Unbelievable

When Jesus performed miracles, He had at least two purposes, to help people and to prove he had divine authority. When Jesus performed the miracle of physically healing a paralyzed man, it was to prove He had the authority to forgive sins. "For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?  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.” - Matt. 9:-5-6 (ESV). The quandary faced by the teachers of the law was clear: If Jesus did not have the authority to forgive sins, then how could he perform such healings? This means, Jesus’ miracles obviously had a divine source that provided credibility to his entire message and claims of authority. The challenge was this: If, as the teachers knew, only God can forgive sins, then that meant Jesus was indeed the Son of God, just as he claimed, but He was not what they expected. Some, like Jesus’ disciples and other followers, accepted this; however, even in the face of such overwhelming evidence, others rejected Jesus’ claim. Jesus’ claim to forgive sin was difficult to prove through observation. We have the same struggle today. How can other people really discern whether or not a person is forgiven or a person is really close to God? Through his undeniable physical miracles, Jesus proved that he had power from God, and he provided overwhelming evidence in other ways (healing he paralytic) of an invisible miracle (forgiveness of sins). Often in this age, people seek a miraculous verification that the Holy Spirit is still at work among God's people. We can gain this assurance by looking at the blessings that surround us, not manufactured feats of the unexplainable.