15.02.09 JOHN 5:1-18 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John 5:1-18
Going Deeper: Study Guide
MIRACLE TO MURDER
Today we are going to start unfolding Chapter 5 which begins a new division in the gospel. In review, from chapter 1 verses 1 to 18 we have what is known as the Prologue. It is our introduction setting the tone for the rest of the gospel. In it we have a profound revelation of who Jesus Christ is - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn.1:1).
The prologue clearly lays out to the reader the nature of Christ and that can be summed up with the word INCARNATION. Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).
In the next major section following the prologue we can sum it up with one word - PRESENTATION. From John 1:19 to the end of chapter 4, Jesus Christ is presented to the people of Israel and Israel’s religious leaders through John the Baptist. John the Baptist says this of Jesus - Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn. 1:29 - NASB). In addition Jesus’ disciples are presented - as is Jesus Himself in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria (The fuller description of these major sections can found at the end of this blog page).
From chapter 5 to the end of chapter 12 the overall theme could be described with one word - and that word is OPPOSITION. This OPPOSITION comes as a result of the deepest seeded UNBELIEF a person can possess. This OPPOSITION could already be seen brewing in the background in the first four chapters - but now it comes to a head - and the full blown - outright rejection of Christ, becomes overwhelmingly present.
So let us now begin the 5th chapter of the Gospel of John as we examine Jesus’ 3rd sign - what is the commonly referred to account of the healing of the paralytic. Allow me to read to you from JOHN 5:1-18. From this passage we divide it into three sections which will reveal to us the OPPOSITION to Jesus. The OPPOSITION to Jesus is developed through three stages:
CONDUCTING A MIRACLE (v.1-9)
CONDEMNED FOR MERCY (v.10-15)
CONTEMPLATION OF MURDER (v. 16-18)
John 5:1-18 states: After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep [gate] a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted]. 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying [there], and knew that he had already been a long time [in that condition], He ^said to him, "Do you wish to get well?" 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me." 8 Jesus ^said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and [began] to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet." 11 But he answered them, "He who made me well was the one who said to me, `Pick up your pallet and walk.' " 12 They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Pick up [your pallet] and walk'?" 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in [that] place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you." 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." 18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
1. CONDUCTING A MIRACLE (v.1-9)
v.1 Once again we see John following the footsteps of Jesus as He traveled throughout Israel. The last time that Jesus was engaged in His ministry, we found Him at Cana of Galilee (4:46). So Jesus had an extensive ministry not being bound by any particular geographical location. On this occasion Jesus traveled back south After these things and headed up to Jerusalem. If you remember to a previous sermon, I spoke about the physical geography of Israel. When the Bible speaks about travel to Jerusalem, it often uses the phrase went up - because Jerusalem is built on top of a mountain. The reason that Jesus went up to Jerusalem is to attend a feast of the Jews. We are not certain which feast this was - it could have been Rosh Hashanah, Passover, or Pentecost - but the bottom line is that we don’t know. The focus of the passage is not the occasion, but what happens at this feast, therefore Scripture doesn’t reveal the occasion.
v.2-4 The city of Jerusalem is a fortified walled city, and there are quite a few entrances. The entrance that is mentioned in the text is named the sheep [gate]. If you have a study Bible it would help if you look at the maps of the city to get your bearings. This gate is located in the north wall of the city near the east corner, close to the temple. In this area was a pool - some call it the ‘Sheep Pool.’ The purpose of this pool was to wash the sheep that were brought into the temple for sacrifices. So sheep were cleaned in this pool and then transported over to the temple. The pool as it states in our text was called Bethesda, which is Aramaic, the common language of the day, meaning - ‘house of MERCY’ or ‘house of outpouring.’ The ‘Pool of Bethesda’ was so referred to because of the healings that would take place there - of the disabled - those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered. This pool was surrounded by five porticoes (covered colonnades). It was in this area that lay a multitude of disabled people - as they waited and took refuge. Through archaeological digs in the past, there is a pool that matches this description.
If you use the NIV you may have noticed - as we read the passage, that from verse three the NIV skips to verse 5, whereas the NASB includes them in brackets. If you are in the habit of looking at the footnotes, and I encourage you to get into this habit, then you would have known that verse 3 in some manuscripts continues and states - and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.
