The Healing at Bethesda

Seeing Jesus in His Miracles—Part 2 of 7

• Miracle at Cana
• The Healing at Bethesda
• Five Thousand Fed
• Jesus Walks on the Water
• The Man Born Blind
• Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
• The Miraculous Catch

January 15, 1989

John 5:8 "Arise, take up your bed, and walk."

This is the third miracle that John records.

[Perhaps we ought not go past the second miracle without at least taking a brief glance: Jesus tells a man to go home, and he will find his son healed. It is a miracle of authority; and of faith that would believe even when it couldn't see.]

But here in John, Chapter 5, is the story of how Jesus healed a helpless man among throngs of lame, blind, and infirm at Bethesda, the House of Mercy, the Pool of Siloam.

I. A MAN WHO SIMPLY COULDN'T HANDLE LIFE

1. He was a man with severely damaged HOPE. He had been 38 years among the disabled. Vaguely he kept feeling: "I'm made for something better than this!" He was always looking for a tomorrow that he never really expected would come. When hope is faint or damaged, it becomes just wishful thinking. This is the mentality that takes what little subsistence it has and buys a "Megabucks" ticket.
2. This man was asked: WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT? Jesus asked a key question: "Do you want to be made whole?"

   We all want to be free from certain aspects of our situation; we want to believe we will never have to face the consequences of our sins. But we do not want to simply let them go; we do not want to be free of the twisted pleasures, the gratifications of our sins: the forbidden thoughts of lust — the secret thoughts of revenge — the bitter thoughts of ill-will — the petty thoughts of jealousy.

   But this man thought it over. he thought, 'I don't know what difference it will make— and I don't have anyone to help me- - but, yes, I DO want to be well! And so this powerless man received:

3. The challenge of FAITH! STAND UP! YOUR WEAKNESS IS OVER!

   Cruel words? If you or I said such a thing to a disabled person it WOULD be cruel! But Jesus is NEVER cruel!

   The words of Jesus are always compassionate, at least to the lowly in heart. But the words of Jesus are also always challenging. When JESUS speaks then we know, somehow that this is not human persuasion. This is not a technique. We grasp the authority in the Speaker! This is God Himself!

   But He is asking us to do what we alone cannot do! "Rise and walk!" "Go and sin no more!"

   But Jesus' words are not just compassionate and challenging. JESUS' WORDS ARE ALSO ALWAYS ENABLING! If we know it is Jesus, then we can do whatever He says! This man, catching the spark of faith in Christ's authority, was made whole as he obeyed.

   It seems as though there ought to be more to it than that! There ought to be spiritual fireworks! [Isn't there supposed to be a great crowd-reaction— and an appeal for "funds to keep this faith-ministry on the air!" ?? It is wonderful when we simply hear the voice of Jesus say: YOU ARE FREE RIGHT NOW! IF YOU WILL GET UP AND WALK AS I SAY!

   English pastor Spurgeon used an illustration of a wealthy American woman who brought her "servant" aboard a British ship anchored off the port in which she lived. (Servant = slave!) The rich lady made the observation that if she sailed to Britain, and the servant went ashore on British soil, she would be "free." But the captain said, "She was a free woman the moment she walked on this deck!" And the black woman refused to go ashore with the woman that had been her mistress. She sailed to England a free woman! WHEN JESUS SPEAKS, WE ARE FREE!

4. To be HELPLESS is not a liability when we are dealing with Jesus. It isn't just the OBVIOUSLY disabled who are helpless in the eternal things that matter!

   We hate to relinquish the appearance of control, but the fact is we cannot save ourselves!

   Certainly there are gifted, strong men and women. Certainly God can and does use great gifts to His glory. Thank God for the gifts He gives, of intelligence and personality, of creativity in arts and music, of keenness in perception and insight in science and business.

   But the greatest of gifts are still helplessness before the Lord until they come under the love and power and authority of God Himself. And THEN they take on dimensions of eternity! They begin to really matter! And we helpless men and women begin to LIVE!

II. HERE IS A SAVIOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN MAKING PEOPLE WHOLE

And in keeping with the theme of this brief series: "What does this miracle reveal to us of Jesus?"

