Are you ready for a Miracle?
John 5:1-8
There were 3 festivals (holy days) or Sabbath 1, Festival Passover of unleavened bread 2, The of Pentecost, 3, Festivals of Shelters.
Men had come to celebrate from Jerusalem to Sinai. This celebration is the feast of difficulties and there was excitement to meet old acquaintances and friends and come together with love for one another because we don’t know when God is going to call us home. But where we are going is an imaginary journey and not an exciting place. We are going to a spring fed pool of Bethesda located at the north east side of the city. The word Bethesda means ( house of adversity) you would think that they are merciful but, looking at this place, it looks like a place of heart ache but around this pool is a multitude of impotent, lame, sick and cripple folk just waiting for a miracle to happen. They were waiting for the angels to come by and stir the water so they can jump in and be healed.
So we have it that some folk had been there for days, some for weeks, and some for years, but in the midst of the multitude you find a cripple man that been there for 38 long years waiting on a miracle, little did he know that this day his waiting will be over. Amen? Are you ready for a miracle?
He did not know that today he will walk again because this impotent man was about to meet Christ who specialize in the hopeless and the helpless, but in this passage of scripture we see a picture of today’s lost world. If you look at it you will see that it’s a world that’s spiritually sick. If we continue to look at this we will see a world that is dying to sin. You will also see that it is a world that is unable help itself.
Let’s take a close look at this man’s situation at the pool of Bethesda. I have learned that you must preach with logic. I want you to understand everything that happened at the pool of Bethesda. You see this world that is full with people is inflected with sin and cannot save themselves.
I’m trying to see what was Jesus saying? There was a great multitude waiting by the pool for a miraculous move of the water, but among them was this man waiting on his miracle for 38 years on the verge of a miracle but have never been healed. (Are you ready for a miracle?)
This man was hoping and dreaming for a miracle. How many of us are waiting for a miracle? We are no different than this man who’s been waiting for 38 long years and had been disappointed. (No matter how trapped we feel in our infirmities God can minister to our deepest needs. So don’t let problems or hardships cause you to lose hope.)
I am here to tell you that are disappointments can be God’s appointments. I don’t think you heard me, I said that are disappointments can be God’s appointments. Amen?
God doesn’t always do things the way we want it done nor when we want it done. Jesus is not a dream He is real. Even when the angel did stir up the water someone would always beat him in because there was no one to put him in the pool and that gave him false hope. One would think that when they jumped in the pool that they would grab this man or push him on in with them) He may have been thinking that God has failed in his life. But God never fails. Amen? Now God sent His Son Jesus to the pool the same Jesus that Peter denied, Judas betrayed, Thomas doubted Him, but because of Jesus this man was going to have a life changing experience because he waited on the side of the pool for 38 years to get in. He could have possibly thought night and day that he would be free and healed. He didn’t give up. (no matter how grim things look don’t give up).
He was separated from a miracle by only a step or two, so near but yet so far away. He had to come to terms with what he thought was his destiny of life. He seems to be just a spectator of life. How many of us are in the same way?
(Are you ready for a miracle?) Sometimes the world tries to make us as Christians seem foolish by telling us that we are crazy to think that we can be healed or go on and accept it because you are going to die anyway. But this man waited and that is was Jesus tells us in His word to be patient and wait. Jesus came along and He had supernatural knowledge of this man’s situation. Jesus picked this man out of many sick people because the sovereign initiative was His, and no reason was given as of His choice.
I believe if this was me I would have found a way to wiggle or roll my way over in the pool long before 38 years if it was but an inch a years.
If I could move an arm or a hand or my head I’d get in that pool. Amen? (Are you ready for a miracle?) (That’s what God wants us to do when the spirit is stirred up don’t sit in your seat jump in and get your miracle.)
This man complained to Jesus that he had no one to put him in the pool. Jesus being who He was and in the same way that God spoke the world into being a creation His same spoken words had power to cure this man.
Jesus said take up thy bed and walk. (How many time has this been said to you and you ignored it due to a pity party?)
The beds back then was made of straw and was light enough to put on the shoulder of a well person. How many of us are still at the pool waiting to be cured? I am here to tell you that God is saying through your cares, your burdens, your hindrances, your strong holds, and your generational curses in the pool of Bethesda and be made whole. Amen? (Are you ready for a miracle?)
You’ve been the verge of a miracle but your miracle could have come and gone because you want to hold on to some stuff. GOD SAID LET IT GO! Jesus is your prescription to your miracle and your cure. Just trust him
God may have a special work for you to do in spite of your condition or because of it. Many people have ministered effectively to hurting people because they have triumphed over their own hurts. I am her to tell you that we have hurting people right here in church but they are not going to tee you that they hurt. But God gives us discernment and if you are filled with the God’s Spirit and have a love for His people you should be able to look and hear and tell that something is wrong.
According to the Pharisees caring a mat on the Sabbath day was work and was therefore unlawful. Well it did not break the Old Testament law, but it did break the Pharisees interpretation of God’s command to remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
This was one of the rules they had added to the Old Testament law.
