Footnote
*5:4: NU omits from “waiting” in verse 3 to the end of verse 4.
Get to know Jesus
In Jesus' presence, you bypass science & beliefs
In today’s reading on John 5:1-47, we learn the following important points about Jesus:
Jesus said in John 5:8 “Arise, take up your mat and walk”. Jesus spoke and miracles happen. When we have Jesus, we bypass the natural, the lame man do not need to wait for the angel to stir the water.
Regardless of what the doctor’s report may be, or what statistics tell you, when you have Jesus, you will be healed, you will have your breakthroughs.
In John 15:7, Jesus gave the promise that if we remain in Him and His words remain in us, we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be done for us. In John 1:1-2, we have learned that Jesus is the Word and Jesus is God. So when we read God’s Words (the Bible) and claim His promises and speak out what we believe, we are excising the power God gives us in His Word. (Mark 11:23, Matthew 21:21).
Jesus heals the lame man even when he was still a sinner
From John 5:14 when Jesus told the lame man to stop sinning lest something worse may happen, we deduce that the lame man was living in sin. Yet Jesus healed him!
This is how gracious Jesus is. Grace means receiving something that we do not deserve. Jesus desires to bless us even when we do not deserve it.
It is not God’s will that we should suffer. God is always compassionate towards us. It pains God to see us suffer. But sin has its consequences. If we sin, we suffer the consequences of sin. Nevertheless, if we turn to God, He will help us.
Jesus heals the lame man even when he is still a sinner
In today’s reading on John 5:1-47, we learn the following important points about Jesus:
1. Jesus said in John 5:8 “Arise, take up your mat and walk”. Jesus spoke and miracles happen. In John 1:1-2, we have learned that Jesus is the Word and Jesus is God. So when we read God’s Words (the Bible) and claim His promises and speak out what we believe, we are excising the power God gives us in His Word. (Mark 11:23, Matthew 21:21).
In addition, when we have Jesus, we bypass the natural, the lame man do not need to wait for the angel to stir the water.
2. Jesus said in John 5:17, “My Father is still working, so I am working”. And the “work” here is healing the lame man! Yes, God is always working out healing, blessings, provisions, protection upon us. In Psalms 121:3-4, the psalmist wrote that God watches over us, He will never be tired and He never sleeps. Jesus’ work is healing us, blessing us. In John 4:32, after Jesus ministered to the Samaritan woman at the well, He told the disciples that He had His food. And what was Jesus’ food? It was ministering to the woman. Jesus delights in blessing us. It is food to Him. It pleases God to bless us. It is His work. And He never stop working on blessings for us.
3. In John 5:13, it was stated that the lame man did not even know who Jesus was. When he was healed, Jesus had already disappeared into the crowd. That’s the way of our LORD, He had always been blessing us everyday, but He hardly took credit for it and often we did not even realise how much God has blessed us. So, always give thanks to God.
4. Sin has consequences. Jesus warned the lame man in John 5:14 to stop sinning lest something worse may happen. We can see here that God is gracious. In fact the name “Bethesda” means mercy, grace. It is not God’s will that we should suffer. God is always compassionate towards us. It pains God to see us suffer. But sin has its consequences. If we sin, we suffer the consequences of sin. Nevertheless, if we turn to God, His will help us.
5. Take note of John 5:19-20 where Jesus said that He did what He sees the Father was doing. When we receive vision from God that someone is blessed, healed, we must be brave to go forth, speak the healing or blessing on that person because God, our Heavenly Father, has shown us what He is doing.
6. God has given Jesus absolute authority to judge. Anyone who does not honor Jesus is certainly not honoring God who sent Jesus. (John 5:22-23).
7. In John 5:24, Jesus said that he who hears His word and believes in God has eternal life and will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
Are you wondering…
Why did Jesus ask the lame man if he wants to be healed?
I believe when a person has been in a situation (even in a bad situation) for a very long time, they have gotten accustomed to that life and can even become fearful of getting out of that situation. For instance, in this case, the man had been lame for 38 years. This means he probably had not worked for all these years. Because of his condition, he might have been provided for by charity organisations or the government. If he become well and started to walk, he may no longer be eligible for receiving charity funds. At his age, he might not know how to make a living. The question now is, what would make him happy, to be able to walk or to be provided for.
If the lame man had been worried about his livelihood and chose not to be healed, he would have missed this miracle. From this reading, one thing that we can learn is that if we choose to worry about how we will be provided for, we will miss the miracle God has planned for us.
God has given us free will. Nothing will be imposed on us. If we choose not to receive, we will not have it.
What does it mean when Jesus said a believer has passed from death into life?
God is a God of justice. In Revelation 20:11-15, it is stated that all people will be judged according to their works. Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of life will be cast into the lake of fire.
But Jesus came to carry the sins of those who believe Him. He died on their behalf and by His blood, anyone who believes in Jesus has become blameless, without a single fault, as stated in Colossians 1:22. Hence, anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and receives Jesus as their Saviour will no longer be subjected to judgement. They will have eternal life.
How do I become a believer?
We are justified by faith in Jesus. (Romans 5:1). Therefore, we only need to believe and say a prayer as follows:
“Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. I believe you are the Son of God and that You love me and desire to bless me with the abundant life and eternal life that You promise. I believe and receive You as my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus name I pray, amen.”