Miracles of Jesus Part 6

 Miracles of Jesus Part 6

Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda - John 5 vs 1-9

5 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, 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.

We have looked at the different miracles and the different ways in which Jesus worked miracles.  The bible tells us in John 21 v 25 "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." 

 So we can assume that the miracles we do read about, are written for a purpose.  To show us something different about the person of Jesus, to give us insight and revelation to his power and authority.  We notice that many of these miracles Jesus did on the Sabbath - which enraged the religious leaders. Which is a whole teaching within itself.  We see that some people had a little faith, some had great faith like the Centurion who said "Just Speak the Word and my servant will be healed".  Some heard about Jesus and came expecting to receive.  But then we see Mary and Martha who both personally knew Jesus and loved him - when their brother Lazarus  died they both said to Jesus "If you had been here, he would not have died".  It is a mystery to our natural mind and understanding to try to make sense of it all.  That is why it is so important to ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand and teach us from his Word.  The Bible is not just a book, that we can simply read like a bedtime story - but it is written for us to know God and to know his Son Jesus so that we can experience him. 

This miracle in John 5 - tells us of a man who didn't know who Jesus was (v13.) He wasn't expecting a miracle, he had no hope and no help.  Yet when Jesus stood before him his life was changed.

The question that Jesus asked "Wilt Thou be made whole" - seems strange to us at first glance.  But what he is really asking this man was inspired by the Holy Spirit it was words of wisdom and knowledge that was reaching into the depths of this mans soul to expose the condition of this mans heart and to open it up to receive.  Jesus was asking him - Can you see yourself whole?  you see this man was in this condition for so long, his identity was one of helplessness and hopelessness.  So many times when people come for pray, they want to tell all about the problem, and how they feel, and what effect it has had on their life, because that has become their identity.  Like this man who answered "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".  This exposed the effects of this disease -feelings of isolation, loneliness, abandonment, rejection, self pity, resentment, bitterness and hopelessness.  This man had been waiting for someone to come and help, he was waiting for someone to come and physically pick him up and carry him.  The bible warns us against putting trust in man. This is only one of many scriptures :-

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord."

But Once Jesus had spoken - his Words exposed the condition of this man's heart - and now his word could uproot all the wrong thinking and restore this man's soul - When Jesus said "Rise, take up thy bed and walk" - it was the same power that was released when at the beginning when the Word was spoken and said "Let there be light".  Jesus looked at this man and because he is the Resurrection and the Life - he didn't see a helpless and hopeless man - he saw strength, he saw him healed, he spoke what he saw.  And immediately the man was made whole. Immediately his identity was made new.  Religion speaks what it sees - but the Spirit speaks what God sees.  We walk by Faith and not by Sight. 

For many people, they have been given a death sentence - some sickness or disease was pronounced over their life,  they were told there is no cure, you will have to learn to live with it.  A very famous and well respected Doctor once said "the medical profession does not claim to cure disease, the best we can do is to manage it".   This is why I call it a death sentence, because it changes everything - now the person has an identity with the disease - that becomes their destiny.  It brings all the effects that this man at the pool had experienced.  It steals the God given destiny.  But there is hope - because Jesus is still the same today, he IS the Son of God and His Word is still powerful.  

Christ Upholds All Things by the Word of His Power

Christ is not only the Creator of all things and the active instrument through which all things were created, but He is also the Upholder of all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). Christ is the initiating and sustaining power of all creation.

He upholds the church (You and I) in the same way that He upholds the entire universe. Without Christ, everything falls apart.  What a mighty God we serve.

Once we turn to Jesus, Once we hear his Word, Once we allow his Word to reach into the depths of our soul - We will be changed.  His Word gives us hope, it gives us life, it gives us a new identity.  You may be thinking that if a great man of faith would come and pray for me then I will be healed.  Or maybe you have lost hope in prayer and men of faith.  BUT men are only vessels, our HOPE IS IN CHRIST ALONE.  He alone is our Healer, He alone is our Deliverer.  And he wants to reveal himself to you, he desires you to know him.  This means laying aside all the opinions and experiences of the past - the religious ideas - the traditions and mindsets that tell us we just have to learn to live with it - and come with an open heart and ask him to come and speak into your heart.  There is only 1 way to experience this change and that is to invite the Holy Spirit to come and teach you.  Jesus himself said in John 16 13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

When we receive the Word through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, we receive insight and revelation to Speak and to Receive and to experience our New identity in Christ. Our thinking will change, our words will change, hope will soar, strength will rise and faith will come.  Death sentences will be broken over our lives and will be replaced with Words of Life.  We will enter into the Joy of our Salvation and tell others and be a witness for our God. Bringing Glory to Him and Him alone. 

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