These words are debated as to whether these words are included in the original autograph or not - despite this, I can say that we do know that God is a merciful God, and that throughout Scripture He willfully purposes to heal people. There are good arguments on both sides of the fence, but this is where I am going to leave the debate to the academics.
v.5-6 We are now introduced to a very sad scene - there is an unnamed man - a man who we are told by John is stricken - he is ill. He had been in this condition for thirty-eight years. So for almost 40 years or nearly 4 decades people knew that this guy was genuinely ill. The amount of years that this man suffered, underscores the magnitude of his debilitating disease. But…. things for this man were going to change, and his hopes are going to be finally realized. It all begins when Jesus saw him lying there among all the other disabled people. In the historical setting of this account, we must not overlook some revealing yet - between the lines details. It is interesting to note that most people who were religious and physically well would probably avoid this area. They would do so because of the uncomfortable unease one would experience by seeing this kind of human suffering - as one commentator describes it as the place where - ‘the helpless dregs of society lay in a pathetic state’ (G. Borchert). Wouldn’t it be true for most of us too. We see it in this city where the unfortunate titles of ‘scum of the earth’ - ‘the low lifes’ are used. I am referring to a place like Vancouver’s skid row - Hastings and Main - Canada’s most deplorable postal code. How many of you have been down there lately? One time when I was down in the area, I made this discovery - that it is pretty easy to find a parking spot along Hastings in that part of the city - but as you drive even a couple of blocks out of the area - you have to circle quite a few time before finding a spot to park. The point I am highlighting in our passage is this - What was Jesus doing down there? Why was He at the ‘Hastings and Main’ of Jerusalem? The other historical backdrop I want to point out is this - most Jews (and Jesus was a Jew) would not want to be down in that area so they could avoid ritual impurity. The text doesn’t give us an answer to why Jesus was there, but it underscores the character of Christ as He is about to CONDUCT A MIRACLE - that Jesus is the compassionate and merciful God-Man. What a scene it must have been - a sea of bodies hovering around a pool of water - waters of MERCY as they were known. Among all the sick, blind, lame, and withered - lay this man -and Jesus picks him out of the crowd - this guy gets singled out. Jesus knew that he had already been a long time [in that condition]. This poor soul had been confined by his condition for years and years - and now his life was about to change through an act of mercy - a MIRACLE.
We have already seen a couple of times the revealing of Jesus’ omniscience (1:47; 2:24-25) - that He knew all things - and once again it appears that Jesus knew of this man through supernatural knowledge. There are so many people present - all suffering - but God for His sovereign purposes chose and singled out this man. Jesus asks him - Do you wish to get well? If you were in this man’s state how would you answer? - it is obvious that the answer would be yes. Yet Jesus perhaps asks this question to prepare the man to respond to His loving command. The man doesn’t give the most obvious and simple answer - if we look down at the text we can read how he replies - he says to Jesus in verse 7 - Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. A sad reality can be drawn out from this guys answer. From this guys perspective his hope was based upon the claimed supernatural ability of the waters. The people of that time evidently believed in the myth that on occasion the waters of the pool would be miraculously stirred up - and that the first person who was able to jump in was going to get healed. For this invalid, this was his hope - but because of his condition it really touched upon his hopelessness. The man couldn’t get to the water on his own fast enough - and there was no man to help him. What he said in response to Jesus’ simple question, revealed how he understood how God worked. His hope was in the waters of the pool, but if there is any irony in all this - THE HEALER was standing right in front of his face, and ready to heal him directly and personally.
Some of you might be wondering - so what is this ‘stirring up of the water’ that actually takes place mentioned in verse 7 and even in the questioned verses of 3b and 4? It appears that this pool of water as with many others in the Jerusalem area were spring fed. It appears that at high water times, the pools waters became stirred up, as the pressure from the high water table levels forced the infusion of spring water into the pool. Well we all know that there is no such thing in this world of water that has miraculous healing properties.