1. Jesus always acts in union with God the Father. What we see in Jesus, we know about God; and what God does/will do in resurrection and judgment. He will do through Jesus Christ! ("Do not marvel at this (miracle of empowerment; verse 28) for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice and shall come forth ..." This making one powerless man whole is no problem for the One who holds ALL OF LIFE AND CREATION in His creative Fiat!
2. Jesus (and thus God Almighty) has great respect/regard for the human will.

   God never comes into our lives over the resistance of our will. The greatest single hindrance to spiritual power in people's lives is the lack of genuine desire. People who profess to be Christian do not really want to be HOLY! If we desire to be like Jesus Christ then He will find a way to get to us, and speak a Word that will enable us! but if we just say the words we will remain helpless beside the Pool of Mercy.

   DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE? God has great regard for your will! You will never achieve spiritual greatness unless you desire it supremely, and unless you answer His question, "Will you be whole?"

3. Jesus can and does use His authority to make people whole! Jesus is still speaking words of compassion. He is still speaking words that challenge. But His words are still enabling words, as well!

[But this miracle is set in a chapter that contrasts a powerless man who was made whole,and some supposedly very powerful men who refused the very Source of Life.]

III. A GIFTED, PRIVILEGED GROUP OF MEN WHO NEVER FOUND LIFE

At the beginning of the chapter is a man who COULDN'T— but at the close are men who WOULDN'T come to the Source of Life, even though HE was right before their very eyes!

1. It would seem that such love and kindness ought to provoke an outpouring of joy and celebration. "Messiah is here!" Or, at least, "Someone is here who cares about people, and is helping the helpless!" But instead there was bitter opposition- - and it came along the line of CONTROL! The "power structure" of the religious society attacked Jesus at the point of His UNION WITH GOD THE FATHER!

   To acknowledge His claims would mean for them a relinquishing of the CONTROL they THOUGHT they had over their own salvation BY WORKS, by keeping the "scriptures" THEY had interpreted.

2. SAVING FAITH IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN OUR MEASURE OF FAITH IS ONLY HUMAN.

   We compare ourselves with one another: "I am as good as..." Or, "What matters is that we are true to ourselves!"

   What is more, we sit in judgment over the scripture: WE select which part or parts we shall obey!

3. It wasn't as though these people were shut away from the means of grace. They did have the true scriptures! (Jesus said [verse 39] "You (do) search the scriptures!" BUT IT WAS IN THE SCRIPTURES, IN THEIR SMUG CERTAINTY THAT THEY HAD A HANDLE ON TRUTH, THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD ETERNAL LIFE.

   But Jesus went on: "The scriptures point the way to ME!" Verses 39-40 "You search the scriptures, because you think that in them YOU have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life."

4. These people were damned because they were UNWILLING to come to Jesus! This is what HE said!

Conclusion:

We are catching the threads of continuity that run through this portrait of Jesus at work: threads of compassion, and of understanding.

But the thread I see is this constant of DIVINE AUTHORITY! It is the untameable and awesome power of God!

1. When Jesus speaks, it IS the voice of God! When GOD speaks, something within us responds! No one can presume to say, "When I preach you will hear God!" We trust and hope that by the Holy Spirit that often takes place. But no one can speak for Jesus, finally, except Jesus Himself, by the power of His Holy Spirit!
2. When we come seeking God (in prayer/worship/preaching worship/wherever) and that connection is made, THERE IS SOMETHING BEYOND INTELLECTUAL BELIEVE-ISM!

A genuine encounter with Jesus Christ will be more than just a parade to an altar to say some words! It is an encounter with compassion, and with a challenge to a new way! And it will also be an enabling Word!

The powerless man stood up, carried his bed, walked— in obedience to the Word of Jesus Christ!

The nobleman from Capernaeum turned around, and went back toward home in obedience to the Word of Jesus Christ!

WHAT IS JESUS THE CHRIST SAYING TO YOU?

#12(EH) This is Thy Will, I Know (Introduce these two couplets:)

This is Thy will, I know,
That I should holy be;
Should let my sins this moment go,
This moment turn to Thee.

O might I now embrace
Thy all-sufficient pow'r;
And never more to sin give place,
And never grieve Thee more!