“JESUS
CHRIST - A MAN APPROVED OF GOD (Acts 2:22)”
Miracle #8-
(John
5:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16)
Israel’s
salvation history is awash
with water with the locusts being cast into the Red Sea (Exodus 10:19);
to the
crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22); to the bitter springs of Marah
made
sweet by a tree being the LORD (Exodus 15:23); to the eventual crossing
of the
River Jordan (Joshua 3:17); to Naaman, the leper captain dipping seven
times to
be washed clean as the flesh of a child (2 Kings 5:14) and so on.
1.
A coincidence? NO! Jesus
the shepherd, seeing a great
multitude of impotent ‘sheep’ … blind, halt and
withered, at
a pool called Bethesda, meaning “Mercy”, by the sheep
market, at the time of Passover … remembering the liberty
of
being set free.
2.
The
time of languishing for this impotent man is 38
years which is the time Israel languished in the desert.
3.
The
impotent man didn’t know it was Jesus
(John 5:13)
4.
It
could have been anyone asking “Wilt thou be made
whole?” (John 5:6). As if the man would say “No thanks, I’m good!”.
After 38
years of absolute depressing failure to get to the moving waters first,
all he
can say is to give reasons why he hasn’t been healed. He ignores the
question …
not even knowing it is Christ that is addressing him.
5.
Jesus
simply says unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. (John
5:8). Christ’s words are power … the reality merely follows … as in
creation
“Let there be light.”
6.
The
Jews had made up a stupid rule … It
is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to
carry
thy bed. (John
5:10). Christ says “How much then is a man better than a sheep?
Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” (Matthew
12:12;
Luke 6:9)
7.
Jesus
said to the man that his impotence was the
result of sin … “…sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”
(John
5:14)
8.
“
… the
Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these
things
on the sabbath day.”
(John
5:16). Why? His popularity was the issue …
the Sabbath was merely the excuse.
LESSONS:
1.
Unlike
Israel’s history, Christ does not need actual water for the
impotent man
to be healed. Although Jesus Christ is the LORD JEHOVAH of the Old
Testament,
he by-passes the water treatment for healing and salvation, by simply
speaking
the words … no water ‘prop’ is needed! It’s like he is ‘better
than’
JEHOVAH in the Old Testament.
2.
In
other
cases of healing, Christ gets an answer from the man or woman
concerned
before proceeding eg “Oh yes, I believe you can heal me Lord!”
or “I
will!” and so on.
3.
Without
knowing who Christ was, and not answering “I will”, Christ moves independent
of the impotent man. It seems none of the others knew who Christ was
either.
4.
Christ
proves he is omnipotent and omniscient, that is all
powerful and
all knowing the man’s condition, by simply arriving on the scene, and
maybe
looking like any other person.
6.
Christ’s
injunction to the man reminds us of Paul’s observations about becoming
weak and
sickly by continuing in sin (1 Corinthians 11:30-31).
Israel’s continuing sin was their disobedience and murmuring in the
desert
(Numbers 14:22, 27, 29)
Harley
Hitchcock
April
2023
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
Matthew
12:9-12,13; Mark 3:1-4,5; Luke
6:6-9,10
