God’s Amazing Grace
John 5:1-9
Introduction
We preach about it, we sing about it, we even testify of the amazing grace that God has so wondrously shed abroad in our lives. What do we mean by the term grace? G.W. Knight wrote these words to describe grace: “When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.”
It appears that much of what John writes about Jesus is centered on the theme of feasts that the Jews celebrate. For example, in chapter two and verse thirteen, we have the celebration of the Passover taking place as Jesus enters the temple and cleanses it. In chapter six and verse four John tells us the Passover was nigh when Jesus did the miracle with the loaves and fish. In chapter seven and verse two John says it was the feast of the Tabernacles that was taking place in this particular instance. John tells us that it was the feast of Dedication in chapter ten and verse twenty-two when Jesus was charged with blasphemy and finally, in chapter eleven and verse fifty-five that the Passover was near when a plot was hatched to kill Jesus. Two things come to mind when we read such information. We have a decent idea of what time of the year some of these events were taking place, and we see that Jesus was very much involved in his culture as a Jewish man during his ministry.
In our particular passage of John chapter five, Jesus has come to Jerusalem and has come through the sheep gate where there is a pool nearby called Bethesda. Bethesda, according to one scholar has been excavated and found to be made up of five porches; it was spring fed; and most likely had two pools instead of one. Our text tells us it was a place where people brought the sick, lame, and diseased for healing. John records some kind of miraculous stirring of the waters and the first to step in would receive healing. This pool was a place filled with people who had no hope in life and could not help themselves. This is a clear picture of many people in our world that are in the same condition as this man. Their lives are wrecked and ruined by sin. They call out for help, but unfortunately everywhere they turn for help there is none found because they haven’t turned to the right Person. In this passage, this would become a place where one man was able to find the grace of God sweet to his soul. He would experience something through Jesus Christ that would change his life forever. His condition would no longer remain the same but he would experience radical change. This is what grace brings to the lives of the lame, the broken, and the sick in sin. Have you experienced the grace of God? Has your life had such a radical change as this man had? Is your life in such a condition that you’re not sure what to do next or where to turn to? My friend, you need to experience the wonderful grace of God. Allow me to show you five things about the grace of God from this passage!
First, I want you to notice the Place of Grace (v. 2). Verse tells us that Jesus comes to a pool over by the sheep market which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda. We are also told that in this pool there are five porches where the sick and helpless people needing healing are laid. Why would we assume this is a place of grace? Because Jesus performed a miracle? Because every year God sent an angel to stir the waters to heal those of their diseases who got in the water first? I think we could come to this understanding from these conclusions alone. However, I think there is something even more conclusive than those of which we just considered. One might simply pass right over the clue of what makes this a place of grace with a simple cursory reading of the text. Did you notice that John, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, intentionally tells us there are five porches in this pool area? You ask, “Pastor, why would such a piece of information be so important to consider? We know through archeological discovery this place has five porches and possibly two pools? Why is the number of porches so important?” I am glad you asked. My friend, Michael Hoggard writes in his book By Divine Order, “The number 5 is, without a doubt, the number for grace and redemption. It is the number that is associated with the future translation of the Church. All of these themes can be discovered in the Authorized Version of the Bible. First, we find that the 5th time Noah’s name is mentioned, it is mentioned with grace. ‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord’ (Gen. 5:8). It might also be mentioned that Noah was 500 years old when he begat the lineage that was to repopulate the earth after the Flood. The first time Noah’s name is mentioned is in Genesis chapter 5. The Bible tells us that the flood waters prevailed on the earth for exactly 150 days. This breaks down to 5 months. The name of Titus is found 13 times in the Bible. For what reason I do not know at this point. However, the fifth time Titus is mentioned, it is mentioned with grace (2 Cor. 8:6).” His point is simply the number five is associated with grace throughout the Bible. From his premise on the number five we can discover that God intended to show grace in such a place as this. I am thankful that the grace of God, however, is not limited to one particular place. I am thankful that God’s grace extends far beyond the boundaries of any limitations that men might try to place upon it. The place of grace is the place where God meets you with his mercy and undeserved favor, and bestows on you the greatest healing of all; spiritual redemption and restoration! Where did such a wonderful idea of grace originate? It originated in the heart and mind of our God. If you would, Calvary is one of the most beautiful pictures of grace. It was Calvary that God, through his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, expressed his grace beyond measure. I remember the words of that blessed hymn that we sing, “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light; and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight; and now I am happy all the day.” Praise God, that because of Calvary we might all come to the place of grace and receive freely.
