September 27, 2023

John 5:1-15 (HCSB)
The Third Sign: Healing the Sick
5 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades. 3 Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, 4 because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had]. 5 One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.” 8 “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk!” 9 Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk. Now that day was the Sabbath, 10 so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It’s illegal for you to pick up your mat.” 11 He replied, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” 12 “Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” they asked. 13 But the man who was cured did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” 15 The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Kim Ivey
First, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, some of you are reading your Bibles and thinking, “Wait. Where’s vs 4? My Bible Has A Misprint!!” No. It doesn’t. Many newer translations leave vs 4 out. But this is not the time or place for an explanation on why they do this. Ask Pastor HD, Pastor Michael, or Pastor Jason about it. I’m sure they’d love to discuss it with you. Now, here we read about Jesus once again healing the sick. In this case, instead of the person that needs healing (or his loved one) coming to Him, Jesus actually goes in search of the sick man. Jesus intentionally enters Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda, where sick and infirm people gather, and walks up to this man who has been sick for 38 years. Jesus looks right at this man and says, “Do you want to get well?” Why did Jesus ask him that? This man is sitting at this pool that is supposed to contain healing waters, waiting for it to stir so that he can be healed. Did Jesus want the man to verbally admit his need? Some people do seem content to sit around and commiserate with other people that don’t feel well. Or was Jesus referring to a deeper illness, one of the soul? Different scholars have different opinions. Good to think about, but no need to get hung up on it. Because all Jesus has to do is say, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Jesus once again shows us that He is not bound by superstition, by laws of science, by tradition, or by legalism. He loves us enough to seek us out and heal us of our chronic illness of the mind, body, or soul even on the Sabbath. When He does, we need to do as this man did, and get to Temple to praise Him and tell people about it!