Healed at the Pool. John 5:1-16 There is a strange tendency among humans to rely on others when someone is infirm and needs help. Many expect someone else or some professional to come to the aid of the helpless. They look to the government or a church group to organize support for others. Even though the man healed in this next recorded miracle in John's Gospel was sick because of sins from his past, which had happened more than thirty-eight years earlier, he had no friend, family member, or acquaintance who thought enough of him to be with him and help him in his time of need.
Sin is like that. It claims its wages and then leaves one to suffer the consequences alone. This man was apparently resigned to the results of the sin he had been involved in and did not ask for help from the Lord Jesus. Even the question, "Wilt thou be made whole?" seemed to be answered with a resignation common to those who have been abandoned to their condition without much sympathy from others.
All around him, hundreds of people in need; none of them could lead a normal life. Likely, blind people were there, living in darkness and calling for someone to guide them to the healing waters. Shrunken limbs and legs that wouldn’t respond to the brain that could have directed them to the water kept them too late again and again—for years. Yet this infirm man stayed there, hoping for anyone to help him return to wholeness. He waited, and waited, and waited—for 38 years!
Grace is rarely shown in the lives of most people by those who know them, but Jesus saw, Jesus knew, and Jesus spoke to the man. How gracious was the Lord to a sinful man who had thirty-eight long years to regret what had brought him to that point and condition. It is important for us to look beyond the sin that we know has caused serious consequences in another person and seek to show God's grace to them. The Lord addressed a moral issue with this miraculous sign Jesus performed. He is the Sovereign God of creation; He is the God who demands cleansing before worship; He is the one true God with power over disease and sorrow—and now we learn He is the true God who knows the darkness of a sinner’s past, and yet is willing to give healing to the whole person. Jesus started with this man exactly where he was, in his deep personal need.
A simple question, “Do you want to be made well?” came from a passing stranger who knew the man's need, and He knew it was the Sabbath. How do you answer the obvious? How do you deal with doubt? What could he say but express the frustration of years that had passed slowly, acquaintances who forgot him, hope that was fading as age added itself to infirmity! Then this man comes, this stranger, asking this question—not the distant sounding question of the curious, but compassion in His words and voice—after 38 years!
Jesus spoke to this man briefly and firmly with authority. "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." There was no room for or need for discussion about his past or what might prevent this from happening. No questions were asked about whether it was right or wrong to do this on the Sabbath. This was a matter between two people. Would the needy one obey or not? Would he, on his part, trust the word of the Lord? There was no long conversation about repentance or waiting for signs of faith. Nothing in those words allowed him to delay acting on what the Lord Jesus Christ commanded. This man was powerless on his own. He had no one to turn to for help. Suddenly, the Voice of Authority told him what to do. In faith, he obeyed and was healed. It is not helpful to complicate God's word by adding our own ideas about how He will save or morally heal a sinner. Salvation is by grace through faith, without our extra opinions.
A simple command that's easy to understand, but how can I do it? Just do what He said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk!” Who cares what day it is! This is a miracle, actually the third sign of who Jesus is. How many Sabbaths have there been in the last 38 years? It doesn’t really matter because this Person is the Lord of the Sabbath. It is unmistakably clear He had authority over disease caused by sin. That charge is given, “Sin no more….” – the past is covered. Move on to greater and spiritual things for the rest of your life. Don’t dwell on those last 38 years that are gone!
Religionists are so trapped by tradition and opinions that they cannot see the blessing God gives when He saves a soul. They consider it “too easy” to accept God at His word and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with simple faith. The Jews were more worried about a man carrying his bed on the Sabbath than they were about a man who was healed after thirty-eight years of sickness. During questioning, the healed man told the Jews what happened even though he did not know who Jesus was. It does not take much faith to experience God's blessing. There will always be those who are blind to what is truly important and will "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel."
God is working, regardless of what people may think or say. He is not at rest, leaving the whole human race lost because of sin. God is working today. God is saving souls. God is bringing wandering souls and sinning saints back to Himself. We need to be aware of what God is doing and not be too concerned with what we are doing. Let us be thankful if He can use us in some small way.
The Lord Jesus Christ clearly told the healed man that He knew sin was involved in his sickness. He was aware of what the man had done and also warned him that sin can still have consequences in a believer's life. Why do hostility and hatred sometimes follow acts of kindness and mercy? For some unknown reason, criticism often comes after blessings. It is also directed at those who do what others cannot or will not do. When God calls us to do His work, many people may not appreciate what He does because it wasn't done as they expected. The healed man did not seem to show the same level of enthusiasm as the Samaritan woman. His faith appeared less than that of the nobleman who believed and came seeking the Lord’s help. However, the moral issues of the sick man were addressed by the Son of God, who knew everything about him and, after thirty-eight years lost, set him on a new life path.
It was Jesus at Bethesda, the house of mercy; it was Jesus who saw and knew the man had been sick for 38 years; it was Jesus who said, “Wilt thou be made whole?” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk.” Jesus found him in the temple and said, “Sin no more…” It was Jesus the Jews persecuted and wanted to kill. It was Jesus who identified Himself as the Son of the Father. It was Jesus who three times said, “Verily, verily…” as He testified of His deity. It was Jesus whom the five witnesses testified about. This miraculous sign can be repeated today: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."