Text: St John 5:6-9

This generation that we are living in is a faithless one. The faith that was once given to us by our forefathers is a faith that is no longer possessed in this land. This happens because people fail to understand the essential nature of God, the deliverer. The book of John presents Jesus Christ as the Son of God wrapped in human flesh who reveals the will of God the Father. Saint John 20:30-31 indicate that Christ performed a variety of miracles during his earthly ministry, but the miracles that are noted in his book are to enhance the faith of those who would come to Christ. There are many people who rely on what they empirical to be the starting ground for their faith, but the Christian who embraces Christ must understand that faith begins in the natural, but must extend beyond the natural into the supernatural in order to obtain the blessings that are offered to them by God. This passage is a great reflection of a man that is forced to go beyond what he sees to get what he needs.
The text indicates that Jesus, was on his way to a Jewish feast. The biblical text does not indicate what type of feast it was. There is really no need to discuss the nature of the feast that Jesus was attending, the fact is, he was a Jew and he was on his way to the feast. Jesus is on his way to Jersusalem and enters and the narrator suggests that.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. (Thompson)
Thus, Christ finds himself at the “house of mercy” and there is a pool located in that section, and around the pool lay a great number of impotent folk. There are times we find ourselves around our own personal pools with different people who find themselves in the same condition or worse than we are. There is a lesson in that, you must watch who you allow to surround you existence. People come into your life either to be a blessing or a hinderane, and you must not allow people to detour you from waking into your god-given destiny. Some people are only comsumed by their own interest. The text indicates.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the writer. (Thompson)
These people were waiting for the angel to stir the water as verse 4 indicates. There came angel down at a certain season who would stir the water, and whoever got in first, would receive their healing. You will always know who your friends are. When a person is looking for the same thing you are looking for, see how concerned they are going to be about your condition. The text focuses in on particular man who had been in the porch existence for thirty-eight years. There are some many people who have been in that same mode of existence for too long. When you sit in a place for too long, you become complacent, and content with where you are, but the Lord is declaring that you can be free in whatever place you find yourself confined to. Furthermore, there are times when length of existence will cause you to doubt the reality of God in your situation. There are those who have become faithless simply because God has not shown himself in their life, and things around them seem to get worse and worse. However, sometimes in order for things to get better sometimes it has to get worse, but don’t fret; because God knows the apprioite moment to show up, and what may seem to be a delay, is right on time for God. You must rest on the promise that “surely, God will pass by my situation with my miracle.” This text presents several observation for our consideration.
The Man’s condition, Christ’s Compassion: (5-6a) The text reveals to the reader the condition of the man. The text reveals that this man was an “impotent man”. He did not have the strength to get into the pool by himself. This condition has caused him to be in that state for thirty-eight years. However, the text indicates this:
When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,
The question that arises in this observation’ “what made this man the focus of Jesus attention?” There were other people around and on the porch that needed more or less of Jesus’ attention. Yet the author brings this man to the attention of the story. There is a lesson that we must draw this question. Bethesda meant “house of mercy.” Here is the merciful savor coming to the place of mercy to have mercy on the merciless. This man did not do anything, but he was chosen. The fact is that when god is ready to bring you to a place of prominence, he can pick you out among the other Favor is not fair, and God does not your help to bring you out; because your sickness inhabits you from even qualifying for the presence of God, but God is able to go beyond your condition. The text also indicates that Christ, “knew” he was in that case along time. There is another greater biblical truth in this point. God is able to have mercy; because he know what you are going through, and how long you have been dealing with your condition, and god has destined time that he will show and “do a new thing in your life.”
The Christ Inquire, the man’s explanation: (6b-7) It is interesting to note that fact that Christ only asked one question, and the man gives Jesus a huge explanation that is irrevelant to the question. However, we must give reverence to him; because he did try to get into the water, and failed miserally. He did not indicate how many times he tried, but we must assume that he tried a number of time. Yet his answer reflects a great note of ignorance to his deliverance. When you come into the presence of your deliverance, it does not matter how many times you have attempted to get into the pool, the main concern of our Lord is, “wilt thou be made whole.”(6b) The translation in the other version render the world “healthy”. Jesus places the deliverance of the man in his responsibility. Whatever you want, it is in your power to obtain it. Now the man answers Christ:
The impotent man answered him. Sir, I have no man, when the water is trouble, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.. (Thompson)
The man begins his statement by making a statement that shows his level of contentment with situation, “I have no man.” This is the excuse that many people give when their deliverance stands in front of them. There is yet a promise in this passage. The man’s ignorance does not determine God’s compassion. This is seen through the response of Jesus, “Get up.” There are times in our life when we stand in front the blesser and fail to understand that God can work without the help of external factors, but the question still is hurled to us, “do you want to be made whole?” Thank God that he is able to go beyond our doubts and to meet our very needs. Christ is not like us, he grants us deliverance even when we do not recognize it.
The message to the man, the meaning of the miracle (8-9) Notice that Christ meets the need of the man by given him an specific message for his situation. “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk”(8) Notice the Logos speaks a word of life that bears fruitful results. The text makes this clear, “Immediately”. Notice the man has been in this condition for thirty-eight years. He has been sitting around people who were filled with desire to be healed, and yet God stops by his address and grants him the opportunity to come out of the state of improductivity, yet there is a word that brings him into his season healing. This is the great proclamation of the Gospel, you can be fee, right now. God can bless your soul, right now. God can heal your body, right now. Notice, the takes makes it clear that this was the Sabbath. This is where the meaning of the Miracle comes into play. Why did Jesus heal this man on the Sabbath when he knew the traditionalism of the religious leaders? The answer to this is that God wanted to show man that this same man who was possessed by his mess to possessing his message in his hand. The day of rest to celebrate God’s blessings of Yahweh on his people yet these leaders place a lot of ritualism on this day, yet Christ shows the man that “I am sovereign over your condition and can make a message out of your mess.” This is the meaning of the miracle; the man goes from being possessed to possessing his bed. Why di Christ tell to take up his up bed? This shows that the man has authority over his mess, and has put it behind him to press toward his blessings.

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