This is a very interesting text. It only appears in the gospel of John. I usually hear this text referred when preachers are preaching on Holy Ghost conviction. “It’s whosoever! It’ whatsoever! But it’s not whensoever!” Good preaching. I like it. I’m probably not going to get into it on those lines. In fact, my thoughts are a bit scattered on this. Here’s the text.
(John 5:1-16) After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. 16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
So here’s a few things that stand out to me:
(Verse 6) That case…
For thirty-eight years this man had this infirmity. There were many there at the pool, blind, halt, and withered. Why this certain man? Why his case? And why now? And what about the other sick folk? No telling how long some of them had been sick; some more and maybe some less. They were all sick. They were all waiting. But of all those there, it was this certain man’s case that Jesus would deal with that day. It was his day. I wonder at the care and length that God would go for just one person. I know it’s God so loved the world. But it amazes me how God could single out a certain sinner. The hunter invests much to track down and win his prize.
My head spins at the remembrance of all the miracles that surrounded my conversion; the wonders that the Holy Ghost performed in order that I might be saved. I had a case of my own. For me it was a 30 year wait. I wasn’t into drugs and alcohol. No, I was steeped in religion. I was a whitened sepulchre, filled with dead men’s bones. I was decieved and blinded. But somehow, by the grace of God, I took the gospel; hook, line, and sinker. And God slowly reeled me in until I was close enough I suppose to cast the net. We might be all sick unto death, but each case is still different.
(Verse 7) No man…
The impotent man said I have no man. But Jesus said I am that man. I can’t help but think that this is just about where every sinner gets when he or she is about to get saved. You come to a point where no man can help you; no man on earth at least. But there is a man in heaven, with nail-pierced hands and a wound on his side, that can help your lonely condition. That woman at the well said (John 4:29) Come, see a man! They put the crown of thorns upon his head and the purple robe and Pilate brought forth Jesus and declared to all the world (John 19:5) Behold the man!
(1 Timothy 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; That poor impotent man got the helping hand he so desperately needed that day. Christ, the man, is our mediator, our helper, our paraclete. He is our heavenly advocate. Full of grace, he is able to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. He is our appointed counsel, for we could not afford one on our own. He wasn’t paid to do the work he did. He didn’t work pro bono either. Instead, he paid a great price to be our gracious advocate. I thank God I can say I had no man, but now I do.
(Verse 11) The same…
When the Jews told the healed man that it was not lawful to carry his bed, (John 5:11) He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Can I say this? (Romans 8:9-10) Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you… That man that was healed at the pool answered simply I’m obeying he that made me whole. And that is what God’s people long to do. I’ve been thinking much of that song: I am thine, O Lord. I have heard thy voice and it told thy love to me… Ah, it was a wonderful day that I heard the voice of God. I remember when he leaned down over heaven and whispered in my wretched sinful ear, But I still love you.
And I’ve been ruined ever since; ruined to this world because the voice from another world still speaks. That song from Fanny Crosby goes on to say But I long to rise… (John 5:8) Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Being saved, meeting the Lord Jesus Christ, was glorious, but I long for more. The word of God says (Galatians 5:25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Paul asked us this question: (Galatians 3:3) Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? I’m going to listen carefully for the same voice that told his love to me. I’m going to obey the same voice that called me (1 Peter 2:9) Out of darkness into his marvellous light:
(Verse 14) Jesus findeth him…
The bible says that the man did not know who it was that made him whole, (John 5:13) For Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. There were just too many people there; too much hustle and bustle; too much commotion. But then after a little while (John 5:14) Jesus findeth him… Maybe it’s time to ditch the multitude. The bible says to (James 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. You can’t draw nigh to God and stay nigh the multitude. He said (Song of Solomon 2:13) Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
I know the bible says that (Deuteronomy 4:29) But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. But it’s not just us that seeks to find. No no no. (1 John 4:19) We love him, because he first loved us. I thank God for the times, since the days of my conversion, that he’s found me. It’s easy to lose your way in the multitude of distractions. But the loving eyes, hidden alone in the shadows, are seeking and waiting and longing to catch the eyes again of his love, to lay hold of her hand, and lead her away with him. His eye is upon you and he waits patiently for you to break from the crowd; to get off the beaten track; and give him that opportunity.
(Verse 14) Sin no more…
Once Jesus found the man, his message for him was this: (John 5:14) Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. A stern prescription from the Great Physician who healed this man. This teaches us one sure thing; that sin will always have consequences. And this is a hard one to understand, I believe, for many people. Here’s the question that it demands. How can we be eternally forgiven from our sin, yet still suffer consequences of our sin? I mean, are we forgiven or not? Am I the only one that asks this question? I think not.
I’ve come to realize that there’s just alot about sin that I don’t understand. God’s grace is sufficient, yes. But grace from God implies utter and absolute unworthiness and insufficiency in us. And to this we give the credit to sin. Paul said concerning sin, (Romans 7:17-18) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Follow me. If it’s not I that does it, then it’s not I that is charged. But if it is sin that dwells in my flesh, then it’s in my flesh that the consequences are manifest.
Remember, (Romans 8:10) If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. You may be saved, Christ in you, but the body is still dead because of sin; because the wages of sin is still death. That hasn’t changed and will never change. We talk about separation from the world, but I think what is more needful and will do us more effectual good is to separate from the flesh; drop that dead carcass and cross over the River Jordan. I think Verse 14 is the call to all that were made whole to be filled with the Spirit. I think real biblical separation lies in the revelation of that great truth that Paul demonstrated: (Romans 7:25) So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Concluding Remarks
I’m looking forward to visiting this text again. Much preaching could be done from here and volumes could be written from this miracle. The gospel of John is very different from the Synoptic Gospels. Sorry there’s no three-point outline today but I could barely wrap my head around this one.
