“A Journey with John” Day 11: A man with an infirmity finally gets his turn (John 5:1-23)

Last time, our guide took us back to Cana of Galilee, where we saw Jesus heal a nobleman’s son, from a distance!

Before heading out on today’s journey, let’s see the new people we met last time:

> A nobleman from Capernaum

> Servants of the nobleman

> The nobleman’s son (mentioned)

Now we’re ready to head out. Let’s go with John and see what all the “stir” is about a certain pool:

Because of a Jewish feast, Jesus heads up to Jerusalem. Arriving in Jerusalem, he goes to the pool of Bethesda. Here, Jesus finds Himself among a multitude of sick people. You see, sometimes an angel would come down and stir the water of the pool and the first person in the water would be healed. Jesus comes across a man who had been waiting there for 38 years for his turn in the pool. Jesus asks the man whether he wants to be healed. The sick man says that he wants to be healed, but anytime the water is stirred, other people beat him into the water seeing there was no one to help him get in fast enough. Jesus simply tells him to take up his bed and walk. And immediately, he was completely well. The problem is, this happened on the Sabbath, and some of the Jews saw the healed man carrying his bed. When they corrected him for carrying his bed on the Sabbath, he said that the one who had healed him, had told him to do so. They ask him who healed him, but he doesn’t know. Jesus had withdrawn from there. After the healed man’s interaction with the Jewish leaders, Jesus found him in the temple and told him to stay away from sin, or a worse thing will come on him. The Jews were livid with what Jesus did and wanted to kill Him. Jesus says that His Father is working, so He is working. This statement really sets the Jews on fire. Jesus not only healed on the Sabbath, but He was calling God His Father. Jesus then tells them that what He is doing is because He is doing what the Father is doing. Jesus then tells them that just as the Father can give life, He can also give life. He then informs them that the Father has given the authority to judge to the Son. He then warns that those who don’t honor the Son are also not honoring the Father Who sent Him.

Our highlighted verses for today:

“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Now, knowing who it was who had healed him, the man went and told the Jews that it was Jesus who healed him. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬-‭9‬, ‭12‬, ‭14‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬, ‭19‬, ‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question for reflection:

Why is Jesus suited to be a perfect judge of mankind?

Next time, we get to go hear Jesus finishing His rebuke of the Jewish leaders.