The man’s answer continues - but while I am coming, another steps down before me. Once again it reveals his concept of God and healing and how He works - in his mind God always honours the one who jumps in first - that person is the King of the castle….and he is always a dirty rascal. When you think about it - this guy must be pretty frustrated. Who knows how many years this guy has been lying by the side of the pool. This kind of thing has probably happened to you - you spot an open check out stand and your clearly heading for it, and what?...someone else buds in line. Isn’t this how we sometimes look at God and how He works? We think that in order for God to notice us we need to push our way up to the front of the line….otherwise He is not going to dispense His grace to us. It is easy to fall into this trap….often it happens to me…in the feebleness of my faith….I have do something to get God to notice me… but this is not faith but works….this kind of thinking is worldliness. Thankfully God is bigger than we are…a lot bigger.
v.8 Let’s see how Jesus responds. Jesus doesn’t just heal the man on the spot….instead Jesus commands the man to do the seemingly impossible. Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." Don’t forget, that this man had been ill for thirty-eight years (v.5), so he wasn’t able to get around too quickly, you know. At best he could possibly hobble to the pool and cast himself in. Yet Jesus commands the man to obey Him. The man needs to submit himself solely upon Jesus’ word.
It was through the power of the Word that God spoke all things into being, and it is through the power of the Word that this man was going to be healed. He had to be utterly dependent upon God’s Word. This is a reminder to us, that when we are pressed to the limit, boxed in - whether in ministry or in our home, or workplace - and there seems that there is no possible way out - isn’t that the time that God reminds us - depend upon Me. And when we do that, when we humble our self before the Lord by applying His Word - God works His perfect will.
v.9 In verse 9 we find out what happens? Immediately the man became well - the man is instantaneously cured by the power of God’s Word, and he gets up and goes his way - he [began] to walk - in obedience to Christ’s command. We can discern from the original text that this was a complete and permanent healing - since the tense of the word walk could be translated as ‘continue on walking.’ What was impossible, God made possible as He also provided the gracious means to accomplish this - and He did right in front of those who sought ‘miraculous water’ in a pool, instead of the author of miracles.
In CONDUCTING A MIRACLE, Jesus chose that which was weak, to demonstrate His awesome power, compassion, grace, mercy, and glory. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, and this miracle authenticates Him to be who He claims to be. The verse ends with this note - Now it was the Sabbath on that day. This is significant because since the healing took place on a Sabbath, now we will be able to see the religious Jew’s heart condition. In CONDUCTING A MIRACLE - the Jews don’t give praise to God, but instead Jesus becomes a target - being:
2. CONDEMNED FOR MERCY (v.10-15)
v.10-11 Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath. The Sabbath by the time that this healing took place, had been distorted and corrupted. Originally God gave man the Sabbath rule as a time for rest. People were to get recharged physically and spiritually, and to specifically set a time apart to worship and enjoy fellowship with God. Instead, the Jews by Jesus’ time, turned the simplicity of the Sabbath into a series of rules and regulations. The Rabbis turned the Sabbath into a heavy burden. It went so far that only certain medicines were allowed to be used on a Sabbath and only by certain individuals. In terms of working, the Rabbis developed and specified that there are 39 classes of labour which are forbidden on the Sabbath. So you can see the historical background festering behind the scenes - and Jesus’ miracle and mercy becomes - NOT the focus of praise, but the center of controversy. Remember back to verse 8, Jesus commanded the man to Get up, pick up your pallet and walk., so this is what this guy is doing. As a result of walking around going where he was going, the Jews spot him and confront him and say to him - It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet. Even with the myriad of rules and regulations that the Jews had, there was no specific law stating that a person could not carry a mat (pallet) on a Sabbath. Though the Jews may have considered what the healed man was doing was thought to be as carrying a burden (cf. Jer. 17:21). The bottom line, which is the sad part - the ‘dark side’ of this account, is that the Jews could of cared less about the wonderful and miraculous event that just took place in this man’s life. All they cared about was carrying out ‘the letter of the law’ and not the original intent of the law. So they totally missed out on God’s purpose for the Sabbath. In fact they may have been gearing up for a stoning - since stoning was the punishment to be received by one who carries a burden on the Sabbath.
In light of Jesus’ mercy there was no mercy by the Jews. Isn’t that how we are sometimes? We get so wrapped up in the rules and traditions of men that we have no mercy on the people who need mercy. The well being of people are pushed aside, without a bat of the eye. Traditions of this kind and in these situations clearly violate, and stand above the authoritative mandates of Scripture. Tradition first then God - Jesus in the other gospels condemns the religious leaders for this kind of practice. Isn’t this what is happening here? Isn’t this a lesson we can learn from the perverted motives of the Jews in this account?