Next, we not only have the Place of Grace (v. 2), but I would like for you to see the Person for Grace (v. 3). I have come across people who have said things like this: “Why would God love me? Why would God want to give grace to a person like me? Do you know what I’ve done? Do you know where I’ve been? Do you even know what kind of a person I am?” I’m not sure what kind of contact you might have had with what kind of people, but I can tell you I’ve had contact with some people if you knew what they’ve done, or where they’ve been, you might feel your face blushing with redness. I’ve learned over the short years that the Lord has allowed me to be a pastor and preacher of his word, that sin really has no limits to where it will take a person. In fact, one Christian artist and song writer used words like this in a song: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; leave you longer than you intended to stay; and cost you far more than you thought you would have to pay.” I’ve counseled with people who have had made choices to walk to very dark and evil and paths. I’ve looked into their eyes only to discover they are filled with pain, shame, hurt, regret, and even grief. I’ve listened to them tell their stories how they destroyed their lives and those lives of people they loved the most. I’ve heard them make comments like: “I wanted to stop. I knew what I was doing was wrong. I knew that if I continued on such a course like this, that I would eventually be in the place I am now. But no matter how much I wanted to stop; no matter how much I knew it was wrong; no matter how bad it hurt me that I was hurting the people I loved and I knew loved me; I couldn’t get out.” I’ve cried with those people and the families who have suffered the pain alongside of them. I’ve prayed for them and with them only at times to see them get worse. In other words, what I am describing for you are the people who are suited for grace. Maybe you would say, “Pastor, I’ve never walked in such dark places. I’ve never really found myself in such horrible sin as it seems others have found themselves in.” My friend the Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” It repeats the same sentiments with a word of warning in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” You are not person for grace because you have wasted years in a bottle of liquor. You are not a person of grace because you have given yourself to some addictive drug or behavior. You are not a person for grace because you have lived a rancid lifestyle of sexual immorality. You are a person for grace because you are a sinner. There is no hope within you for you to ever see heaven, eternal glory, or Jesus Christ without the grace of God moving in and doing a work in your life. It matters not how awful your lifestyle has been or has mild it has been. God’s grace is sufficient to meet you exactly where you are and extend his grace into your life. You are person for grace. You are just the candidate that God is looking to extend such favor to. He desires to trade all of your failures and shortcomings for his righteousness. He desires to exchange your faults for his favor. Maybe in your mind you are asking this question: “How do you know that God wants to extend grace to me? What makes you so sure that I am qualified to be a person for grace?” That’s a great question. How do I know? Because of what we see next in our text. Look again at verse 6.
Thirdly, we have the Presentation of Grace (v. 6). Do you see the question that Jesus asks in verse six? The question is simple: “Would you like to be whole?” I like the word “whole” in this verse. Jesus is not asking, “Would you like to quit smoking or using drugs?” He’s not asking, “Would you like to quit being a drunkard?” He’s not asking, “Would you like to get away from offering yourself in lewd and immoral sexual behavior?” What is wrong with our society today is instead of treating the cause of the problem we want to treat the symptoms. We want to fix the minor and forget all about the major issue. Let me illustrate. Let’s suppose that an individual, who by all outward accounts seems to be fairly healthy. They live life to its fullest and seem to have enjoyment in many things in life. However, one day this person develops a cough. He/she thinks that they are getting a cold, so they go to their local pharmacy counter to purchase an over-the-counter type cough medicine. What they discover as they take the cough syrup is the cough is not going away and now they begin to become concerned. So they go to their family doctor and he checks the ears, the throat, and the nasal passages, only to discover there is no sign this person has a cold. The doctor is concerned and he decides to schedule a battery of tests. Once the tests have been done he discovers that this person has a mass of growth that is abnormal and concerning. He schedules an appointment with an oncologist and sends his patient to this doctor. This doctor does a biopsy and discovers it’s cancer. Could you imagine this oncologist coming back to the person and saying, “We know that you have cancer, and we know that your cough is because of this cancer, however, we are going to give you a really strong and effective cough medicine that should help lessen the coughing to almost nothing.” No doubt the individual would be outraged that the doctor has chosen to only deal with a symptom when he could deal with the root cause. This is the question that Jesus is asking this man. Jesus is not simply interested in giving this man back his legs again. There is no doubt that Jesus cares about this man’s physical plight because we can read over and over again of how compassionate Jesus truly is, especially as he walked this earth. In fact, many times, Jesus touched a physical need in someone’s life before he met the spiritual need. When Jesus asks the question, “Would you like to be made whole?” he is not simply asking, “Would you like to walk again?” Jesus had a much greater understanding of this man’s need. Jesus knew what this man really needed was a spiritual healing. It is sad to see people who only want to come to the Lord when they’ve found themselves in a tight or tough spot in life. Some people want the Lord to respond to them like some magic wand, or some genie in a bottle type myth. Some want to treat the symptoms, but the Lord would like to treat the cause. Let me ask you the question that Jesus asked this man: “Would you like to be made whole?” Instead of just getting over a few symptoms, would you like to get down to the root cause of the problem and get well completely? Maybe your concerned whether it would work for you the same way it did for this fellow. Maybe your question of your mind now is: “What guarantee do I have this would work for me?” Let me show you what we have in verse eight.
