John 5
September Memory Verse: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
Read: John 5
Let me ask you, “Where do you need healing in your life today?”
Is it physical? Emotional? Spiritual? Pain? Suffering? Sin addiction? Broken family relationships and friendships? Where do you need healing in your life?
Today we read an incredible story of healing about Jesus at the pool of Bethesda. It was a place full of invalids - blind people, the lame, and the paralyzed. And there was this guy… he had been there as an invalid for THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS (v.5)!
Here is what I know…. There were not just physical effects from this. There were emotional effects from being an invalid for so long. People probably avoided him. He was undoubtedly an outcast. Parents probably shielded their kids' eyes from seeing him. He probably felt worthless, even to God. There were probably moments he asked God, “Why me?” We know there was pain and suffering, but he also probably felt incredibly alone.
ENTER JESUS.
Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that he had been sick for a long time. And instead of passing by him like everyone else who would not help him (v.7)... Jesus spoke to him. I wonder when the last time he had a human interaction and conversation like that was.
And Jesus decided to heal him and at once he was fully healed (v.8-9). A pretty incredible story.
SO, WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT JESUS AS HEALER FROM THIS ENCOUNTER?
1) Jesus has the ability to heal… and is willing.
Some of us feel like we are unhealable. That God cannot (or will not) bring healing to our situation. Here we not only see that Jesus has the ability but has the desire to heal. He is willing. Run to Him.
2) When Jesus heals, Jesus heals fully.
This man did not have to go through rehab. He did not have to relearn to walk. He was fully healed. Sometimes Jesus allows us to continue to feel pain and sorrow but this must not be equated with lack of healing. Jesus can heal us and we can still have emotions when we think about that situation.
3) Jesus does not need a process but often chooses to use one.
Often we think we have to go through a long process for healing. Sometimes this is true. Sometimes this is not. Jesus has all authority, He does not need the process though sometimes He still chooses to use it. There are two ways to look at this story. One, this is an instantaneous healing. The man was lame and then he was not. For so long, this is how I viewed this story.
But the more I read it. The more I see the process. The process was 38 years long. He sat by that pool for 38 years seeking healing. Jesus is God. He knew about this. All of that led up to this moment of truly encountering Jesus and Jesus bringing healing. Process is not bad. Process produces dependence.
So let me ask you again, Where do you need healing today?
What does it look like for you to run and trust Jesus in this? Take 5 minutes today and write a prayer of dependence to Jesus, asking Him for His help. He is for you. He loves you. He cares for you.
By: Nick Parsons
Read: John 5
Let me ask you, “Where do you need healing in your life today?”
Is it physical? Emotional? Spiritual? Pain? Suffering? Sin addiction? Broken family relationships and friendships? Where do you need healing in your life?
Today we read an incredible story of healing about Jesus at the pool of Bethesda. It was a place full of invalids - blind people, the lame, and the paralyzed. And there was this guy… he had been there as an invalid for THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS (v.5)!
Here is what I know…. There were not just physical effects from this. There were emotional effects from being an invalid for so long. People probably avoided him. He was undoubtedly an outcast. Parents probably shielded their kids' eyes from seeing him. He probably felt worthless, even to God. There were probably moments he asked God, “Why me?” We know there was pain and suffering, but he also probably felt incredibly alone.
ENTER JESUS.
Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that he had been sick for a long time. And instead of passing by him like everyone else who would not help him (v.7)... Jesus spoke to him. I wonder when the last time he had a human interaction and conversation like that was.
And Jesus decided to heal him and at once he was fully healed (v.8-9). A pretty incredible story.
SO, WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT JESUS AS HEALER FROM THIS ENCOUNTER?
1) Jesus has the ability to heal… and is willing.
Some of us feel like we are unhealable. That God cannot (or will not) bring healing to our situation. Here we not only see that Jesus has the ability but has the desire to heal. He is willing. Run to Him.
2) When Jesus heals, Jesus heals fully.
This man did not have to go through rehab. He did not have to relearn to walk. He was fully healed. Sometimes Jesus allows us to continue to feel pain and sorrow but this must not be equated with lack of healing. Jesus can heal us and we can still have emotions when we think about that situation.
3) Jesus does not need a process but often chooses to use one.
Often we think we have to go through a long process for healing. Sometimes this is true. Sometimes this is not. Jesus has all authority, He does not need the process though sometimes He still chooses to use it. There are two ways to look at this story. One, this is an instantaneous healing. The man was lame and then he was not. For so long, this is how I viewed this story.
But the more I read it. The more I see the process. The process was 38 years long. He sat by that pool for 38 years seeking healing. Jesus is God. He knew about this. All of that led up to this moment of truly encountering Jesus and Jesus bringing healing. Process is not bad. Process produces dependence.
So let me ask you again, Where do you need healing today?
What does it look like for you to run and trust Jesus in this? Take 5 minutes today and write a prayer of dependence to Jesus, asking Him for His help. He is for you. He loves you. He cares for you.
By: Nick Parsons
4 Comments
"the Scriptures point to me!" v.39b
When we began studying the Gospel of John a number of days ago we read in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then in verse 14, "The Word became flesh" in Jesus. The Jewish leaders created their own agenda about how the Messiah was going to come and how He was going to lead. They convinced themselves that He would overthrow their Roman oppressors and that they would rule Israel along with the Messiah. The scriptures had been fulfilled before their very eyes yet they couldn't see it.
All of this got me thinking about the plans of men. Do I approach scripture with my own agenda about how it should be? Am I missing things God is placing right in front of me because of my personal agenda? There are many areas of my life that need the healing touch of Jesus but perhaps none greater than to approach God's Word with an open heart & mind. As we often sing in worship, "open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You" (Ephesians 1:18). Thanks for the commentary today Nick.
Nick, I love what you said about this being a process. I, like you, have always read this story of instantaneous healing and missed that. This man suffered and begged for healing for 38 long years.
God COULD have healed him on day 1 of his injury/illness. But just think... if that had happened, he (and we) definitely would have missed the magnitude of that miracle. By delaying, by answering prayers with "not yet", we get a bigger picture of who Christ really is.
What a great chapter! I love how the end stage of the process is not the actual healing. Revealing and knowing Jesus is. :)
John 5:12-14
12 They I asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"
13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in that place.
14 Afterwards Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you."
Thanks Nick!
I recently read a book of about forgiveness with the emphasis of the book being, allow Jesus to heal you despite your feelings and despite whether the person who may have hurt you being aware that they hurt you or not saying sorry. The author used the story in John chapter 5 as an example. She pointed out that when Jesus came to ask the man if he wanted to get well, the man's initial response was to say that he could not get better because other people would not help him into the pool. He totally missed the point! Jesus was going to heal him, but he was still focusing on how other people would not help him and had hurt him. We do this all the time today! We need to allow Jesus to heal us and stop focusing on how others let us down. I thought this was a very interesting take on the story and wanted to share!