The Man By The Pool Of Bethesda

THE MAN BY THE POOL OF BETHESDA (JOHN 5:2-9)

1) “Now there is in Jerusalem near the sheep Gate a pool which in Aramaic is called Bethesda (house of olives or house of mercy).. in these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralized…” Verse 2

Observation

THE SICK BY THE POOL OF MERCY!

-Jerusalem is a place of peace but there are multitudes who are not peaceful!

-Jerusalem is a place of blessing but there are people who are not blessed;

-Jerusalem is a place of healing and deliverance but there people lying around in bondage

- The name of the pool ‘Bethesda’ translates to ‘House of Mercy’ yet people are there who have not received mercy but rather are sick, blind, and lame.

This is the situation of many of us who have proclaimed our belief in Jesus:

- We have been called to be kings but we insist on sitting by our inheritance and starve to death without making any move to possess our possession.

- We are in the place of mercy and deliverance but we still feel bound by our circumstances and environment.

- Though the bible assured us that those who have been set free by Jesus are free indeed, many of us are still living blind, lame and paralyzed lives- We have been lame in terms of being stuck in one place for a long time and paralyzed from doing anything about our pitiful condition

2) “in these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.” Verse 3

THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE MOVING OF THE WATER!

-The condition of many of us today is that we are waiting for something

-There are many who go to church WAITING for some great emotion to engulf them so that they can be sure they are in the presence of God.

-There are those who have not given their lives to Christ and are just waiting for some great emotional movement in their lives that will show that God is calling them.

-There are those who are WAITING who have their eyes on business and are WAITING for something to happen so that they can get rich quick.

-There are those who are WAITING for something that has happened to an individual they know to happen to them also.

Too many of us are not making any progress in life becos we are waiting! Waiting! And waiting! When all we need to do is move out in faith and trust on the one who has called us.

Question is: What are you waiting for? Who are you waiting for? Remember waiting around will not solve the problem: The man has been waiting for 38 years!

3) “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘do you want to get well?’

- At first glance, Jesus’ question sounds funny: Why is he asking a lame man whether he wants to be well? He could see his pitiful condition; he could see he had camped by the water that could heal him..

- I believe that Jesus asked the question because he was surprised to see the man there;

- Jesus knew the man had no business waiting for any movement of water because he had the potential to do whatever he wants;

- Jesus was surprised that the man could be lying there waiting for something magical to happen when he could make the move himself.

- Jesus was surprised that the man could be waiting around and expect something to happen to him.

Jesus is asking you the same question today:

Do you really want to get out of poverty?

Do you really want to get a better Job?

Do you really want to control your environment?

-Jesus is asking today because he knows that many of us have not really considered the question in the light of our potential;

-Jesus is wondering why we are still waiting for him to solve our problems when he had already solved it 2,000 years ago: He has already proclaimed freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and also proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor.”(Luke 4:18) and he is wondering what we are waiting for

-Jesus mission was to deliver us and empower us to dominate our environment and earthly situations and he has accomplished this on the cross, so he does not understand why we are still waiting around

Jesus is telling us today that we need not sit by the pool of despair when we had all the potential to overcome in us all the time.