A Wrong Perception of Jesus

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John 5:6–15 (ESV)

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

We’re in Jerusalem, at the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost...

Jesus is at the pool of Bethesda.

He’s healed a man that was paralyzed for 38 years.

In an instant, at the very word of Christ...

38 years of muscular atrophy has been instantaneously restored.

Now, this morning I want us to look closer at the conversations that occur around this miracle.

Jesus & the Invalid: 1st Time

John 5:6 (ESV)

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

Jesus sees this man who has been an invalid for 38 years.

For 38 years, this man has been let down by this water experience.

And, Jesus asks this 38 year paralyzed man a question that is deeper than a surface reading.

It seems obvious that he wanted to be healed or he wouldn’t be there.

So, is Jesus simply asking this man if he wants to be healed?

—> Or is Jesus getting to something much deeper...

A much deeper, greater healing than just a temporal, physical healing?

What Jesus is really asking is, “What kind of healing are you looking for?”

—>What is your ultimate burden?

This is just like the conversation at the well with the Samaritan...

In which she could only think of the physical water in the well.

Or Nicodemus in which he could only think of birth in a physical way.

All three of them lacking in any spiritual understanding...

Lacking any understanding of their actual spiritual needs.

Again, we see...

A Natural, Fallen, Blind Response

John 5:7 (ESV)

7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

This is the epitome of the fallen human condition.

We are blind to our spiritual deadness.

We are blind to our true spiritual needs.

We are oblivious to our ultimate need.

We are only aware of physical, temporal comforts.

And, so Jesus in a supernatural act of power...

—> Restores this man’s health instantly.

This is a miraculous sign that should point to more than the miraculous healing.

A sign that should not stop our gaze until our gaze is set upon the glory of the One who performed such a sign.

Everything Jesus does is to set before the gaze of mankind the majesty & glory of God...

That very God…being Him.

John 1:1 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So, Jesus heals this man...

In spite of this man’s lack of understanding of his true need...

This supernatural sign...Pointing to Jesus’ power and glory as the God–Man...

And, how does this man respond to this healing?

The Invalid’s Response

Well, immediately we see...

John 5:9 (ESV)

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

So, he obeyed by getting up and walking...

Physical healing was this man’s self-perceived greatest need.

But, there’s no recorded gratitude from this healed man.

John gives us nor record of words of thanks or a joyous hug from this man...

Like we read with other people being healed by Jesus.

He just gets up, rolls up his mat, and walks away.

He just walks away and doesn’t even seem to have enough interest in Jesus to ask Jesus’ name.

This man is healed and he is walking with his mat rolled up and carrying it around.

Maybe a celebration from the crowd of this miracle caused the religious leaders to come over to him...

Or afterwards, and most likely upon investigation of a miracle having occurred, he is seen by the religious leaders as he walks away from the miracle.

What we’re told is...

John 5:9–13 (ESV)

9 ...Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

Before we get into the conversation between...

The Invalid & the RL (the Jews)

Let me say, I don’t think John is telling us, in v.13, that Jesus did not give this man an opportunity to show gratitude...

Nor give him opportunity to inquire his name.

I think John is telling us the man did not do those things...

And, by this time Jesus was no longer around.

Now John tells us at the end of v.9 that this occurred on the Sabbath.

Then in v.10 he uses the phrase “the Jews”...

This is a phrase that John often uses for the Religious Leaders of the Jews.

A term for those people, as leaders, represented the Nation.

So, with the end of v.9 it was the sabbath...

And, v.10 tells us the religious leaders are entering the scene...

We can now know that conflict is about to occur.

So, what is the conflict?

Now, I’m going to get into this much more next week...

Because it really gets at the heart of the conflict between the Religious Leaders and Jesus...

And, not only here but all other conflicts about what Jesus did on the Sabbath.

But, for this morning, I want focus on the heart of this man miraculously healed by Jesus...

So, let’s look more at his responses to the Religious leaders.

They’re upset at this man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath...

And, that was going against their oral law…made up by the religious leaders.

Now, let’s look at his response to their accusation...

John 5:11 (ESV)

11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ”

Does that ring a bell?

Does that remind you of any other place in the Bible?

It’s the woman you gave me.

It’s the snake you created and let in the garden.

This man is saying, “Hey, it’s not my fault it’s that guy over there that healed me.”

When our mindset is captive to the Covenant of Works...

We will always seek an excuse for the Law being transgressed that lies outside of the righteousness we cling to...

Seek to uphold at all costs...

And, erroneously perceive exists within us.

—> It’s preferred self-deception.

So they continue...

John 5:12 (ESV)

12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

The man looked around and didn’t see Jesus.

So, he couldn’t point Him out, nor could he inquire of Jesus.

And, that brings us to the second conversation between...

Jesus & the Invalid: 2nd Time

John 5:14 (ESV)

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

So after this man spoke to the Religious Leaders...

Jesus found him in the Temple and said something quite remarkable...

Some commentators believe that this shows that some specific sin had caused this man’s paralysis...

And, Jesus is saying be careful or sinning will cause greater injury.

I think that misses the point of the passage.

What Jesus is doing is coming back to the original question...

Do you want to be healed?

IOW...

What kind of healing, temporal or eternal?

He got the temporal.

Jesus gave that to him.

But, now, Jesus gives this man, that He just miraculously healed...

—> A heavy dose of the Law.

Why would he do that?

Jesus healed him physically, but now Jesus reminds the man of His greater need.

Sin brings eternal death & separation from the pleasure of God’s friendly presence.

Jesus in splendid grace says...

You still have that to face.

Don’t miss your ultimate need!

You still have something much greater to face...

—Judgment for your transgressions—

And, I’m the only One who can meet that need, as well.

What does the man do with this new information?

This man who has just been miraculously healed by Jesus...

Listen to what he does with Jesus’ name...

John 5:15 (ESV)

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

What did the man do?

—> Does he bow at the feet of Jesus?

—> Does he cry out my Healer & my Lord?

He doesn’t even thank Jesus.

He goes back to the Religious Leaders...

—> The Nation’s skewed representatives of the Law of God...

And, he seeks to appease the Law on his behalf by blaming Jesus for his transgression...

In the hopes that it will restore his standing before the Law.

This man was only concerned with self.

He was only concerned with temporal, earthly things.

He was only concerned with his “right now” “in the moment” comfort.

Here’s the IRONY:

This man was willing to use Jesus as a scapegoat.

Jesus reminds him that He needs one.

And the only Scapegoat God provides was standing right before this man’s very eyes.

—> And, the glory of God, through a miraculous sign was given to this man availing this man the opportunity to fix his eyes on the Savior.

And, he missed it because of self-absorption.

A sinful fixation and preferred self-deception on obtaining a self-righteousness before the Law of God...

Kept this man from laying hold of His only real hope.

Let’s think about this...

The world is looking for a different Messiah than Jesus.

They’re looking for a lesser Messiah than Jesus is.

They’re settling for a temporal peace that will end...

When they could have a peace with God that will never end.

We need to point them to the greater peace.

We need to point them to the greater Messiah.

And, can I say this...

We need to make sure we’re not settling for lesser peace as well.

May our eyes be fixed on Jesus.

Behold the glory of Jesus.

glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Closing Prayer