions reflect the necessity of community and persistent faith in seeking Christ.
🔎 Jesus’ first response is not physical healing, but forgiveness. This suggests that spiritual restoration is more urgent than physical relief. By calling him “Son,” Jesus affirms the man’s value and grants him spiritual adoption.
📖 Matthew 9:3-4 – “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?”
🔎 The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy because only God can forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25). They failed to recognize that God was standing before them in human form.
🔎 Jesus knows their thoughts, proving His divine omniscience. Their external righteousness is exposed as empty, while their hearts are full of unbelief and opposition.
📖 Matthew 9:5-6 – “For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins…”
🔎 Healing the body is visible; forgiveness is invisible. Jesus links the two to demonstrate His authority in both realms.
🔎 Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘Son of Man,’ a title from Daniel 7:13-14, indicating His messianic identity and divine authority.
🔎 By physically healing the man, Jesus provides undeniable proof of His power to forgive sins. This is a direct challenge to the Pharisees’ authority and an assertion of His divine nature.
📖 Matthew 9:7-8 – “And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”
🔎 The paralytic’s immediate healing validates Jesus’ authority. His ability to restore the body affirms His ability to restore the soul.
🔎 The crowd glorifies God, but the religious leaders resist. This highlights two responses to Jesus: faith and worship vs. skepticism and opposition.
🔎 Jesus’ power is not limited to the past. He still heals and forgives today, offering complete restoration to all who come to Him in faith.
Matthew 9:9-13 – The Calling of Matthew
📖 Matthew 9:9 – “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me.”
🔎 Matthew was a tax collector, despised as a traitor by the Jews. Jesus’ call to him demonstrates grace over social status.
📖 Matthew 9:11 – “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”
🔎 Religious leaders were offended that Jesus welcomed sinners. They failed to see their own need for grace.
📖 Matthew 9:13 – “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
🔎 Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, teaching that mercy matters more than ritual. The Kingdom is for the repentant, not the self-righteous.
Matthew 9:14-17 – A New Wineskin for a New Covenant
📖 Matthew 9:16-17 – “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment… Neither do men put new wine into old bottles.”
🔎 Jesus introduces the New Covenant, which cannot fit into old religious structures. His Kingdom requires transformation, not patchwork reform.
Matthew 9:18-26 – Two Miracles of Faith
📖 Matthew 9:20-21 – “A woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment… For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”
🔎 Her condition made her ritually unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27), yet she reached out in faith, believing in Jesus’ power.
📖 Matthew 9:24-25 – “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth… And he took her by the hand, and the maid arose.”
🔎 Jesus has power over life and death. This miracle foreshadows His own resurrection.
Matthew 9:27-34 – Healing the Blind and the Mute
📖 Matthew 9:28-30 – “Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord… And their eyes were opened.”
🔎 Faith is the key to healing. Jesus responds to persistent belief, revealing His messianic role (Isaiah 35:5-6).
📖 Matthew 9:33-34 – “But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.”
🔎 Religious leaders attribute Jesus’ power to Satan, a blasphemous rejection of divine truth.
Matthew Chapter 9 - Deeper Study
Overview: The Power of Faith and the Call to Mercy
🔹 Timeframe: Continuing Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee.
🔹 Setting: Capernaum and surrounding towns.
🔹 Theme: Jesus calls sinners, challenges tradition, and demonstrates His Kingdom power through faith.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Jesus has authority over both sin and sickness.
🔑 Faith is the foundation for receiving from Christ.
🔑 True discipleship requires leaving everything behind.
🔑 Jesus welcomes sinners and outcasts into His Kingdom.
🔑 New life in Christ cannot fit into old religious systems.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Healing the Paralytic & Sin’s Forgiveness – Isaiah 53:5 speaks of both spiritual and physical healing.
🔮 The Bleeding Woman & the Messiah’s Power – Malachi 4:2 describes healing in His wings, fulfilled as she touches His garment.
🔮 The Resurrection of Jairus’ Daughter – A preview of Jesus’ own victory over death.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Tax Collectors Were Despised – Matthew’s role was seen as betrayal to his people, yet Jesus chose him.
📜 Pharisees Prioritized Ritual Over Mercy – Jesus rebukes their legalism, calling them to true righteousness.
📜 Touching the Dead or Sick Made One Unclean – Yet, Jesus defies ritual impurity and brings healing.
📜 Wineskins Represent the Old & New Covenants – The New Covenant cannot be confined to old traditions.
💡 Final Reflection: Do We Recognize Jesus’ Authority?
Matthew 9 presents a powerful challenge: Jesus’ authority is undeniable, but will we embrace or reject it? Some respond with faith (the bleeding woman, the centurion, Matthew), while others harden their hearts (Pharisees).
📌 Do we recognize our need for Jesus’ forgiveness?
📌 Are we clinging to old traditions instead of embracing the new life in Christ?
📌 Do we have faith like the bleeding woman and the blind men?
📌 Are we willing to leave everything behind to follow Him?
🚀 Jesus calls sinners, heals the broken, and transforms lives—will we trust Him completely?
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
Mat 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
Mat 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Mat 9:3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
Mat 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
Mat 9:5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
Mat 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
Mat 9:7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
Mat 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
Mat 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mat 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
A Question About Fasting
Mat 9:14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Mat 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Mat 9:16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Mat 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
Mat 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
Mat 9:19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
Mat 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Mat 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Mat 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Mat 9:23 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
Mat 9:24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Mat 9:25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
Mat 9:26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
Mat 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
Mat 9:31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
Mat 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
Mat 9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
Mat 9:34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Date Written
Approximately 50-60 AD
Written By
The Apostle Matthew (Levi)
Language
Originally written in Greek (with strong Hebraic influence)
Verses
38