Why Have We Been Just Lying Here?

Why Have We Been Just Lying Here?

Sunday, April 15, 2012 – AM

Rev. James May

John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

John 5:4 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.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

John 5:6 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?

John 5:7 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.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Until this day, the ministry of Jesus had been largely unnoticed by the Jewish Religious leaders. Though He had done miracles, his fame had not spread across Israel. The miracles that Jesus had performed were centered mostly around the areas of Judea and Galilee. There was the first miracle that he performed at the wedding in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine.

The other recorded miracles in the first few chapters of John’s gospel are the meeting with the woman at the well in Samaria, where Jesus revealed himself as the Living Water, the Messiah of Israel, and transformed the life of this woman, and secondly, the raising of the nobleman’s son of Capernaum.

On this day, as Jesus came into the City of Jerusalem for the beginning of the celebration of one of the great feasts. There were three great feasts that were held in Jerusalem every year. They were the Feast of Passover in the spring, the Feast of Pentecost 50 days after Passover, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Which one of these feasts Jesus was coming to celebrate was unclear.

On this day, Jesus would offend the Religious leaders. He would begin the long journey to the Cross by defying the Laws of men, and even going against the laws of the Sabbath. He would begin to show that He was Lord of the Sabbath, and he would manifest his supernatural power to see men free like he had not done before.

As Jesus entered the Sheep Gate, the first thing to catch his attention was the Pool of Bethesda with its 5 porches. All around, surrounding the pool, the heart of Christ was stricken at the sights and sounds that he heard. People were moaning, groaning, suffering; just lying around waiting.

I wonder how much Jesus grieved at the sight of all of this suffering humanity? These were Jews, God’s chosen people in the earth; a people who called to glorify God and to show the world that there is truly a God that cares; a God that loves; a God of mercy and grace; and a sovereign Lord of all Creation that has power over all things; who rules the universe by the Word of his mouth. I don’t know how you would feel about that but to see all of the suffering of these people of God’s chosen nation, lying around a pool suffering and hoping beyond hope for some miracle, I just don’t see much glory in it. In the eyes of the world and all of the heathen nations that surrounded Israel, this sight would not have been much of an inspiration to make me want to know the God of Israel.

Knowing the heart of Jesus, as we do today from the perspective of being a part of the family of God, we still sometimes have a challenge understanding why God allows so much pain and suffering in this world. But we also know that it isn’t God that brings the pain; we bring it upon ourselves through our own rebellious actions. Had it not been for the sin that is found in the heart of every man, from Adam to today, this world would never have known suffering, pain, sickness, disease and death. But for the grace and mercy of God, man would have long ago disappeared from the face of the earth. But because God loved man so much, he has provided what we needed to continue to flourish in spite of ourselves.