”Why does he (Jesus) speak like that? He blasphemes! Who can forgive sins but God?” gospel of Mark 2:7

These words were thought by some religious leaders about Jesus on an occasion where he forgave a person his sins. Jesus forgives sins because he has the right and power to do so because he is the son of God.

But as the religious leaders thought in their hearts, they had a point, that a created sinful being does not have the right or power to give another created sinful being forgiveness for the sins they carry.

Having said that, Jesus showed that he himself was not a created sinful being, but the God-man Jesus exercising his authority.

Jesus forgave sins even before his death, his death which is the basis for our forgiveness. It can be said that before his death he gave a loan that would then be repaid, but not by the person who received the loan, but by Jesus himself, through his death. Sin leads to death Genesis 2:16-17, Romans 6:23. We are all sinners, but Jesus died in our place.

So it was also for the sinners who lived before the birth of Jesus, from Adam onwards. They lived in faith in the deliverer who was to come, Genesis 3:15, and they received by trusting God forgiveness on ”credit” while waiting for that the debt would be paid once and for all in the future when Jesus would give his life by dying on a cross for the sins of mankind Isaiah 53:1-12, Romans 5:8.

Jesus’ forgiveness applies to ALL people in ALL times, past, present and future. BUT it comes to your disposal only through FAITH in him and what he has done for you Acts 10:43, Ephesians 2:8.