The man’s response to the accusations was simple - He who made me well was the one who said to me, `Pick up your pallet and walk. In other words the Man who healed him told him to do so. It seems by a surface reading of the answer that the healed man gave - that the logic behind the answer was that because of the healing power Jesus possessed - the healer must be someone he should listen to - so he did. Yet in reality through the force of the original text - we can understand that the man was blame shifting - placing the focus off himself and onto Jesus. Literally the verse should read like this - He who made me well--that one !!! said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ Or in other words - hey don’t harass me, you should blame the guy who told me to do this.
v.12-13 So now the Jews want to find out who this guy is. But the healed man did not know who it was. We discover through this exchange that the healed man had no care to know who healed him - despite the fact that Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in [that] place. The healed man was happy to go his own way, still focused on himself and even worse blaming Jesus to get the heat off himself. As for the Jews, even though they had been given testimony of a miracle, they too did not care. They weren’t awestruck by the obvious reality of the miracle - they didn’t rejoice and praise God - instead they focused on their pitiful and trivial laws. Once again we see an underlying rejection of mercy - and from all parties. Are you shocked by these responses? Well we shouldn’t be - because not all will love the Lord the way that they should - but it is a great disappointment when it comes from those who are regarded as the religious leaders.
v.14 In verse 14 there is some time that has elapsed, for it was Afterward that Jesus found the healed man. We should note who initiates the contact - once again it is Christ. So Jesus goes and finds this guy, and He finds Him in the temple. It is safe to say that this man had not set foot in the temple for 38 years, since he would have been considered as ceremonially unclean. What he was doing there is unclear from the text. In light of the attitude of this man through out our passage today - maybe he was enjoying the privilege of being able to be in that place and was checking out the rights that others had freely enjoyed. It is interesting to see what Jesus says to him - Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you. Isn’t this a strange thing to say? Remember this - that this guy is already healed - Behold, you have become well, and Jesus still is addressing his what? What Jesus is addressing is this man’s sin - which is currently in progress. In the context of these two statements by Jesus - the man was continuing in his sin which had originally caused him to be in sickness. Knowing that this man is continuing in the pattern of sin that originally caused his condition - Jesus commands the man to stop sinning.
Jesus’ command was a warning that if he continued in his sin then something more severe was going to happen. So it is true that many (not all though) of our sicknesses are directly related to sin, it is a result of sin. We find this Biblical reality in 1 Corinthians 11:30 it is clear that some of the weakness, sickness, and even death are directly to present sin. It is quite possible that this is why Jesus singles out this guy at the beginning of our passage out of all those around the Pool of Bethesda - so that He could highlight this reality. There are physical consequences to sin. Yet it is very important that we balance what is being taught here with other parts of Scripture. It is also clear that not all sickness is related to sin as Jesus also makes clear in John 9:1-3. Another prime example is the OT figure - Job.
v.15 After the man went away - what does he do? He goes to the Jews and he rats on Jesus. The healed man reveals his character and attitude - he is thankless. He goes to the Jews and says to them…hey you know….about that guy you were asking me about earlier….the guy who had made [me] well… I figured out who He is….He is Jesus. Nice guy huh?? All he was thinking was about himself. He wanted to shift blame to Jesus and therefore avoid any charges of violating the Sabbath…which could result in being stoned to death…..therefore he was trying to save his own neck.
Well there is very little righteous response from anyone in this section to God’s mercy. It seems that no one cares. Instead in contrast to the clear and obvious MIRACLE, there are unrighteous and ungrateful responses. How do you respond to mercy granted to you? How do you respond to cries of mercy from others? Jesus is CONDEMNED FOR MERCY. It doesn’t stop here, it gets worse…as we finish off with the….
3. CONTEMPLATION OF MURDER (v.16-18)
v.16 As a result of the healed man ratting on Jesus, the Jews were persecuting Jesus. This Sabbath healing was not the last time that Jesus did this, but through the gospels and even later in John - we know that it became a pattern for Jesus to heal on this day that the Lord had made. The Jews were in effect saying - Hey…were going to keep an eye on you Jesus….you better watch out. The result was persecution. In fact the word persecuting, can be translated as ‘began to persecute.’ This means that the OPPOSITION had openly begun and it continues…it is ongoing through out the gospel - and fully expressed itself in the crucifixion of Christ - on the cross.
