JOHN 5:2-9
1) “Now there is in Jerusalem near the sheep Gate a pool which in Aramaic is called Bethesda (house of olives or house of mercy).. in these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed…” Verse2
THE SICK BY THE POOL OF MERCY!
-Jerusalem is a place of peace but there are multitudes who are not peaceful!
-Jerusalem is a place of blessing but there are people who are not blessed;
-Jerusalem is a place of healing and deliverance but there people lying around in bondage
- The name of the pool ‘Bethesda’ translates to ‘House of Mercy’ yet people are there who have not received mercy but rather are sick, blind, and lame.
This is the situation of many of us who have proclaimed our belief in Jesus:
- We have been called to be kings but we insist on sitting by our inheritance and starve to death without making any move to possess our possession.
- We are in the place of mercy and deliverance but we still feel bound by our circumstances and environment.
- Though the bible assured us that those who have been set free by Jesus are free indeed, many of us are still living blind, lame and paralyzed lives- We have been lame in terms of being stuck in one place for a long time and paralyzed from doing anything about our pitiful condition
2) “in these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.” Verse 3
THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE MOVING OF THE WATER!
-The condition of many of us today is that we are waiting for something
-There are many who go to church WAITING for some great emotion to engulf them so that they can be sure they are in the presence of God.
-There are those who have not given their lives to Christ and are just waiting for some great emotional movement in their lives that will show that God is calling them.
-There are those who are WAITING who have their eyes on business and are WAITING for something to happen so that they can get rich quick.
-There are those who are WAITING for something that has happened to an individual they know to happen to them also.
Too many of us are not making any progress in life because we are waiting! Waiting! And waiting! When all we need to do is move out in faith and trust on the one who has called us.
Question is: What are you waiting for? Who are you waiting for? Remember waiting around will not solve the problem: The man has been waiting for 38 years!
3) “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘do you want to get well?’
- At first glance, Jesus’ question sounds funny: Why is he asking a lame man whether he wants to be well? He could see his pitiful condition; he could see he had camped by the water that could heal him..
- I believe that Jesus asked the question because he was surprised to see the man there;
- Jesus knew the man had no business waiting for any movement of water because he had the potential to do whatever he wants;
- Jesus was surprised that the man could be lying there waiting for something magical to happen when he could make the move himself.
- Jesus was surprised that the man could be waiting around and expect something to happen to him.
Jesus is asking you the same question today:
Do you really want to get out of poverty?
Do you really want to get a better Job?
Do you really want to control your environment?
-Jesus is asking today because he knows that many of us have not really considered the question in the light of our potential;
-Jesus is wondering why we are still waiting for him to solve our problems when he had already solved it 2,000 years ago: He has already proclaimed freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and also proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor.”(Luke 4:18) and he is wondering what we are waiting for
-Jesus mission was to deliver us and empower us to dominate our environment and earthly situations and he has accomplished this on the cross, so he does not understand why we are still waiting around
Jesus is telling us today that we need not sit by the pool of despair when we had all the potential to overcome in us all the time.
DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL? This is the question Jesus is asking you and I today!
4) NOTE THAT JESUS SINGLED OUT ONE MAN AMONG THE MULTITUDE FOR CONVERSATION
-Jesus did not address the whole congregation and he did not heal the whole group;
-Jesus always addresses one person at a time; He rarely talks to a crowd
-It is a personal question for you from Jesus today
-Too many people are hiding in a group saying ‘after all I am not the only one in this situation.’ Or ‘I am better off than most other people’
But Jesus is asking you directly ‘do you want to be made whole?’
-I believe Jesus is speaking to you personally today- ‘Do you want to be made whole?
What is it going to be?
5) “The sick man answered him, ‘Sir I have no man to help me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
- This is the major problem among people today: Many of us are living below our potential because we are still waiting for people to bail us out
- Many are still waiting for our friend or brother who is connected to give us a hand-out
- Many are still waiting for other men to hold our hand and lead us forward when we could very well do ourselves the favor.
He said ‘while I am coming, another steps down before me’
-He is ready to blame other people for his inability to get in the water
-He is ready to blame other people’s activities for his own mediocrity
-He is ready to divert attention from his own laziness by focusing on the aggression of other people.
Too many of us are not doing as well as we can because we are just too ready to blame other people for our lack of progress:
-It is just too easy and convenient to blame other people for our problems
-We blame people who did not work with us;
-we blame people who did not call us and come to pick us up for prayers or job appointments;
-We blame people who did not borrow us money…. We blame everybody but our own laziness and lack of discipline!
Who are you blaming today?
What is your excuse to Jesus this morning when he asked you whether you really want to be well?
What is the reason you give yourself for your lack of progress with God or with life?
Do you blame your family? Do you blame your boss? Do you blame the city that you are in?
Do you blame your pastor? Do you blame the govt?
Who are you blaming today?
6) “Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”
-In the context, Jesus’ response was anti-climatic:
He did not pray for him;
He did not help him to get into the water;
He did not speak in tongues;
He did not give him any principles for daily living;
He did not give him money or handouts.
Rather Jesus spoke to the potential in him: Pick up your mat and walk!
Jesus spoke to the power that has been lying dormant in the man
Jesus spoke to the ability in the man that he did not know he possessed
Jesus made him aware of the awesome ability he possessed
Jesus simply asked him to pick up his mat by himself:
Jesus did not call for people around to help him;
Jesus did not pick the mat up for him;
He simply told him what he must do to be well
AND THE MAN PICKED UP HIS MAT AND WALKED!
-The miracle was not really performed by Jesus but by the man himself!
(It is amazing the feats man can achieve if we applied the great minds and resources God has blessed us with.)
-Jesus has already done all the miracles he is going to do and is just waiting for us to do our part :
“Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven…” Matthew 16:18 (Amplified Version).
Mark 16:17-18 says “These signs shall follow them that believe, in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.”
I believe God is waiting for each and everyone of us to demonstrate his miracle power in our lives by picking up our mat and walking!
7) JESUS ASKED HIM TO PICK UP HIS MAT, BUT WHAT IS THE MAT?
-The mat is whatever has been your comfort zone;
-The mat is whatever is making your present bad situation comfortable
-The mat is whatever you have been using as an excuse for not walking in victory
- The mat is whatever has kept you chained down in mediocrity
- The mat is whatever symbolizes your handicap or shame
Jesus is speaking to someone here this morning that the time has come to pick up your mat and walk;
The time has come for you to stop wallowing in self pity but rather to get up and do something special about your life;
Jesus is saying to someone here that you have more in you than you realize;
Jesus is saying that the time has come to manifest the greatness of God in you;
Jesus is saying you can be all that you want if only you will go in the strength that you have;
Jesus is reminding you that nothing shall be impossible to those that believe and if you believe the time has come to tackle that mountain
The time has come to start exercising the power of the kingdom of God inside of you because the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power
Moreover, the whole creation waits in eager expectation of the manifestation of the children of God!
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