Text: “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath” (John 5:16).
Is it wrong to do good on the Sabbath? If someone is hurting or suffering and we know what to do or we can help that person, but it happens to be the Sabbath, are we breaking the Commandment if we help them?
It is interesting to note that John is the only one who makes mention of this particular miracle or phenomena. It is also worth noting that this wonder took place at the time the Jews were celebrating one of three feasts: The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread; the Feast of Week (Pentecost), or the Feast of Tabernacles.
John is not specific in naming the feast, but it is thought that it might be Passover. It was mandatory for every Jewish male to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate each of these feasts. This is why Jesus was in the vicinity.
“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1). He traveled from Galilee to Jerusalem to attend this feast. Jesus knew there would be many people present from different parts of the country. Here was an excellent opportunity to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Here was a good chance to bring forth a beam of divine light. This would be where love, concern and caring would blend together right before the very eyes of the Jewish people.
“There in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches” (John 5:2). This was a unique pool. This was a special place. This was a place visited by many who were looking for healing in their body. They believed in their heart they would be healed if they were the first to be in the water when a certain movement of the water took place.
“In these (porches) 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” (John 5:3, 4).
Did you ever take notice of the kind or type of illness mentioned in verse 3? Some of the people were blind, some were lame and some were paralyzed. Blind, lame and paralyzed people were just waiting for the movement of the water. Do you see anything that these people have in common?
I see people who are not able to help themselves into the water. The blind are not able to see the movement of the water. The lame are not able to get into the water because they are unable to move quickly enough to be first into the water. Lastly, the paralyzed can’t move, so there would not be able to get into the water. Since these people are not able to help themselves, they are the ones who spent days and days at the pool.
John tells us that “a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years” (v. 5). Thirty-eight years is a long time. We are not told exactly what illness or infirmity the man had, but we do know that he had the illness for thirty-eight years. Whatever his illness or sickness, he knew that he wanted to be healed.
When Jesus came by him, he asked the man, “Do you want to be made well?” (v. 6) His response to Jesus was: “Sir, I have not man to put me into the poor when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me” (v. 7).
From the words spoken by the man, it appears the man was not blind and it also appears the man was not paralyzed. I say this because of the words, “while I am coming, another steps down before me” (v. 7). I believe the man was lame in some respect, but not totally paralyzed.
The infirmity of this man, the length of time he had it and his desire to be made well, should be a reminder to each of us not to give up when we are faced with some trial or tribulation. This man hoped to be healed or else he would not have stayed at the pool day after day.
He knew he needed help because he was unable to help himself. I would venture to say that some of the people seeing him thought there was no hope, but since the man did not give up, he must have had hope.
There are times when you and I are suffering because of some illness or sickness and we just might think about giving up. When this thought enters our mind, we must remember that it is Satan speaking to us. He wants us to give up. He wants us to think there is no hope, but that is not what God wants for us.
God’s messengers were ministering to these people just as they ministers to us. The angels were causing the movement of the water. The movement of the water at that certain moment was an indication to the people that God had not forgotten them. He was willing to help them if they would believe healing was possible.
Jesus said to the man, “rise, take up your bed and walk” (v. 8). This is a terrific command. Do you think the man waited to see if he was made well? No! Do you think he questioned Jesus after hearing Jesus’ words? No! There are times God speaks to us and we don’t listen. That wee small voice of the Holy Spirit will direct us down the right path if we will just listen and follow. Our issue at hand or our sickness or illness may not be corrected to our wants, but God will use us to minister to other people who have issues or are suffering.
There are times God speaks to us and we do not pay attention. He may speak to us through a pain or hurt. He may be telling us we should see a physician whom He has given the opportunity to use skills that we do not have.
When you stop to look at all the advances in medicine over the years, those advances have been brought about by Almighty God. Men and women have discovered, but God gave them everything to bring their discovery to the forefront. In other words, everything that we have is a creation of God. With God all things are possible, but without Him nothing is possible.
The people lying around the pool were convinced of healing in their body if they could get into the water at the right time. The water didn’t have any healing power, but God did. God works in mysterious ways to care for His children.
Scripture says, “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath” (v. 9). The day Jesus told the man to “Rise, take up your bed and walk” was the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day of rest. No one was to work on the Sabbath. This is the Fourth of the Ten Commandments. God’s Commandment did not say that one could not carry anything on the Sabbath, but the Pharisees interpreted it that way. It seems as thought they added many other interpretations to the Commandments as would fit their way of thinking.
If carrying the mat involved breaking the Fourth Commandment, Jesus would not have told the man to do so. This man had an infirmity for 38 years and had been healed. The Pharisees were not concerned about helping a brother, but they were concerned about some trivial or insignificant rule they dreamed up.