Fourth, we have the Provider of Grace (v. 8). John gives such a detailed description of the person that we have information like: this man was a paraplegic; this man was lying in a place where all kinds of folks had problems and sicknesses; but John also tells us this man had been in this condition for thirty-eight years (v. 5). We don’t have any indication if we are being told the age of the man or simply the age of the condition this man has had. Either way, it would be safe to say this is a long time to be a man who is as helpless as “having no man to help you get into the water when it is troubled” (v. 7). Can you imagine being brought to a place where and dropped off by family, friends, or whatever the case would be, only to be left all alone and have no help or hope that you could get into the water? This man so felt that his condition was hopeless that he wasn’t holding his breath that whoever it was talking to him could do much for him. Do you suppose this man was hoping whoever it was standing before him would be gracious enough to help him get into the water at the time of stirring? Maybe it was getting close to that time of the year when the water would be stirred by the angel and this crippled man thought I might have a shot this year if this man is concerned enough to ask such a question as “Would I like to be made whole?” Whatever was running through his mind, I am certain he was not thinking that he would receive what he was about to receive. Let me tell you this is what is wonderful about Jesus Christ. I’m not sure what preconceived ideas you may have about coming to Jesus Christ and how he will change your life, but I can tell you that he will far exceed your expectations. He will change your life in such a way that you would not have imagined that life could be so wonderful. I know this because let me share with you his promise. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Those people who waste their lives in sinful practice and living, and who think they have life, really don’t even know what real, abundant life is all about. No sooner did Jesus get through hearing the man’s plea and desire for someone to put him into the water and Jesus spoke healing into his life. “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (v. 8). Please understand it is one thing to talk about what can be done, but it is quite different to experience it and find how wonderful it really is. It is one thing to command the man to rise and walk, but it is quite a different thing for the man to actually get up and do so. That is the kind of power the Lord Jesus has. All he has to do is simply speak a word into your soul and your life will change forever. You can read over and over again of the times that Jesus simply said a phrase of words and miracles bounded into the earthly realm and lives of destitute and hopeless people were changed in an instant. That’s because he is the all-powerful God of the universe. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the Provider of Grace! Let me show you one more thing about God’s amazing grace.
Finally, we see the Product of Grace (v. 9). The very first word of verse nine that sticks out to me is the word “immediately.” That is the way God works. He doesn’t wait over a period of time. He doesn’t wait to see if you are really all in or out. When God’s grace shows up in your life it begins to take an immediate effect. I will always remember the date, June 5th, 1984. I will remember that date because that was the day that grace met me where I was at and forever changed my life. I had grown up in a Baptist pastor’s home. I went to church every week, three times a week. I sang on stage; I knew where to sit; I knew how to dress; I even knew how to address the other believers in the congregation that left the impression that I was one of them. But my dear friend, on June the 5th, 1984, I had an experience in the grace of God that I will never get over, nor do I want to get over. For the first time in my life, all those songs I sang, all those sermons I had heard my daddy preach, all those people that I went to church with took on a whole different meaning. What I am sharing with you is there was an immediate change in my life. When Jesus spoke into the life of this man noticed what the verse nine tells us happened. “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.” He didn’t just get healed from being crippled, he get healed physically and spiritually that day. This man’s life was changed in such a way that he would never be the same. I believe when people met him and asked the question, “Were you not the man who lay in one of those five porches and was crippled? What has happened?” he would reply, “I met a man called Jesus and he spoke into my life and changed me. I’ll never be the same again.” You may be thinking, “Is this really what happens? Will I really be a different person? Will I be able to live differently; think differently; act differently?” Let me share with you what the Bible has to say about this. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Yes; you will be changed. Yes; you will live differently. Yes; you will think differently. This is because once Christ moves in the power of his resurrection moves in and changes your life completely. Let me wrap this up with a conclusion.
Conclusion
Calvary is the place of grace. Because of what Jesus has done there you can now come and have God’s grace freely. When you accept this offer of grace it will forever change your life. Calvary’s not only the place of grace, but all sinners are the persons for grace. There is a simple test to determine if you qualify. If you hold your hand in front of you mouth and breath out and you can feel the air leaving your body and hitting your hand, then you qualify. You are the person for grace. The presentation of grace is in one simple question: “Will you be made whole?” Jesus is the provider for grace and a change life is the product of grace. Let me close with sharing a story that illustrates how the grace of God works. In his book No Wonder They Call Him Savior Max Lucado shares this story:
Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away, breaking her mother's heart. Knowing what life on the streets would be like for her young, attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way to the bus stop she entered a drugstore to get one last thing. Pictures. She sat in the photograph booth, closed the curtain, and spent all she could on pictures of herself. With her purse full of small black-and-white photos, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janiero. Maria knew Christina had no way of earning money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. When pride meets hunger, a human will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search. Bars, hotels, nightclubs, any place with the reputation for street walkers or prostitutes. She went to them all. And at each place she left her picture--taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo she wrote a note. It wasn't too long before both the money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home. The weary mother wept as the bus began its long journey back to her small village.
It was a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her brown eyes no longer danced with youth but spoke of pain and fear. Her laughter was broken. Her dream had become a nightmare. A thousand times over she had longed to trade these countless beds for her secure pallet. Yet the little village was, in too many ways, too far away. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina's eyes burned and her throat tightened as she walked across the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation. "Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn't matter. Please come home." She did.
That is God’s plea for you. “No matter what you’ve done. No matter where you’ve been, come home!” Will you come home?
