Jesus Heals a Lame Man on the Sabbath
1After this a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades. 3Within these lay a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed—waiting for the moving of the water, 4because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had.*
5One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?”
7“Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.”
8“Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your bedroll and walk!” 9aInstantly the man got well, picked up his bedroll, and started to walk.
9bNow that day was the Sabbath, 10so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It’s illegal for you to pick up your bedroll.”
11He replied, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your bedroll and walk.’ ”
12“Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your bedroll and walk’?” they asked.
13But the man who was cured did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14After this Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin any more, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” 15The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Healed Man Questioned
John 5:9b-15
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How will I
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
- When you get sick, what are you like: Oscar the Grouch? Superman? Rip Van Winkle?
- How do you picture the setting of this story (vv. 2-4)? What is the smell? The noises? The atmosphere?
- How would you picture the invalid (vv. 5-7)? What does Jesus mean by his question in verse 6? What did the invalid hope Jesus might do?
- As the invalid, what would you feel in verses 8-9? In verses 10-13? In verse 14?
- Why were the leaders so upset? How do you suppose they responded to the healed man's testimony (v. 15)
- In what ways do people today try to be healed without Christ?
- How would you respond to someone who said all sickness is a result of sin?
- Why would Jesus ask, "Do you want to get well"? Describe a time when you would have said "No." How about "Yes"?
Other Resources:
The Perfect Example of Jesus John 5 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/lessons/john/5/
"Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." John 5:8
Why are we so afraid to leave our comfort zone as Christians? It seems that far too often we trust our comfort more than we trust Jesus. We have even convinced ourselves that our comfort is a sign of God's favor and blessings.
The rich young ruler was that way. He said he wanted to have eternal life and thought he had covered all the bases. When Jesus told Him the one thing he lacked, he was not willing to leave that behind and trust Jesus. We must be careful that we haven't bought into the "ideology of idolatry"! I believe that one of those things that has become an idol in some churches is comfort. We don't like it when things get a little uncomfortable; we will fight it with everything we got. We will destroy others for our comfort. We will split churches for our comfort, and if we are not careful, we will miss heaven for our comfort.
Jesus never promised His followers comfort or security in things, but He promised these in Himself. For most of the history of the church, comfort as we know it was a rare thing, not the norm. Even today in many parts of the world our Christian brothers and sisters don't know anything of comfort or safety from this world. They have put their comfort and safety in Christ alone, for they know each day could be their last on earth because of their faith.
We may need for the Holy Spirit to make His church uncomfortable. To take us to the place where we can no longer sit complacently and comfortably as long as we know people are heading into eternity without Jesus. To stir our hearts in knowing that there are widows and orphans and the genuinely poor who need a cup of cool water in Jesus' name. To stand for justice in an unjust world, to do what is right, just because it is right. I am praying that He moves us from our dependency on and idolatry in our worldly comforts, and make us completely dependent on Him.
Thought for the Day: You'll have to make a decision at some point--to stay put or risk it all, what will you do?
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Purpose Driven Life
October 4, 2009
Healing Choices: Do You Want to be Healed?
by Jon Walker
"When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'" (John 5:6 NIV).
Note: Today's guest devotional is by Jon Walker, author of Growing with Purpose.
Long ago and far away I was diagnosed with clinical depression and began the hard work of deep, lasting, Jesus-led recovery.
One day Jesus asked me, "Do you want to be healed?"
I was reading in the Apostle John’s book and he was telling about the time that Jesus stopped by the Sheep Gate in ancient Jerusalem. There was a pool there where people waited for a chance to be healed by one of God's angels, but, as I read, it seemed like Jesus looked over and into my eyes.
"Do you want to be healed?"
It seemed like such a ridiculous question. Of course, I wanted to be healed! But, then, I knew what he meant. Was I willing to make a healing choice?
Was I willing to do the hard work of facing painful situations, uncovering bitterness, and admitting to deep, resentful anger? Was I willing to give up my stubborn excuses that allowed me to stay the same, somehow seeing my sickness as more secure than my health?
Was I willing to give up control, let God be God, and admit that I can't, but he can; or would I rather insist that I can, even though I can't, holding myself in a cycle of helplessness and hopelessness?
By the pool at the Sheep Gate, Jesus asked an invalid of thirty-eight years: "Do you want to be healed?" His question swept through the man, swept through 2,000 years, and swept into the shadows of my soul.
"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me . . . " (John 5:7 NIV).
But there stood the Great Healer holding out help, acutely aware that we can't, but God can, knowing this to be true because he was on a mission that would provide the only way we can be re-created whole and healthy. Jesus was on the road to Calvary.
The question lingers for you: Do you really want to be healed?
Jon Walker is the editor of 'The Purpose Driven Life On-line Devotionals' and the author of the devotional book, 'Growing with Purpose.' Used by permission. Copyright 2009 by Jon Walker
