For the next 4 weeks we will be studying from the John 5. This chapter deals with the authority and power that Jesus has. In fact, chapter 5 reveals Jesus to be the Authority over all of life. Jesus is equal with God and that is claimed later on in this chapter. So, He is due the same worship, obedience, and service as God. As God has authority over all of life, so Jesus has authority over all of life.
So, in tonight’s passage, we have Jesus revealing His authority. He shows everyone how true it is that He is in authority over life. He heals a man who had been ill for 38 years—AND He healed him on the Sabbath. Both of these acts picture the truth of His authority.
The healing of this man showed Jesus’ authority over the physical world, and the breaking of the Jewish Sabbath law showed His authority to determine the rules of worship. Then after He demonstrates the truth of His equality with God, He then began to teach the truth. This set a pattern that Jesus used throughout His ministry.
He would first demonstrate some truth and then teach it.
So, tonight Jesus proves His claim to have supreme authority over the Sabbath. But there are other lessons that come up in this passage: The Lord’s compassion, the problem of formal religion, and the charge to a converted man. So, let’s get started.
READ v. 1-3 This feast is not named, but it was probably one of the three Feasts of Obligation: the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Pentecost. These were called the Feasts of Obligation because every male Jew who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem was required by law to attend them. It’s significant that Jesus was seen attending the feast.
1. It gave Him an opportunity to reach a large number of people. Most of the people who attended the feast would be God-fearing people and have their minds on God so they would be more prepared for the gospel.
2. It gave Him an opportunity to teach people to be faithful to the worship of God. He showed that He, the Son of God, was faithful. He set the example.
All people should be faithful in their worship of God.
The first scene we have is that of the diseased and the ill. They represent those in the world who are gripped by a desperate need. The setting is a pool by the sheep gate. The words sheep gate are supplied by the translator. It’s not in the Greek text. It may have been a sheep market or sheep gate or sheep stall where the animals were kept. Whatever it was, there was a pool to provide water for the animals to drink and five porches to provide a resting area for the comfort of the people. The pool and a great number of disabled people lying around the pool
were the focus of attention.
So, the needy were there—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, and poor. A point that can be made here is that there are so many in the world that are blind, lame and withered spiritually. People are always grasping for something to help them in their daily lives. It may be some supernatural power in a pool of water or in the astrology of stars or in some magical person on earth. People never change, regardless of the generation. In their grasp for help in life, they look everywhere except to Christ. They hope and put their faith in everything except Him.
READ vv. 5-9. Here’s our 2nd scene—that of Jesus and the paralyzed man. This is a picture of Jesus, who has the power to meet the needs of the desperate in the world. Let’s look at this scene a little closer.
1. First, we see the man was either paralyzed or lame; he had been that way for 38 years.
2. Second, we see Jesus’ compassion. It was heart-warming and it demonstrated how Jesus wants to reach out to every person. He saw the man lying there and He knew all about his condition. You might want to note that it was Jesus who initiated the relationship. He approached the man and reached out to him.
This should show anyone that Jesus sees and knows every person’s condition. He reaches out to everyone in compassion, offering help.
3. Thirdly, we see the man’s helplessness. He was alone in this world, having no family or friend who could help him. He must have had some acquaintances that brought him there each day, but from that point he was alone.
4. 4th, we see the Lord’s power. Did you notice that the man didn’t know he was healed until he obeyed Jesus’ command? Jesus didn’t pronounce a word of healing. He merely commanded the man to act. In the act, the man was to show his faith. If he believed, he was to arise and walk; if he didn’t believe, he would simply lie there, continuing on just as he had always done.
The point is, no one has to continue on through life just as they have always been, enslaved to sin and corruption and the desperate needs of the world. A person can experience the healing power of Jesus Christ, the power to change their life and make them into a new person. All they have to do is believe in the word of Jesus Christ enough to obey.
5. Fifth, we see the problem. Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. By healing the man on the Sabbath, Jesus was breaking the Jewish ceremonial law; He was committing a serious sin in their eyes, violating a ritual and rule of religion. The rest of the man’s story centers upon this fact.
