Well, it's May 31st, 2024. I got to clear my throat throughout because I think I got allergies or something. I don't know. Didn't used to have allergies, but I do now. That's the price you pay for getting old. Anyway, we're going to look at John 5, verses 1 through 16. A lot of lessons in John. The reason why I picked John because it's not part of the Synoptic Gospels. There's things to learn here that the others don't necessarily have. And I kind of have a desire to point them out. So, John 5. 1 through 16, the Pool of Bethesda. After this, there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In those porches lay a great multitude of impotent folk, a blind hawk withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water, whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, emphasis on a certain man, okay, a great multitude of impotent folks, but, and a certain man was there, which had an infirmity 30 and eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Will you be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. Then immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked. And that on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, it is a Sabbath day, it's not lawful for you to carry your bed. He said unto them, he answered unto them, he that made me whole, the same said unto me, take up your bed and walk. Then they asked him, what man is that which said unto thee, take up thy bed and walk? And he that was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward, Jesus finds him in the temple and says unto him, Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come up unto thee. And the man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. In my Bible, I got a little note under that, verse 16. It says, legalism amok. And we'll explore that whole concept when we get there. But that's the context. A lot of things. And whenever you read the Bible, and I hope that you have some kind of regular plan or habit of doing that, that you can In America, we seem much better equipped to feed the flesh than we do the spirit. There's a natural body and there's a spiritual body. Both actually benefit from sustenance. Keep that in mind in your self-perceived daily busyness, some of what you put upon yourself as a burden. One of the exhortations of the scripture is be still and know that I am God. Good thing to have rattling around in your brain on a daily basis. Anyway, so as we go through John, keep in mind the context of the previous chapters and look for lessons that are being taught within that context. And I'll just review for you, with you. John 2, we saw the temple cleansed of the money changers and a charge against the Jews that they had made the house of God a den of thieves. In John 3, we saw the visit of Nicodemus to Jesus and the discourse regarding the new birth, and the rebuke of Jesus in saying to Nicodemus, are you a master of Israel and you don't know these things? In John four, we saw the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. Now this records the beginning of how the old ways were beginning to pass away. that Jesus actually went out of his way to go into Samaria and begin a ministry among the Samaritans. So John 5 continues in the idea of the passing away of the old ways, the old covenant and the introduction of a new covenant. So we pick it up in John 5, 1. After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. So Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for the feast to be in conformity to the law of the Old Testament. But as with the account of the woman at the well, where Jesus was actually priming the woman to manifest her sin, so also the coming up to the feast presents a chance for Jesus to manifest his glory and to confront the Jews. Verse two. John 5. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in a Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Bethesda means house of mercy. The prefix Beth always means house. Beth means house of something. It depends on what it is that follows the prefix. Now we saw in verse 2 the word market is added by the translators but may mean the sheep gate, which refers to proximity to the gate where the cattle and the sheep would come into the city. So obviously a necessary thing because if the cattle and the sheep went through the main gate, and of course they'd leave a certain amount of defecation wherever they go, so that would not be necessarily a cool thing. So they had a special gate where they would come through. So the name of the pool was Bethesda, which means House of Mercy. This pool had five interior porches. Now it is thought by some that this was a pool used for the unclean to bathe in, but if you look at it, there's different opinions regarding that, and we'll not get into that. Verse three, in these porches lay a great multitude of impotent folk, the blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. So, In these five portions lay all different kinds of impotent, feeble, diseased people. Now, while these are actual physical infirmities, from the standpoint of an analogy, they may also be compared to the natural man apart from any spiritual attributes. Also, Another link here, do not miss the idea of the water in the previous chapter, the living water, and the water here that heals. And healing would seem to be an attribute of the living water. Going on with the narrative of the pool at Bethesda, verse four, for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease or infirmity he had. Now a certain season. Angel went down at a certain season. It may be at the appointed feast day or some other specific time. but by the appearance of the context. I think it may have been random. Not random to God, but appointed by him, but random to people. Because, my thinking goes, if it was a regular fixed time, I would think most everybody who was afflicted would be circled around the pool, very close to the water, So they might be the first one in. But apparently that's not the case. And that's what leads me to the idea that it is just, nobody's going to be able to dictate when that's going to happen. It's random. So there's some conjectural history behind this pool. And for now, we're not going to go into that either. This is not a lesson in history. It's not a history lesson. This is a lesson on the ministry of Jesus Christ. Verse five, and a certain man was there which had an infirmity 38 years. 