Here we have a man that has not walked in 38 years and he had been healed, but the Pharisees were more concerned about their petty rules than life and health of a human being. If we think about it long enough we get the same way when we think more of what’s in it for me than someone else. We have to get out of that mind set because it is not about what’s in it for you. You should be thinking will it glorify God.
I’m here to tell you that it’s easy to get so caught up in our self, our man made structures, and our rules that we forget that there are people involved. We have to think and ask ourselves are our guidelines for living, God made or Man made, are they helping people, or have they become needless stumbling blocks.
This man was lame, paralyzed, and suddenly he could walk. Amen? (Some of us are still paralyzed maybe not physically but spiritually.)
The Pharisees was looking for something to blame Jesus for their entrance was that this man found the Messiah and they wanted to criticize Him. Just like us as ministers, pastors, elders, and people of God the world and some church folk keep watch over us to see if they can find fault so that would be an excuse not to come to church. There will always be a Judas in the crowd. Satin will always so tears among the wheat. Amen? Are you ready for a miracle?
This was a great miracle, but he needed a greater miracle he needed to be forgiven. You see he had a physical miracle but God’s forgiveness made him spiritually healed. God’s forgiveness is the greatest gift you can ever receive. Don’t neglect God’s gracious offer.
God saw that this man needed to be spiritually healed so He sent the one who can heal the broken hearted regardless of their situation. If you want a miracle in your life you must get to know Jesus, have a relationship with him, and study His word and pray.
There will always be frogs in the church (frog sit on lily pads and wait for something to happen) they camouflage themselves in their mess, but after you receive your salvation don’t forget about those that are waiting at the pool of Bethesda or the pool of helplessness, and remember those that has been crippled by sin waiting for the stirring of the water. If anyone come to you and ask who is this miracle worker?
You can tell them about God’s prescription for a sin sick world that started way back in the books of the bible.
Tell them in the book of Geneses He is the seed of the woman.
Tell them in Exodus He is the Passover Lamb.
Tell them in Leviticus He was the Most High Priest.
Tell them in Numbers He is a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night
Tell them in Deuteronomy He is the Great Prophet.
Tell them in Joshua He is a Captain of salvation.
Tell them in Judges He is the Law Giver.
Tell them in Ruth He is the Kinsman Redeemer.
Tell them in Samuel He’s a Trusted Prophet.
Tell them in Kings He is the Reigning King.
Tell them in Ezra He is revealed of the broken walls of human rights.
Tell them in Job He is the everlasting Redeemer.
Tell them in Psalm He is the Sheppard and we shall not want.
Tell them in Proverbs & Eccl. He is all wisdom
Tell them in Songs of Soloman He is the Lover and Bride Groom.
Tell them in Isaiah He is the Prince of Peace.
Tell them in Jeremiah He is the Righteous Branch.
Tell them in Lamination He is the Weeping Prophet weeping over Jer..
Tell them in Ezekiel He is the Wonderful Counselor
Tell them in Daniel He was the fourth man in the fiery furnace.
Tell them in Hosea He is the Husband forever married to the backslider
Tell them in Joel He is the Holy Ghost Empire.
Tell them in Obadiah that many was saved.
Tell them in Micah He is a messenger of beautiful faith.
Tell them in Habakkuk He is Gods Evangelist.
Tell them in Zephaniah He is our Savior.
Tell them in Haggai He is the Restorer of God’s lost children.
Tell them in Malachi He is the Son of Righteousness.
And if you want step over into the New Testament
Tell them in Matthew He is the Great Messiah.
Tell them in Mark He’s the Wonderful Worker.
Tell them in Luke He is the Great Physician and a Master Fisherman.
Tell them in John He is the Son of Man.
Tell them in Acts He is the Holy Ghost and our Comforter & guide.
Tell them in Romans He is a Great Justifier.
Tell them in 1 Corinthians He is a Almighty Sanctifier.
Tell them in 2 Cor. He is the great Leader
Tell them in Galatians He is the Redeemer of Personal Law.
Tell them in Ephesians He is the Christ Son of the living God.
Tell them in Philippians He will supply all your needs.
Tell them in Colossians He is the fullness of the God Head.
Tell them in Thessalonians He is our soon coming King.
Tell them in Timothy He is our Mediator between God and man.
Tell them in Titus He is a faithful Pastor.
Tell them in Philemon He’s a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Tell them in Hebrew He is the Blood of the everlasting covenant.
Tell them in James He is a doctor when you Him.
Tell them in Peter He is the Chief Sheppard.
Tell them in 1-3 John He is Love.
Tell them in Jude He is God that keeps you from stumbling.
Tell them in Revelations He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He is my Savior, He is your Savior, He’s a bridge over troubled waters, He is God and there is no other Gods before Him and there is none after Him. If you don’t know Him you should get to know Him before your time run out. Are you ready for a miracle? AMEN
