After this there was
a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 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?”
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.”
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. The Jews therefore
said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to
carry your bed.”
He answered them, “He
who made me well said to me, ‘Take
up your bed and walk.’”
Then they asked him,
“Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take
up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 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.”
The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus
who had made him well. -John 5:1-15(NKJV)
This passage of scripture deals with a time in
history that was so different culturally; that there are many things here that
the Western eye probably cannot see. I
want to talk about the things we can see and learn, and hopefully this will help
us get to know Jesus more, and receive everything God has for us.
This particular healing took place at the pool of Bethesda
in Jerusalem. The interaction is only
between the man and Jesus. There are no
disciples mentioned in this passage. There
were other sick people there, but Jesus approaches this man.
He had been that way for 38 years. 38 years y’all. That is a long time. Jesus asks him if he wants to get well. Why would he do that? Well, because there are people who don’t.
Apparently the man’s answer satisfies Jesus’ question,
because He tells Him to,
Rise, take up your
bed and walk.
The man was making
an effort. He must have had some faith
because he was even there, where there was healing. Others were just beating him to water.
And then
Jesus. Jesus, the source of all healing
comes on the scene.
It is important to
note that it wasn’t the man’s faith completely in this story that facilitated
the healing. Jesus initiated it. I think
he would have to have had some faith to act on what Jesus said. But this seems to be more like one of the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, in action.
Jesus functioned
in all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry. In this particular passage, we know He
received the Word of Knowledge, because the Bible says He knew that the man had
already been in that condition a long time.
The Gifts of Healings was also working as well, because Jesus told the
man to pick up his mat and walk and he was healed.
Acts 10:38 says,
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God
was with Him.
He didn’t perform one miracle or heal anybody
until He was baptized in the Holy Spirit after being baptized by John in the
River Jordan. You can read more about
that here in my post The Baptism of the Holy Spirit-The Life of Jesus.
One of the most
important things to note about this passage is that no matter how long you have
been in any condition, there is always hope.
This man had been that way for 38 years.
But when Jesus came on the scene, healing was present and possible.
My prayer for you
today is that you receive healing in whatever area you are believing for.
Beth
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