John 5:1-18

I find Jesus going to another feast in Jerusalem. The setting? A pool called Bethsaida where many sick, blind, lame and paralyzed people lay. The story zeroes in on one, a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Long time.

 

There's a verse in this text that was almost certainly a later addition. But there seems to be reason for it to be added, so I'll address it. Apparently the Jews believed that the angel of the Lord would come now and then and stir the waters of this pool. The result was that whatever sick person got into the pool first would be made well. I know; it sounds weird. But it helps to explain why the sick people would gather there.

 

Jesus comes to this paralyzed man and asks him whether he wants to be well. And the man tells his story: He has no one to help him get into the pool after the water is stirred; others always get there ahead of him. Whether this has to do with the Jews' belief mentioned above, or whether the man is just complaining that his whole life has been one without many comforts, either way he is saying, "Yes, I want to be well."

 

So Jesus heals him saying, "Rise, take up your mat and walk." The man was immediately healed and did just what Jesus said. This is amazing! Many of us would probably have ended the story here.

 

But John continues and gives more "setting" information. Apparently, the day this happened was a Sabbath. One of the ten commandments is to remember the Sabbath by to keeping it holy; people were to do all their work on other days. So the Jews confronted the healed man, because he was carrying his mat around. His response? "The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk!" Kind of a "what else could I do?" statement.

 

Of course, the Jews then wanted to know who it was that gave such a blasphemous command, but the healed man didn't know; Jesus had slipped away. Later Jesus found the man in the temple and encouraged him to avoid sin now that he was healthy. The man now knew that Jesus had healed him and promptly told the Jews, who persecuted Jesus. It doesn't sound as though they got violent with him yet, but I'm sure there was quite a confrontation involving yelling and "in your face," passionate scolding. Jesus answered them, though, by saying, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." In other words, Jesus did not plan to change His practices. He would continue working on the Sabbath.

 

1.      Jesus heals. 2. Jesus works on the Sabbath, just as God does. But 3 is the clincher; it's what really made the Jews angry. I thought they were angry when they were persecuting Jesus for working on the Sabbath. But no.

 

Because the Jews heard a claim in Jesus' response. When Jesus justified His work by appealing to His Father's ongoing work, the Jews understood that Jesus was referring to God. The Jews understood that Jesus was saying He does what God does. And the Jews understood that fathers and sons are essentially on the same level. Human fathers bear human sons. So logically, a divine father would bear a divine son. Jesus claimed here to be God – without apology! This made the Jews so angry they wanted to kill Him!

 

What about me? Am I shocked at Jesus' audacity? I'm certainly impressed by His miracle. And it seems that someone with the ability to perform that kind of miracle ought to be allowed to do so on the Sabbath or any day. But that's not all that Jesus claims. He claims to be God. And just yesterday I learned from John 4:43-54 that it is more important to hear Jesus' words than to see His miracles; I must trust Jesus Himself, not just His power. Is Jesus God? Yes! Jesus is God! "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!" "Through Him all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that has been made!" If this describes Jesus, then these miracles are just a tiny taste of all that He has done, because He is the Creator of the universe! So it is important that we trust in Jesus Himself, that He is God! He made my life. He gave me breath. He feeds me every day. He clothes me. He provides shelter, and family, and health, and strength, and wisdom, and discipline, and everything else that I need! He does this every day! He is equal with God! There is no talking back to Him. There is only listening, believing, submitting, obeying. He is worthy of all honor and glory! I trust Him! He is God!