John 5:1-15 Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda
“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. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
John 5:16-23 Honor the Father and the Son
“For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 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.”
The Jewish religious leaders are fuming! The very nerve of this upstart preacher from Galilee! Everybody knows that when an angel troubles the water of the pool of Bethesda, it’s a case of first come, first served. So what if this cripple has been trying to make it to the water first for thirty-eight years? By now, he should have been able to recruit someone to help him, shouldn’t he? The very fact that the man has been unable to secure his healing for thirty-eight years should tell you that this man is really a sinner and that God doesn’t want to heal him! Now this ignoramus from Galilee, of all places, comes along, asks him a few questions, and then orders him to take up his bed and walk! ON THE SABBATH!!! Just who does this guy think he is anyway? To make matters worse, this so-and-so even claims to be the Son of God and claims that God wanted this man to be healed because God is still working. Certainly, if God were still working, He should have informed the religious leaders first, shouldn’t He? How can a Sabbath-breaker possibly be doing the work of God?
God allowed the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians to conquer Judea. While survivors of the Northern Kingdom were scattered, survivors of Judea went into exile in Babylon. Eventually, many of the descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned to their ancestral territories, rebuilding the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. As part of this process, those who were religious recognized that God had punished their nation. To avoid further divine punishment, religious leaders and teachers began devising ever-increasing numbers of rules for the devout. Unfortunately, these attempts to satisfy God focused on actions rather than heart attitudes. Many of those who returned to Jerusalem failed to recognize that it was gross idolatry and wickedness on an unprecedented scale that had led to the exile in the first place. Although Ezra and Nehemiah both acknowledged God’s provision and mercy in their writings, many others took refuge in observing minute rules.
Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
By the time of Jesus, rules governing what one can and cannot do on the Sabbath has become quite complicated. Later, when queried about another healing, Jesus will point out that even the most observant Jews will lead their animals out to water or get their animals out of ditches, should the animal wander out and fall into one. But the religious leaders have no concern for this poor man who has suffered for thirty-eight years and who has now been healed. All these critics can think of is the chance to catch Jesus as a Sabbath-breaker. And when Jesus refers to God as his Father, these men are probably rubbing their hands in glee! Now they REALLY have caught Jesus…or have they?
The tragedy for many of the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day is that they claim to be waiting for Messiah; yet, when Messiah comes in the form predicted by Isaiah, they refuse to acknowledge Him. Those who are truly seeking God will eventually believe in Jesus while those who are only interested in rule-keeping will not.
The question for us as believers is this: Are we more interested in enforcing rules than in proclaiming God’s mercy? Are we setting ourselves up to judge others, neglecting to realize that we ourselves might equally qualify for judgment? May God help us, so that we will remain merciful, no matter what!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, teach us how to be merciful and help us to be merciful, for many of us have only learned how to be vicious. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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