READ vv. 10-12. The third scene that we have is that of the religionists and the man. It’s a picture of dead religion trying to meet the world’s need. Let’s note three things in these verses.
1. Dead religion is a religion of legalism. The religionists were trying to meet the needs of people through rules and regulations, ceremony and rituals. They were more concerned with the man who was violating the ritual of the Sabbath than with the man who was suffering in a pitiful condition.
2. Second, dead religion is a religion ignorant of true authority. They should have known that the power of God healed the man and should have been eager to share with this man Jesus—the man who demonstrated this power. But they didn’t care much about the power of God and His messenger. They only cared that the status quo be maintained, that their religious practices continue as they were and not be violated. Their thoughts were upon their own religious position and security.
3. Third, dead religion is a religion blind to love and good. Note the religionists question in verse 12. They didn’t ask “Who is the man who has healed and helped you so much?” They asked “Who is the man that broke the religious law?” They didn’t see the good that had been done. They only saw that their position and security were threatened, that someone had more power and influence, doing more good than they were.
If we are not careful, we can be tempted to feel the same way. How many true messengers of God are criticized by powerless religionists, criticized because they do things differently or do more good than others? How many have criticized preachers like Billy Graham, or Joel Osteen, and others? Men fear the loss of their position and security, they fear that people may begin to wonder about their lack of true power—power that honestly helps people.
READ vv. 13-14. The 4th scene in this passage is that of Jesus and the man after healing. This is a picture of the believer’s responsibility. Did you notice that Jesus left the man right after healing him because of the large crowd on the porches? For some unstated reason, Jesus didn’t want to attract a crowd at this time.
But Jesus sought the man out again later. First Jesus reached out to save the man, now He was reaching out for another purpose. When He found the man, a picture of the believer’s responsibility was painted. These responsibilities are for ALL believers.
1. First, there was the duty to worship. Jesus found the man in the temple worshipping and giving thanks to God.
2. Second, there was the duty to remember his healing, his salvation. The moment should never be forgotten or lost. Do you remember that day when you were saved?
3. Thirdly, there was the duty to stop sinning. Apparently the man had been lame or paralyzed because of some accident caused by sin. Jesus cautioned the man: “Stop sinning.”
It makes you think about how many people are physically crippled or diseased because of some sin. Many blame God when they are the ones at fault. Many suffer crippling accidents and diseases because of sin such as drunkenness, immorality, or driving over the speed limit.
4. Fourth, there was the duty to fear the judgment. Jesus warned the man that if he didn’t repent and turn from his sin, he would face a more terrible judgment than his crippling paralysis.
READ vv. 15-16. This fifth and last scene from this passage was that of the religionists and Jesus. This is a picture of the world rejecting Jesus. Note two last things and we will close. The man told the religionists who had healed him. He didn’t do this to bring harm to Jesus. He thought the religionists should know and would want to benefit from knowing Jesus personally.
Secondly, the reasons why the religionists opposed Jesus were the driving force that eventually took Jesus to the cross. Jesus was viewed as breaking the Sabbath and that was a serious matter to the Jew. Their laws stated that no one, on the Sabbath Day, could travel, cook, buy, sell, draw water, walk beyond a certain distance, lift anything, fight in a war, or heal unless a life was at stake. Remember the women that waited until the morning after the Sabbath to go to Jesus’ tomb to prepare his body for burial. They weren’t allowed to go on the Sabbath.
So, Jesus was a threat to these guys. Their religion was the binding force that kept Jews together. But their greatest error, in my estimation was that they allowed religion in its tradition and ritual, ceremony and rules to become more important than meeting the basic needs of human life.
All of that superseded the need for God and the need for spiritual, mental, and physical health. Jesus was exposing this error so the battle lines were drawn.
The Messiah had to liberate people from that behavior so they could be saved and worship God in freedom of spirit.
The religionists had to oppose anyone who broke their law. They had to oppose Jesus because He was a threat to their nation and to their own personal position and security.
So, they tried to discredit Jesus so the crowds would stop following Him.
Failing to do that, they looked for some way to kill him. So, the journey to the cross begins.