38 years. Clearly seen here is this. This man in question had his infirmity for 38 years. It may not imply that he had been laying there for 38 years, for the account is not that specific. Regardless, he was there on this occasion and had apparently been disappointed in his efforts to be healed due to the fact that his infirmity hindered him from any speedy movements from his bed to the pool. He had no ability to help himself. Verse six in John five, when Jesus saw him laying there and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he says unto him, will you be made whole? Okay, from a, a smart aleck point of view, you might think, yeah, you know that, no, I'm just laying here for my suntan or whatever, but there's a little bit more to this question. And the question here is, is Jesus here asking an obvious question or is he asking a question that encompasses more than the obvious? And let me tell you why I bring that up. There's actually three Greek words that talk about this, this healing aspect. There's a Greek word for healed, and you can check it out, is Strong's number 2323, and it means to relieve of disease. Then there's another, Strong's number 2390, and it means to cure. Then there is a third one, Strong's number 5199, and it means to be well in body or true in doctrine? Well, which one did Jesus use here? Was it the one that means to be relieved of disease or the one that means to be cured? Neither one. The word used here is the 5199 number, check it out, which means to be well in body or true in doctrine as in having a sound faith. So I don't think it's just talking about the physical aspect. If that was the case, one of those other two Greek words would have been used, but it's not there. So I think the question of Jesus involved more than the obvious. I don't think Jesus is asking the man if he wants to be cured of his infirmity only, but do you want to be made completely whole and sound? Verse seven, the man's reply, he answered him, sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I am coming. While I am coming, another steppeth down before me. So what was the lame man seeing here? He was seeing only his physical healing in the question of Jesus. It seems kind of It's kind of like, let's go back to the woman at the well. If what Jesus says, if you know who it was that said unto you, draw water for me, you would have asked of him and he would have given you living water. Okay, kind of the same situation here. It's what they are saying positively and negatively of what they're not saying. Okay, so one is kind of with regard to, like the woman at the well of physical, give me this water so I don't have to come to this stinking well anymore. No, this is something that's going way beyond that. So it's the same way here. And that's part of this lesson. So he saw only his physical healing in the question of Jesus. And he explains to Jesus how others would also or always would reach the pool before he did, as he did not have anyone there to help him. Now, the scene here shows that this is a competitive place. The cure goes to the quickest. There would be no compassion among those competing. they would be there for only one purpose. If we consider this man whom Jesus spoke to, no doubt one of many, consider that he had no other promise or hope of healing, then at this place and at this certain time, even if it was random, So even if he was too slow in getting to the pool, there may be at some point a chance to be the first one. Now, if he were not there at the pool, he would not have that hope, even if it was a slim hope. So I guess a lesson here is to see yourself as you are, and if you are not made whole, place yourself in a place where there is the hope of being made whole, where you put yourself. So, it's on 5.8, Jesus says unto him, And before I read this, I want you to understand where the power to do that resides. Okay. Rise, take up your bed and walk. It doesn't have to be competitive. It doesn't have to be the first one is the only one that gets the cure. It's not what it's about. There's nothing competitive about regeneration is not based upon what men do. It's based upon the sovereignty of God. So Jesus calls him to do something that he had not been able to do for 38 years. Because we know not if he had his infirmity from birth or from some other thing after his birth. Whatever the cause of his infirmity, the words of Jesus were such that they enabled him to do something in the same way as a normal person. Stand up on your feet, pick up your bed, and walk. It's not a long discourse on anything here. Jesus, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven words. Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Verse nine, and immediately the man was made whole. Immediately the man was made whole. It doesn't say the man made himself whole. He was made whole. And he took up his bed. And he walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath. Let me point something out here. Like it or not, this is the scenario. In those five porches at the pool of Bethesda lay a great multitude of sick folk. Jesus went up to one of them. and healed him. It says nothing concerning the others who were there. Why? This is one of the lessons of John. So John 5, 10 through 13. So the Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, They didn't say, oh, you're cured. I'm so happy for you. No, they didn't say that. They're always on the lookout for something else, right? It's the Sabbath day. It's not lawful for you to carry your bed. Think about that. You surround yourself with people that are always looking for the negative. And everybody's in conformity to the law. And they totally miss the whole message of the Old Testament, like the Psalms that talk about the Messiah. Other places that talk about Emmanuel, God with us. So he answered them, and he said, he that made me whole, the same said unto me, take up your bed and walk. Then they asked him, what man is that which said unto thee, take up your bed and walk? And he that was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Perhaps, you know, they have the I'm sure they have the Sabbath police. It's like, in some way, shape or form, those kinds of people are always going to be around. The congregational police, if you will. The doctrinal police, if you will. And I'm not saying that the doctrines should be like wild, untameable or anything like that. There's a certain context for doctrine. But you're always going to have people that are voluntarily willing to step into that position. So perhaps the Jews did not know this man had been healed. Maybe they did. If they did know who he was from his former condition, they did not rejoice with him. And then we would ask, what kind of poverty of spirit is this a manifestation of? But even if they did not know of his healing, they pointed out that he was breaking the law by carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. This man gave them an honest answer, because he didn't know who it was that healed him, because Jesus did not advertise that. Now there's something to consider. Let's go back to the man that would made all. Think about this. If this man did not know that it was Jesus that healed him, but yet he took him at his word, I can only conclude that this man believed in the words that Jesus spoke to him, even though he did not know it was Jesus. Whether it was the countenance