John 5:18-20

John 5 (ESV)

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate (Gate where sheep went out of to be sold for sacrifice) a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda (Ba-thes-da), which has five roofed colonnades (Two rows of columns that support a rooftop). 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

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

- Not in the earliest of biblical manuscripts. So some translations make note of the passage but do not include it in the canonical text.

Don’t Get lost in the Story - Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Paraphrase beginning in verse 5- There was a paralyzed man who had been laying at the pool for 38 years. Jesus knew this when he and the disciples came to Bethesda…and asked him “Did he want to be healed?”

But instead of answering Jesus’ question, the man began to give all the reasons why he couldn’t be healed - he said that every time the “angel”stirs the water someone cuts me in line!

Jesus interrupts in verse 8 and tells the man to “Get up, and take up your bed and walk.” And the man miraculously did so.

When that happened the Jews and the Pharisees had a major issue with it - due to the Pharisees adding to God’s law and making it into something that it was never supposed to be.

The pharisees had misrepresented God’s command to “not work or bear a burden on the Sabbath day” and turned it into their own rule which basically said, “do not do anything that we disagree with - which apparently that day included celebrating because you have just been healed of paralysis!”

Don’t Get Lost in the Story - Keep Your eyes on Jesus!

The story goes onto say that Jesus later found the man in the temple - and not only talked about the physical healing that he had brought to the man… but the need for spiritual healing as well- and the man believed!

Jesus may have saved the man from paralysis at the Pool of Bethesda - but it was in the temple that Jesus set him apart for His purposes!

Jesus’ message to the man was “Don’t Get Lost in the Story - Keep Your eyes on Me!

16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working…..”

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing… For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

John 15:5 (ESV)

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

“So much of the time we ask God what do You want me to do?”

We should change the centerpoint of that prayer from what do you want me to do to? To God what do you want to do?

Henry Blackaby - left LA church to moved to Middle of No where Canada to work at a small church with no future because God told him to!

People thought he was crazy he responded “IT would be crazy to stay after God has said to Go!”

12 years later - 38 mission churches and a bible college had been started…Blackaby went on to speak in 115 nations, at the UN, the Whitehouse, the pentagon and many more…

Stop focusing on what you can do!! DOn;t get lost in the story keep your eyes on Jesus!

Philippians 2:13 ESV

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

One person turn their eyes toward Jesus and asking what is God doing around me can have enormous impcations in their life!

20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.