John 5

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 ‭NKJV‬‬

“Do you want to get well?” (verse 6).  This may seem like a question with an obvious answer, but this man had been lame for 38 years.  He had lost all hope and had no one to help him.  There was no reason for him to believe that he would ever walk again…until Jesus came into his life!  We can all relate to times in our lives where we have had trials, troubles, and afflictions that seemed insurmountable.  In times like these, most of us can also remember giving in to feelings of despair and self-pity.  The fantastic news is that life with Jesus changes all of this!  He proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).  Faith in Jesus allows us to face life’s obstacles full of hope.  He not only gives us the strength to persevere, but allows us to view trials with a Godly perspective.  Knowing that “…in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…” (Romans 8:28) can be of immense help in hard times.  God always has a reason for allowing trials, be it for your own spiritual maturation or to use you to help others that are struggling with a similar issue.  Here is a simple yet powerful scripture to apply to your life and to commit to memory: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).   

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John‬ ‭5:19-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This passage reveals the fulfillment of three Old Testament signs about The Messiah, uncovering the fact that Jesus truly is the Son of God and the Savior for all mankind:

1. The Messiah is given all power and authority because He is God’s Son (verses 22, 27, and 30).  This was prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14, which was written over 500 years before Jesus’ birth: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”  

2.  The Messiah will perform miracles (verse 20, but also see verses 1-15).  The prophet Isaiah predicted this about the Messiah about 700 years before Jesus: “Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:6).

3.  The Messiah will raise the dead to life (verses 21, 24-26, 28, and 29).  This literally means resurrection from physical death, as seen in the stories of Lazarus (John 11:1-44), the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-15), and Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:41-55).  However, this also refers to rescue from spiritual death and rebirth into a new life, for all who believe in Him.  About 1400 years before Jesus, Moses recorded what God said to him in Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I Myself am He!  There is no god besides Me.  I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.”  In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are numerous other Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that directly point to Jesus.  So why didn’t the Jews of Jesus’ day accept Him, since they knew the scriptures thoroughly and were very familiar with all of these Messianic prophecies?  The bottom line is that despite all of the prophecies that Jesus did fulfill, the one that was the most crucial for the Jewish leaders was one that was sadly misinterpreted.   The religious leaders believed that the Messiah was going to overthrow the Romans and establish Israel as a preeminent world power, with them in charge.  In addition, even though there are clear prophecies describing Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22:16), the religious leaders chose to believe only prophecies relating to the victories of their Messiah.  What a tragedy that they missed recognizing their Savior and a chance at the glorious life that Jesus offers.  

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  ‭‭John‬ ‭5:39-42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The Jewish leaders had done an excellent job of learning the scriptures.  They had a lot of head knowledge regarding what God had to say and how God expected them, as the chosen people, to behave.  Their head knowledge simply translated into rules, rules, and more rules because they never allowed it to be converted into heart knowledge.  They did not apply what they had learned and did not allow God’s directions to change their thoughts, motives and actions.   Memorizing scripture, knowing Biblical facts and figures, understanding the history behind the Bible, and even studying its original languages are all great things to know.  But if the Biblical principles in all this knowledge never come alive for you, and are not applied to your daily interactions with God and those around you, then they are pretty much worthless.  “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”  (Hebrews 4:12).  Only when God’s Word comes alive for us can it affect us personally and help to guide us in life.  How does this happen?  Scriptures come alive for us when we are reading them and suddenly get a revelation about their meaning and how they can be applied to our lives.  The Holy Spirit guides us in this and can reveal different things to different people, depending on what we need in that particular moment.  Openly receiving these revelations from scripture, trusting them, and then willingly making changes in our lives because of them is exactly what God’s Word is supposed to do.   It has been said that “The longest journey that a man will ever take is the 18 inches from his head to his heart.”  Sometimes it can be difficult to take what you know and start applying it to your life. 

Trust God that it will be well worth it!