John 5:1-18 | Food for Thought
LISTEN: CONTEXT > CONTENT > QUESTIONS > VISION FOR DISCIPLES
Context
Water Theme | We’ve seen Jesus DO or BE something more than the water mentioned in many of the accounts John has written about so far. For example:
Jesus made the water held in Jewish purification jars into something better: wine!
Jesus would baptize with water and the Spirit, unlike John and his disciples.
Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman instead of the well water.
In this passage, we see Jesus provide healing apart from the “healing waters” of the pool of Bethesda. The theme continues!
Pool of Bethesda | There are stories, superstitions, and accounts of folks believing an angel of the Lord would occasionally stir the waters of a pool; the first person to enter the pool once it had been stirred would be cured of their ailment!
There is no Scriptural support of this. Although the Lord can work in whatever ways he wants, we have no reason to believe or disbelieve it! All we know is that the man who had been an invalid for 38 years believed that it might help!
Turning Point | Religious leaders’ response to Jesus’ ministry shifts from curiousity, questions, and skepticism to outright opposition and scheming. This opposition will last throughout the remainder of his ministry.
Theology | We have some clear bits of theology at the end of the passage. John acknowledges the trinitarian relationship between the Father and the Son - both in their distinction as separate persons, AND in their equality!
Kinds of People | In the line of Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the official, we now have an invalid that Jesus blesses. However, unlike the others, there is no account of this man’s belief, gratitude, thanksgiving, or any kind of transformation. In fact, he is portrayed as somewhat grumpy, selfish, and uncaring towards Jesus’ reputation or future!
Content
Jesus gives good news to everyone!
Jesus offers good news to sinners and sufferers - even if the suffering is a result of their sinning!
“Sin no more, that nothing else may happen to you!” could very well indicate that his infirmity is the natural result of some kind of sin. It might not be the case, but it might be, too!
Either way, Jesus purposefully sought this man out of the crowd.
Jesus’ question of, “Do you want to be healed?” isn’t a test of his desire. It’s a free offer of help! The invalid’s presence at the pool is already proof enough that he wants to be healed. Instead, John is trying to emphasize Jesus’ graciuosness and generosity, not our need to “have enough faith.”
We see Jesus heal the man apart from the pool; he provides what was lacking!
Sin will keep the gift and betray the giver.
When the Jews put the squeeze on the man who was healed, he quickly shifted the blame for his “Sabbath work” to Jesus - although he couldn’t remember his name!
Later, when he finally does learn Jesus’ name (only after Jesus approached him again, mind you!), he makes a bee-line straight for the Jews to give them his name.
Jesus’ concern is for the man to sin no more and avoid future suffering - both in this life and the next! And yet, the one who didn’t sin will be the one thrown under the bus - not only by this man who was healed, but by all the Jews.
Sin will trick us into thinking that we’re participating in Jesus ministry, even if we reject Jesus himself! We can love the gifts, but reject the giver.
Our betrayal doesn’t stop Jesus from working for our good!
The gospel is all about the GIVER blessing the UNDESERVING, UNWANTING, UNQUALIFIED, etc.
Despite the man’s lack of belief, worship, gratitude (at least the lack of it being recordeded here!); despite the man wanting to rat Jesus out; and despite him doing that the first chance he gets, Jesus still:
a) Wants him to acknowledge what’s happened in his life! (“See, you are well!”) Acknolwedge the work of God for his good. Unlike the offical from our last focal passage, this man doesn’t see the connection between what’s happened and the work of Jesus; or more likely, he DOES see the connection, but he doesn’t care!
b) Wants to warn him of the fruit of sin and worse to come if he doesn’t stop. Despite the ingratitude, Jesus still wants him to avoid worse circumstances to come - be that earthly or heavenly! Jesus still wants his best, even if he’s not “deserving!” (…like all of us!)
c) Wants to work for him (and everyone else)! Jesus’ willingness to work isn’t dependent on people’s reactions to what he did for them. Rather, Jesus’ willingness to work is rooted in the work that GOD is doing! He works because God does; not because other people see it, appreciate it, or are changed by it.
Questions
Have you ever been in a situation / relationship where you give and give and give of yourself, without any reciprocation back? What was that like for you? …for them? What were you hoping to see?
What impact should God’s grace in our lives have? How have we seen that show up in John so far? How does that show up (or not!) in this particular story?
Why do you think the healed man was so quick to point the blame and sell Jesus out? What was going on there?
Have you ever been in a position where you’ve refused to OWN / ASSOCIATE yourself with the Giver, even though you enjoy the gift? What was happening in your heart when that happened?
How does the Lord feel about us when we’re NOT as grateful as we should be; when his grace DOESN’T seem to leave us changed; when we DON’T feel like we “deserve” the grace of God? How does this passage address those things in particular?
Jesus SOUGHT him out… twice! Once while he was sick, and once after he was healed - and in both instances, while he still had sin!
Jesus DOESN’T STOP working for his good! …our failure doesn’t get in the way of his faithfulness! He kept working, and he FINISHED his work - and WILL finish his work in us!
Jesus REMINDS us that we are healed - even in our stubborness and selfishness, he reminds us of what he’s done for us. And that CAN change us!
How would you WANT the healed man’s story to end? How can that be yours in Christ?
Vision
Disciples are sinners saved by grace! Our need for Jesus doesn’t diminish over time; we need him more today than we ever have!
We should expect to become MORE aware of God’s holiness and goodness towards us and MORE ware of our sin, suffering, and need for him. When we let him remind us that “See, you are well!” in the gospel, we aren’t led to despair or pride - we’re led to a greater love and appreciation of the gospel!