By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher
Text: John
5:1-15
John
5:6
When
Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that
condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made
well?”
(NKJV)
We live in a corrupt and
fallen world and as such may find ourselves in a hopeless situation like the
lame man at the Pool of Bethesda (John
5:7; 16:33). The account of the healing of the lame man at the Pool of
Bethesda should bring anyone facing a hopeless situation hope for Jesus Christ
is the same today as He was them (Hebrews
13:8). I hope that this study of John
5:1-15 will bring hope to anyone facing a hopeless situation.
After the healing of the
noblemen’s son, Jesus returns to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews (John
5:1), In Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool with five porches
called Bethesda (John
5:2). On the porches of this pool, there are many sick, lame, blind, and
paralyzed people waiting for the moving of the water in the pool (John
5:3). This is because at a certain time, an angel would stir up the water
and the first one in the pool would receive healing (John
5:4). Among those around the pool was a lame men who had been afflicted for
thirty-eight years (John
5:5). When Jesus saw the lame man, knowing he had been in that condition a
long time, He asked him if he wanted to be made well (John
5:6).
The lame man answers by
letting Jesus know he had no one to put him in the pool so another always got
in ahead of him (John
5:7). After hearing this, Jesus tells the man to take up his bed and walk
and the man is immediately healed with the miracle occurring on the Sabbath (John
5:8-9). Some legalistic Jews approach the man to remind him it is not
lawful for him to carry his bed on the Sabbath (John
5:10).
The once lame man tells
these Jews that the one who healed him told him to take up his bed and walk (John
5:11). When asked by the Jews who the man was who told him to carry his
bed, he could not tell them because Jesus had withdrawn into the multitude (John
5:12-13). Jesus later found the man in the temple and told him to sin no
more lest a worse thing come upon him (John
5:14). The once lame man then departed to tell the Jews it was Jesus who
had made him well (John
5:15).
The miracle at the Pool
at Bethesda shows that Jesus can and will bring hope to a hopeless situation
despite opposition. In this miracle we see
- The
compassion of Jesus (John
5:6) – Jesus as God knew this man’s situation and when he saw him
lying by the pool, out of compassion asked if he wanted to be healed
despite it being the Sabbath. Of course, the question is a rhetorical
question for a desire for healing was why the man was there. Perhaps
believing he finally had someone to put him in the pool when the water
moved, he told Jesus his situation but instead of being thrown in the
water, Jesus told the man to walk (John
5:7-9).
- The
power and authority of Christ (John
5:8-9) – Those, including the lame man, who was waiting for an angel
to come and stir the water was about to witness one with greater authority
and power than the angel who would bring about a miracle, even during the
sabbath.
- Jesus
is Lord of the Sabbath and will not allow that to stop Him from healing a
lame man (John
5:9; Luke 6:1-5) – The questioning of the healed man by Jesus on the
Sabbath leads to the logical question, did they also question the angel
who brought healing to the first one in the water. Of course, they were
not about to question an angel from God, but this illustrates their lack
of understanding of who Jesus was, the Son of God, Messiah, who possessed
greater power than the angels.
This text still brings
hope to anyone facing a hopeless situation in their lives for Jesus is still
the same as he was for this man at Bethesda (Hebrews
13:8). Perhaps someone reading this, like the lame man face an illness for
which there is no hope of a cure. I encourage anyone in that situation to not
stop praying and seek others to pray for them for where two or three are
gathered in the name of Jesus, He is with them (Matthew
18:20). The miracle-working Jesus of the pool of Bethesda may not
physically be present but is with us when we find ourselves in a hopeless
situation (Psalm
23:4).
The greatest miracle in anyone’s life is the miracle
performed by Jesus on the cross where he said “It is finished” meaning our debt
of sin was paid in full (John
19:28-30). This miracle restores our relationship with God and gives
us eternal life (John
1:12, 3:16). I want to invite anyone reading this post who has not
prayed for salvation from their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their life
through the confession of their belief in Jesus as their Savior to do so now by
praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23)
and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe
you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
May the Lord challenge,
convict, and bless everyone reading this post.
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