v.17-18 In verse 17 we have the foundation which Jesus asserts His authority (which we will discover the next Lord’s day) - and therefore Jesus makes the declaration of who He really is - that He is Deity, Jesus is God. In response to the open persecution Jesus gives them the truth, but the Jews can’t handle the truth. Don’t forget - in the minds of the Jews - they believed that the Sabbath law did NOT allow for this kind of act of kindness and compassion. And this is how Jesus addresses that error - My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working. What gets Jesus in trouble with the Jews is that - firstly Jesus claims God to be ‘My’ Father - ie: Jesus is claiming a direct intimate relationship with God (where the Jew would not make claim to such direct intimacy). Then next - God is working non stop to this moment, and so is Jesus. This implies that God works on the Sabbath and so does Jesus. Jesus clearly relates to the Jews, that God’s work and His work, is in harmony - it is on par with one another. Therefore through these statements Jesus implicitly declared - Himself equal with God; that He is God (taking us back to John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God). The Jews immediately picked up on the clear assertion of Jesus’ response - in the perverted minds of the Jews - not only was Jesus a continuous Sabbath day law breaker - but He also was a blasphemer because Jesus was calling God His own Father. For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him. From MIRACLE TO MURDER….
As we meditate upon these events and apply these principles of Christ in action - Are you open to the truth? Are you willing to fight for the truth - even in the face of religious opposition? Are you willing to die for the truth. These are tough questions - and we need to deal seriously with the answer to these questions. Jesus sets the pattern for us in the face of OPPOSITION - we are to be God pleasers and not man pleasers. Faithfulness that is Christ-like demands the answer YES.
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OVERVIEW OF MAJOR DIVISIONS TO DATE
From chapter 1 verses 1 to 18 we have what is known as the Prologue. It is the introduction setting the tone for the rest of the gospel. The Gospel was written in the most simple Greek in the NT, yet through this simplicity we have the most profound truths being revealed. In this short section we have the introduction to most of the major themes that the Apostle John hits upon. In addition we have a profound revelation of who Jesus Christ is - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn.1:1).
The prologue clearly lays out to the reader the nature of Christ and that can be summed up with the word INCARNATION. Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). Through the first 18 verses of John we see Jesus’ eternality, pre-incarnate work - we are introduced to his forerunner - John the Baptist, we witness Christ’s rejection, we witness His acceptance by those who believe, and finally - we are able to understand that Jesus Christ is no ordinary man, but is God veiled in human flesh - so we see the Deity of Christ. These key opening verses of the prologue - focus us upon the key theme of the Gospel of John. The key theme is found in John 20:31 - But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
In the next major section following the prologue we can sum it up with one word - PRESENTATION. From John 1:19 to the end of chapter 4, Jesus Christ is presented to the people of Israel and Israel’s religious leaders through John the Baptist. John the Baptist says this of Jesus - Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn. 1:29 - NASB). In this section we also got a glimpse of Jesus being presented for baptism. The Baptist then presents Jesus to his own disciples and as a result - Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael to be His first disciples. Following this we see Jesus being presented in Galilee through His first sign - the turning of water into wine. Next Jesus is presented in Judea. Jesus makes a great impact upon the religious scene during the Passover - as He cleanses the Jerusalem temple of some of its corruption. In chapter 3 we examined Jesus’ interview with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a well established teacher of the Law, yet he had no regeneration of the heart. Jesus reveals His plan of salvation - that one must be born again - and this is through Jesus Christ - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Near the end of John the Baptist’s ministry we see him continuing faithfully in fulfilling his ministry, by pointing people to the Messiah. In chapter 4 we have Jesus being presented in Samaria first to the woman at the well. As a result of this divine encounter, many of the Samaritans are saved. Parallel to these events, Jesus continues revealing Himself to his disciples and underscores the importance of reaching the lost.
Then finally we see Jesus’ PRESENTATION back once again in Galilee. This time Jesus is received by the people, albeit mostly for the wrong reasons. As we close off chapter 4 we witness Jesus’ second sign in this gospel - the healing of the royal official’s son who lay at the point of death. We see Jesus being presented as the One who could heal the young boy solely by the power of His spoken word (and on top of that from another city). Through all these events those whom God has drawn to faith, come to receive and believe in Christ. John the Baptist believed, and his disciples believed too. Then there were those present in Jerusalem during the Passover who believed. In Nicodemus we see growing belief. Added to this list is the Samaritan woman, and then many of her towns people believed. And finally see true saving belief in the royal official along with his household. All these real people serve to draw our attention to Christ - that in Him is the only source of true spiritual life - eternal life.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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