Now we are at the third miracle which is mentioned in the book of John chapter 5. It says “After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. The pool by the sheep gate in Aramaic was called Bethesda which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids - blinds, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years which means he was invalid even before Jesus’ birth. I think it’s important to understand why he was an invalid. He was invalid because of his sins. We can see verse 14 from John chapter 5.
As it is written in the scripture Jesus knows each and every one of us. Jesus also knew the invalid and He knew that he had been an invalid for a long time, and He knew that the invalid was a sinner. Remember friends, Jesus came from Heaven to earth to forgive our sins. So, Jesus said to him “Do you want to be made well?”. Now the invalid had excuses and said “there’s no one who can carry me to the water so I can be made well. Jesus knows all of our hurdles but sometimes we just have to tell him if we need healing instead of making excuses. Brother and Sister always remember whenever we go through challenging times, temptation and trials. Don’t forget Jesus always watches over each and every one of us and only He can deliver us from the temptation and trials because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
The man’s case is not closed – After 38 years, nearly 14,000 days, every day like the last – what hope would he really have? No doubt he thought, “This only happens to other people. I’m not the kind that ever gets the healing. It could never happen to me. It’s always someone else that gets the blessing. I deserve what I have. I don’t deserve healing.” The man never would have known and never believed today would be the day.
Isn't it interesting that Jesus didn't send an angel to stir up the water for the man, and then offer to throw him into the pool? Instead, Jesus simply says to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." Jesus was telling the man three bold things. First, He said, "Rise"; which was as if to say, "Don't lay down on the ground like an invalid any longer. Cease from being in the place that you were before I came into your life" Second, He said, "Take up your bed" - that 'token' that he always had with him of his misery, which was as if to say, "No longer make any provision for yourself to go back to where you were." And third, He said, "Walk"; which was as if to say, "I have healed you. Don't expect to be carried anymore." And then, the Bible says, "And immediately the man was made well . . ." There was no waiting period between Jesus speaking and the man becoming well. There was no gradual, progressive improvement over time. There wasn't even any need to 'just add water'! The man was instantaneously, immediately made well. But here's the thing to notice: you wouldn't have known the man was well if he had argued with the Lord and said, "Why are You telling me to do that? Can't you see what a miserable situation I'm in? It's easy for You to tell me to do all that!!" In fact, I don't even see in this that Jesus told the man that he was healed! He simply obeyed. He rose up, picked up his bed, and walked. There is one more important thing to keep in mind and that is, once saved always saved doesn't work. We can see in verse 14 Jesus says to the invalid “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
Yet this sign, this miracle, is a reminder to us that no person or situation is too far gone that they are beyond His reach. And just because we’ve tried it before on our own, doesn’t mean we can’t do it when Christ is with us.
Blessings
A. A.
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