The Day Jesus Crashed A Pool Party

Theme: The Day Jesus Crashed a Pool Party

Text: John 5:1-9 (King James Version)

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 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. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 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. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

As you may know, the residential swimming pool is a symbol of wealth, and opulence. The average cost of installing an in-ground swimming pool is $63,000.00. America is the country with the most swimming pools in the world. There are over 10 Million residential swimming pools in the United States. In Florida alone, there are over one million 500 thousand residential swimming pools. In other words, the Sunshine State has more swimming pools than any other state, so, Florida is the swimming pool capital of America and of the world. Swimming pools are expensive to maintain but they are worth it. Just to be lying down stretched out on a pool chair under an umbrella near the sparkling clear water with a pina-colada (virgin) in your hand, as you close your eyes and listen to the water cycling through the pool is so enjoyable. The smell of chlorine or some other purifying agent that fills the air reassuring you that the pool is clean, is comforting. The gentle sounds of Mozart or the riffs and hooks of the latest Gospel or Contemporary Christian Music songs, relax the mind and soothe the soul. Of course, many people don’t go to the pool with Mozart or Tasha Cobbs. Their drink is by no means virgin, and their swimsuits can sometimes fit comfortably in the smallest zip-lock bags. Swimming pools are the scenes of happiness and sadness, peace and peril, love and hate, joy, and fear. Sometimes parents have to show up and grab little Johnny by the ear and take him away from the pool party. Sometimes Suzy can be so drunk that her breath will exceed the maximum reading on a police breathalyzer. Sometimes drugs and drinks, fights, and fury characterize pool parties, the police officers have to be called, the neighbors complain, and the EMT’s show up when somebody falls into the pool and almost drowns. Sometimes uninvited guests show up and they crash the pool party.

Today, let's journey back to a remarkable day in the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—a day when Jesus crashed a pool party, not to dance or celebrate, but to reveal His boundless compassion and concern for an unnamed man in particular and all of us in general. Our Bible passage for this message is found in John 5:1-9. It unveils a scene of suffering and healing that beautifully portrays Jesus' heart of love. In John 5:1-9, we find Jesus visiting the pool of Bethesda, a place renowned for its supposed healing powers. Healing Waters: There are many places in the world that people claim to contain waters with healing properties. The Pitch Lake in Trinidad and Tobago is said to have healing elements. In India, it is said that the waters of the Ganges River will heal you. The Blue Lagoon in Iceland, and the Dead Sea in Jordan and Israel can heal you. It is said that the Pamukkale Hot Springs of Turkey can actually make you more beautiful and give relief from asthma and arthritis, reduce blood pressure, and give a burst of energy. In our story today, Jesus went to a pool near the Sheep Market in Jerusalem called Bethesda. The Sheep Market was very close to the Northern Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Sheep Market was there to make it convenient for people to purchase sheep to take to the temple to be sacrificed for their sins. These sacrifices were symbolic of the coming Messiah that would be the sin sacrifice for all of humanity. The Pool called Bethesda in Aramaic means “house of mercy” or in English “house of grace.” This pool Bethesda had five porches where many sick people lay around waiting for the stirring of the water. Among the multitude of sick people, there was a sick man who had been suffering for 38 long years.