Here was a man who could not even turn on his own and was told to get up and carry his bed. What did the man have to do? He had to follow Jesus’ command to get up and then to pick up and carry his bed. This miracle should have been applauded by the Pharisees, but it was not.
The man just witnessed a miracle and of course was very happy and joyful. He did not know it was Jesus who healed him and that was not really a major concern. The only people concerned were the Pharisees.
“The Jews therefore said to him who was cured. ‘It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your bed’” (v. 10). There are times when we are like these Jews. When something good happens to someone, we often overlook the positive and look for the negative.
For example, if one of our co-workers gets the promotion we thought we deserved, instead of being happy for them, we say something derogatory or mean. At times we are jealous of the person who has been blessed with a larger house, more expensive car, children who are exceptionally intelligent, or a host of other things. For some reason, we try to dig up some dirt on them.
The Pharisees were in the dirt-digging mode. The man said to them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk’” (v. 11). The Jews asked, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’” (v. 12)?
The man did not know who healed him. “…Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place” (v. 13). I believe Jesus knew what the Pharisees were going to say. He knew the Pharisees thought Him to be just another man. This miracle might change their mode of thinking.
Jesus did not want the glory of the people in the crowd, so he disappeared for the time being. At this time, Jesus wanted to be known as just another person. The other reason He disappeared into the crowd is that He knew some would consider Him a Sabbath breaker.
Later on in the day Jesus found the man who was healed in the temple. Why was the man in the temple? I want to think that the man went into the temple give thanks for the miracle that had taken place. It would stand to reason that being ill for 38 years and then instantly healed would be a call to give thanks.
Jesus said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (v. 14). He spoke these words to the man because He knew the man needed something even more. The man needed to have his sins forgiven. His spiritual health need to be healed.
The first miracle that restored the man’s physical health was a great wonder, but knowing your sins have been forgiven and forgotten is even a greater miracle. Physical health is one thing, but to have your sins forgiven and walk in the righteousness of Almighty God is being healed spiritually.
When we receive God’s forgiveness, we receive the greatest gift possible. God’s forgiveness gives us a clean bill of spiritual health. To be spiritually healthy is much more important than being physically healthy.
After the man found out that Jesus brought about his miracle, he told the Jews who inquired that it was Jesus. “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath” (v. 16).
Remember the Jews saw the miracle, but instead of being thankful, they turned their thoughts to another issue which was breaking the Sabbath. They made it sound like a rule had been broken and this is where they placed their emphasis. In their mind, the breaking of the rule was more important and more significant than the healing that had taken place in the man’s body.
The view of the Pharisees was like tunnel vision. Their view was very narrow because this is what they wanted. The very same thing happens to us when we limit our views as to how God cares for us. Each of us has been blessed by miracles we did not even know about. We didn’t know about them because we limit our view as to how God works.
At times, we think worldly instead of thinking spiritually. When we think worldly, we are thinking about things we can see, but when we think spiritually, we are exercising our faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
The Pharisees had faith in God, but they did not think Jesus was the Son of God. To them, Jesus was no one special. Then it really irritated the Jews when He said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (v. 17).
It was bad enough Jesus broke the Sabbath, according to their thinking, but the straw was broken when He placed Himself equal to God. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (v. 18).
This was just cause for accusing Him of blasphemy which led to death. It is rather easy to see there was going to be an issue between the Jews and Jesus. The Jews were the real problem and not Jesus.
The Jews believed in God, but not in God’s Son. We know this is impossible because God is: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity cannot be broken apart. All Three are One.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Then John went on to say that he baptizes with water, “but He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Conclusion:
The Jews wanted to get rid of Jesus. They wanted to kill Him. They used their own made-up rules and laws to justify their charges against Jesus. The Jews could not accept the fact Jesus was different. They did not want to understand Jesus. They wanted their way.
The Jews did not believe His words about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. They did not think that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law. They could not accept His teaching about going the second mile, loving your enemies and praying in private.
Their view of Jesus was so narrow that cleansing the leper, healing the centurion’s son, healing Peter’s mother-in-law, calming the storm, healing the demon-possessed men, etc. didn’t mean anything to them.
Jesus did so many good things and had so many followers yet the Jews did not want to accept Him. They were looking for another type of Messiah. They could not understand the love, compassion, understanding and caring attributes Jesus possessed. The Jews could not make the connection of Father and Son, although He explained it to them over and over. Their minds were set to destroy Him, but little did they know this would not be possible.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7). He had a mission and he fulfilled that mission.
You and I have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in His mansion of many rooms. All we have to do is accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Amen.