of Jesus, or the tone of his voice, or it was something that was within his speech, his voice, or something non-identifiable that conveyed to this man some kind of faith. Whatever it was, he was made whole, and I don't know what kind of physical, biological thing is conveyed in that. But there was something that took place there, some kind of manifestation of faith to trust what this man, whom he did not know, to trust what he had said unto him. Now, apparently, the only person of the Jews to rejoice in this man's healing was the man himself. Well, that's probably enough for him. His countrymen only had the desire to find the one guilty of this miracle because their law had been broken. Romans 10.1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Verse two, for I bear them record, they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Let me point something out. A lot of people have zeal. Do you know zeal is not a fruit of the Spirit? Check it out, Galatians. Zeal is not a fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes zeal is a disguise, a thin disguise One's own pride. One's own sense of superiority. Verse three of Romans 10, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Verse four, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. That's not in Romans 10, that just came into my mind. I think that's in Corinthians. John 5, 14, getting back to the context here. So afterward, after the lame man was made whole and had a conversation with the police, the police of the law, afterward Jesus finds him in the temple. not in the marketplace, finds him in the temple. And he says unto him, behold your main hole, sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee. Now think about this, the temple would be a proper place to render thanks. The man that was healed didn't know who it was. So he goes and he renders thanks in the temple. Now, we might say that Jesus finds him the second time. Jesus finds him in the temple. The first time at the pool of Bethesda, the second time in the temple. And he says to him, you are made whole, go and sin no more. And that's kind of what he told the woman caught in adultery. Now, you are made whole, he says to him, You are made whole. And this seems to show that the original question of Jesus, will you be made what? Whole, implied more than the obvious. Now sin has its costs. The wages of it is death. The fruit of it is manifold. Sorrow, regret, worry, pain, suffering, and so on and so forth. Jesus came to this man at the first, unbidden. Random. Walked up to one guy, even though there's a multitude of sick folks, he walked up to one guy. Jesus came to this man unbidden. The man was a recipient of God's mercy and grace and healing and is exhorted by Jesus, his healer, to go and sin no more because sin can bring an even worse thing upon you. Now, nobody gets away from sowing and reaping. I don't care who you are, what you are. I don't care what condition you're in. I don't care if you're regenerated or unregenerated. Nobody gets away from sowing and reaping. We don't imply that all believers are sinless. We're not saying that. Because that is inescapable as long as we are in this mortal body. The exhortation is not to live in it as a way of life. So the man departed, verse 15, and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole. Verse 16, and therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. Going back into the Old Testament, the history of the Old Testament, let's start with the history of the Jews carrying forth from like Genesis 12. It seems like the Jews were somewhat sporadic in their zeal for the law. Many instances in the Old Testament show some very large failures regarding that, to the extent of even being dispossessed of their land by God himself, as we saw with the Samaritans, and how come the Samaritans got to be there instead of the Jews? Well, we went back to 1 Kings chapter 17, and we figured that out. So apparently, from a national Jewish point of view, guilt is quickly forgotten by those who are guilty, and they are prone to continue in it. I think the persecution against Jesus was based more on the fact that he was the only begotten of the Father than the flimsy excuse that he had violated the Sabbath. Generally speaking, they saw Jesus not as Messiah, not as the Christ, generally speaking, but as one who was a threat to their way of life and worship. Forgetting those Old Testament passages that spoke of the incarnation or such chapters as Isaiah 53. Or maybe they were like many people are, it will be at the second coming or preparatory to the second coming. Well, we know it's going to come, but we don't want him to come now. It's like, yeah, well, we don't want him to come now, especially guys like Nicodemus. Okay, they're fully ensconced in the tradition of the law. For centuries, propagated. New nuances. I think that was kind of selective, by the way. You know, some of it was more palatable to them than other parts of it. They were not what I would call historically 100% sincere in their adhesion to the law, obviously. I want to close with John 16.1, and we'll hit that when we go ahead to chapter 16. Jesus talking to his disciples, he says, these things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time comes when whosoever kills you will think that he's doing God's service. And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father, nor me. So that's the condition. That's kind of a summation of, and you'll see this, we'll see this as we go through the Gospel of John. It's like these people are, how many times does the Bible say, they're stiff-necked and stubborn and called down. condemnation on themselves and on their children. His blood be upon us and upon our children at Christ's crucifixion. That's what they said. So this transition between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, very, very difficult thing from the standpoint of the Jews and Israel. The book of Hebrews does an excellent job with laying this out, and Hebrews is some pretty deep weighting, but I would exhort you to study it because it shows us the difference between the Old and New Covenant, and mechanically even how the ministry of Christ and his intercession brings the Gentiles into the fold. So we saw that in Matthew 10, where Jesus exhorted the disciples just to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel in Matthew 10, but then Matthew 28, 19, and 20, he says, go into all nations of the earth and preach the gospel, make disciples of all nations. So we saw this transition take place just in one gospel, and that's the gospel of Matthew pretty well succinctly laid out there. So may God bless his word to your heart today. I hope that you have gleaned something out of the lesson and that God may bless you in your endeavors as you seek his face in your life and to walk in the path that he has for you. Thank you for listening.