The living Word IV

The Compassion and Authority of Christ

The Living Word IV

I would like to continue with our series “The Living Word” from the book of john the 4th gospel.

John wrote this gospel to bring correction to the many false teachings going around and to encourage the believers.

In the gospel of John, he showed

Jesus as God, in human flesh.

John’s audience is the whole world.

John tells us who Jesus is.

John’s book is all about Jesus.

Today we are on the chapter 5 of John.

John chose 8 miracles to present Jesus, this is one of them,

The compassion and authority Christ.

1 Jesus never overlooks us.

Even if you don’t have anyone to help you, Jesus will show compassion to you.

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

Chapter 4 ended with Jesus healing the son of a royal official we don’t know how long after that, was a feast.

(Most scholars believed to be the feast of tabernacles) one of the three mandatory feasts for every Jewish male to attend) Passover, Pentecost, tabernacles

Joh 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

Bethesda means house or place of mercy, of kindness.

It was discovered in 1888 by an archaeologist but only in 2005 it was confirmed, over 100 years later. Many skeptics didn’t even believe the pool existed; they believed it was a created story until they found the pool of Bethesda, but they did the same thing with Pontius Pilate, they said there were no records of his name in the roman’s books until they found an inscription in Caesarea saying Pontius Pilate the procurator of Judea.

Joh 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

In 1611 the king James bible used the word

Impotent as the translation of the Greek word “astheneo”, what meant people not able to move by themselves, feeble, week they were not able to help themselves.

So this story is about the encounter of an impotent man, with an omnipotent God

The superstition was

Joh 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

The pool of Bethesda was fed by a subterranean spring, from time to time the water would move or bubble up. They believed an angel would stir up the waters, so a legend was developed, if God did that, it would be an impossible way to get a miracle.

But this verse is not part of the earlier manuscripts, so some of the translations removed them. Verse 5:4 is omitted unless you are using the amplified bible, Geneva or NKJ it will be under bracket parenthesis.

Joh 5:5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

I’m going to mentioning this, just to give you an idea, The pool of Bethesda was a miserable place, crowded with people, sick people it stunk, unless you were in misery you would not go near that place.

I’m not sure if you ever visited a hospital in a developing world country, not the one where the tourist goes, or where American’s go but a local 3 world hospital.

Their standards of cleanliness, are very different then in our hospitals, there are a very few nurses around, the families takes care of their own patient and there are several beds in the same room with all kinds of sick people in there. Cats walking around the hallways, the air is heavy, smells in there.

the pool of Bethesda it was not the house of mercy but a place of misery a hang out for people with all kinds of diseases, on a normal day, they would have around 300 people, but during a festival the number would increase to around 3000 people.

Many believe that is a verse in the bible that says

“God helps those who helps themselves.”

Ben Franklin was the one who wrote that in 1756 you will not find that in any bible translation.

But what you will find in the bible is that God will help those who can not help themselves.

Joh 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

Jesus was not trying to be mean, for thirty-eight years you have lived and support yourself this way, do you want to be made well?

I remember. Some years ago I was in Brazil walking down the streets in Copacabana, this guy shakes his can in front of me asking for money, I felt I should pray for him, so I gave him money and I asked, can I pray for you?, I believe God can heal you, the man answered I just want the money, I asked him do you want to be made well? He said no, what am I going to do? Just give me the money.

Jesus was allowing this man to check his heart,

Joh 5:7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

Joh 5:8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."

Joh 5:9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

For 38 years he could not help himself but as Jesus spoke, something was different, he didn’t tell Jesus look at me I can’t. He knew that if he wanted to be made well all he needed to do was to obey, and he did.

Jesus had compassion on him, 3000 people were laying around that pool Jesus walks to one man and heals him. The omnipotent God had compassion on the impotent man.

Jesus will not walk by you and not give you the opportunity to made you well.

When Jesus gives you a command even if it is impossible it becomes possible

Psa 145:8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

Joh 5:10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."

Remember their legalism towards the law, the rabbis came out with 39 things you could not do on the sabbath, it was part of the oral law.

Including you could not look in the mirror, because you may see a white hair and pull out. You couldn’t wear false teeth, if you picked up Anything heavier than 2 dry figs it was consider work.

Joh 5:11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.' "

Joh 5:12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"

Joh 5:13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.

Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

Sin put himself in that condition, and worse than that is to be condemned to hell.

Joh 5:15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Joh 5:16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.

This was a turning point in the ministry of Jesus, not for the better, from that day one they continue to persecute Him all the way to the cross and killed Him.

2 Jesus was Never presumptuous.

Jesus declares His equality with God and authority in 5 ways

Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Jesus 1 equal with God in purpose, my Father has been working and I have been working

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

The enemies of Jesus were listening to him correctly, and that’s why they wanted to kill Him, when a Jehovah's witness or a Mormon or a Muslim comes to you and say that Jesus never declare to be God or equal with God, here is your answer.

Joh 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

2 Equal with God in performance

Joh 5:20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

Joh 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them,even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

3 Equal with in power

If anyone had the confidence to do whatever he wanted to do, that was Jesus, he could command angels to help him, but he didn’t,

He chose obedience and he humble himself and was obedient to death.

Jesus could wave His hand and everyone standing or lying by the pool would be healed but he didn’t out of 3000 he healed one man. He did whatever he saw his father doing.

I remember when I first got saved, late 70’s, Jesus was coming back soon tonight, I believed that my mission was to bring as many people as I could to Jesus, so I always had a track in my pocket and if I was riding a bus a train or airplane, I had to share the gospel with the person next to me.

Until the day I heard someone teaching if you are in a group of 50 people and you can only share with one person, who you pick? This guy was teaching God knows the heart of everyone, why would share with someone who is not interested and miss the one who was ready?

Pray for God to lead you to the right person.

Joh 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

4 Equal with God in the proclamation of judgement

Joh 5:23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

5 Equal with God in Praise

Joh 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Joh 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

Joh 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

Joh 5:27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Jesus continually made himself equal with God

Joh 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

Joh 5:29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

How do we respond to a compassionate and all-powerful Lord

3 what would Jesus do?

The phrase "What would Jesus do?", often abbreviated to WWJD, became popular particularly in the United States in the early 1900s after the widely read book by Charles Sheldon entitled, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?. The phrase had a resurgence in the US and elsewhere in the 1990s and as a personal motto for Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their beliefs and to demonstrate the love of Jesus through their actions.

Every day we respond to different situations in our lives, some are very difficult, others painful, we can’t avoid them.

How do we respond, what do we do? Remember your Lord is a Compassionate and all-powerful Lord ask Him.

ex.

One situation that has increase here in Kona is our homeless population, the question most people have is what can I do to help, including the tourist that are visiting the Island.

Our officials have come to the conclusion that throwing money at them doesn’t help, feeding them is a good action but depends where you do it, is a good guilt response, but doing it in the wrong place you create a series of other problems, the mentally ill needs help, but we cant help them if they don’t want the help.

What do we do?

Ask this question “what would Jesus do? He can heal, He can deliver, He can save.

For some maybe acts of kindness, they may need new clothing or a toiletry bag so they can take a shower, a haircut, for others is to say no for money to get another bottle of vodka, or for drugs.

When we obey Jesus is not just a response out of guilt, Jesus will show us what His Father and he are doing, so we can do the same.

Listen to his words.

Joh 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Seek His will

Just like Jesus let the works you do glorify our Father in Heaven.

The compassion and authority of Christ

He will not leave you behind, He is not presumptuous, He is our perfect example, ask What would Jesus do.

Make Jesus the Lord of your life.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.