Healing by the water

Text: John 5:1-9.                               

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
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?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath” John 5:1-9.

          Jesus the Mighty Healer this day went for a walk by the water, where He met this unnamed man, who had been by the water for 38 years, waiting a visitation of God, well this day God was at his side in the form of Jesus the Son of God.

Verse 1 “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool.” This pool was by the “sheep gate” this was the gate through which the lambs were brought to be offered as sacrifices by worshippers in the temple. Today Jesus the true “Lamb of God” walked through the gate.

“Which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.” Bethesda means “House of Mercy” Yet, this “House of Mercy” was a house of misery for many. There were 5 porches which were covered areas where the sick would await their opportunity to get into the healing water.

          We are told that a heavenly angel came and stirred up the waters, (Note: the healings of the water came from heaven). Verse 4 “For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water.”

In some way or another when the waters moved, they had an unusual healing power. By the bubbling, and the moving water it indicated to the sick the presence of God. Verse 4 “Then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.”

Verse 3 says “In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.”

This moving of the water was from heaven, not from earth, and there was no healing virtue in the water until the time of God’s healing power.

There were the blind that could not see.

There were the lame that could not walk.

There were the withered that were deformed and paralyzed.

There were so many who needed God.

No one received special attention because of who he or she was. There were no special support groups that went from porch to porch doing social assistance. No one had advantage over others.

Being wealthy had no advantage.

Being good had no advantage.

Having a goodly heritage had no advantage.

Being the poorest had no advantage.

          Peter said in Acts 10:34 “God is no respecter of persons.” You have the same access to Christ as anyone else. This unnamed man needed God’s healing, like the rest of the porch dwellers needed that same healing touch, but much more important than any physical healing they needed, they needed salvation. God often gave both.

          Verse 5 “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.” Here we see “a certain man” no name is given, no personal details were given, and therefore this could be any man or woman. It could even be YOU and your need today. Jesus was attracted to one poor sufferer (He never lost sight of the individual), who had waited for 38 years for his healing.

I love this next verse, Verse 6 “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time.” Jesus came to him in his need; no doubt this man was born with this disability, and was incurable. The thirty-eight years that the man lived in this condition is only a picture of God’s grace. It tells us that before the man died of his sickness, God intervened in his life and healed him.

God can intervene in your life and heal you also. He had been there for 38 years. How many of you would go to a doctor’s office and wait there 38 years without seeing the doctor? Once a year the nurse would come out and say, “Who is next?” Everyone would make a dash to the door, and whoever got there first was the next patient. This would mean that the man had had 37 other opportunities to get into the pool but had failed. Time would run out someday. He knew if he could just get into that pool he would be made whole.

          He tried to make his way to the pool on his own, yet never could. This may have been his last year. He may have thought, “If I don’t get there now I may never get in.” Are you destitute today? 

          Then Jesus speaks to the man, Verses 6-7 “He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

“Do you want to be made well?”

1. Every person must answer that question.

2. The question requires man’s approval for God to work in their lives.

God will save no one against their will. No one will be in heaven that did not want to go there.

Jesus knew that the man was disabled, desperate, disappointed, and destitute, He knew that the man could not do for himself, therefore, He did for him what he could not do for himself, Jesus healed him! Only by His mercy can we have the opportunity to be made whole.

 “Bethesda” “a pool - a place of healing.” It is called ‘Bethesda’ a place of mercy.” Bethesda signifies literally, the house of mercy. It got this name probably from the cures which God mercifully performed there. It does not appear that any person was obliged to pay man for what the mercy of God freely gave in mercy.

Jesus cures him with His words: Verse 8 “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” He is told to rise and walk; a strange command to be given to sick man, that had been long disabled; but this divine word had divine power; it was a command to the disease to be gone, and his body to be strong.

But it was also His directive to the man, to see if he would believe and give it a try in faith.

“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty, At Calvary.

          “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Is a call for faith and action! We must accept and respond. The Lord’s message to him is filled with faith. For thirty-eight years the man had been unable to walk, yet verse 9 says, “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath” The man acted in faith.

          Had this man refused to do as the Lord said, he would no doubt have died on that porch. He would have died having rejected the only cure that was available. He would have died having had the opportunity to respond. 

CONCLUSION:

Let me tell you today that God is walking by where you are today. He is looking for you. He knows your condition, and He is here to meet your need.

A Prayer for when you are weak or ill.

A Prayer for when you are weak or ill.

Father,
I am feeling low today.
I ache all over and feel very weak.
You said that your grace was sufficient for me.
Please strengthen me.
Give me joy in spite of how I feel physically.
Amen