The Promise That Couldn't Deliver

How many of you are familiar with the show The Chosen? The creators of this series portray several miracles of Jesus as they continue to develop this series on his life and ministry.

One particular miracle they display is in the second season. Today, I would like for us to watch this clip together. But before we do, I do want to point out that there’s a wonderful blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment as the miracle unfolds. Right in the middle of the action, there’s a cut-away scene

in which you see that one of Jesus’s disciples is recording the event in a diary. That disciple is John, and the miracle that is being depicted is, in fact, only recorded in John’s Gospel. Scholars often refer to this event as “The Healing at the Pool.” Let’s watch it together together…

"Jesus Heals at the Pool of Bethesda"

The promise that couldn't deliver.

As mentioned before, this miracle is only mentioned in the Book of John, and we are going to go through the miracle itself today, and the aftermath of this miracle next week.

Let us begin by reading John 5:1-4 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.

We find ourselves in Jerusalem once again. Jesus and his disciples have gone up for a feast, which is widely regarded as the feast of the Passover. This means that as far as timeline goes, we have already entered the second year of Jesus' ministry. We will remember that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist a few months before a Passover feast. If this is the second Passover, then we are a few months into the second year of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus is in Jerusalem, he goes to a place called the Pool of Bethesda. Bethesda meaning house of mercy. This was a special place. Around the pool there were five covered porches where sick people would lie. These people went there because occasionally, the waters were stirred and it was believed that whoever got into the water first after it had been stirred by an angel, would be healed from whatever sickness they had. The Bible never confirms that an angel actually stirred the waters and people were healed. Depending on what version of the Bible you have, this verse may not appear in your Bible as some ancient texts include it and others do not.

Archeological evidence suggests that even after the Roman destruction of the temple, about 40 years after this event, they did not destroy the pool and continued to believe in the healing powers associated with the stirring of the waters.

As Jesus walks into this place, he notices, among all the others that are sick, a certain man who has been battling a sickness for 38 years.

John 5:5-6 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

An Impotent Man, A Promising Pool

The Bible describes him as impotent. This means powerless, weak, feeble. It seems that this man was at least partially paralyzed because when Jesus does heal him, the command he gives him is to get up and walk. Whatever the condition was, he had suffered from it for 38 years so far.

Is it due to an accident? Was he born that way? Is it the result of some grave

sickness? Was he like this due to sin (and there may be evidence that this is actually the case)? But we don’t know for sure. What we do know is that he had suffered for thirty-eight years. It surely goes without saying, but: he longed to be well. In the earliest years of his condition, perhaps he had family members or friends carry him from doctor to doctor, looking for healing. But – nothing. Somewhere along the way he heard of a mysterious pool down by the old Sheep Gate in the eastern wall of the city of Jerusalem. On occasion the waters would be stirred, and rumors swirled that the first person to enter them would be healed. Perhaps he had family members or friends carry him there. Life on the daily for him was as follows: Lay by the pool. Eyes on the water. Wait for movement. Hope for healing. But – nothing.

The Pool had been a great promise. But after years of waiting, it had become the promise that couldn't deliver. The problem was that once someone carried him to the pool, they would go on about their day, but there was no one to help him get in the pool once the water would stir. Imagine, crippled for 38 years, waiting for the pool to be stirred for who knows how many months or years, only to be beaten out by a man who simply had the flu. What horrible feeling. How much disappointment had this man gone through? How much bitterness did he experience at the unfairness of being there for so long and not receiving healing? His hope was in a promise that could not deliver. The pool promised healing, but could not deliver it to this man.

Then along comes Jesus with a question. "Do you want to be made whole?" Well of course he wants to be made whole! I imagine that the conversation was very similar to the one that we saw on the clip.

John 5:7 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.

"Sir, I have tried and tried everything to be made whole. I've seen doctors, I've tried therapy, I read the book The Power of Positive Thinking, and I even rubbed essential oils on myself, and nothing has helped me. I heard about this pool here and figured that this would finally be the answer to all my problems. But even though I am just feet away, I cannot get in first. Everyone gets in in front of me. It's right there and I just can't make it on my own!"

Can you imagine the frustration, anger, and bitterness this would have caused? Can you out yourself in this man's position? How many years of trying and failing would it take to make you a cynic? He just needed someone to help him in. Notice his cry, "I have no man." The thing was, even if he had someone there to sit beside him and wait for the exact moment of the waters being stirred, the chances of this man getting in first were still very slim. We read very clearly that John states there was a great multitude of sick people present.

The pool promised healing, but could not deliver it to this man.

So what does Jesus do?

John 5:8 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.

This is an amazing story of healing from the Lord, but the answer that we get from the man provides us with the bulk of our application this morning. There is a lot going on in this man's mind, but he has missed out on the one thing that can actually help his condition.

We find in this person that those that are hurting need healing, and they will look anywhere to find that healing.

But we find in Jesus' approach to the man that those that are hurting and need healing must not look everywhere or to everything, but to someone. That someone is Jesus. When Jesus encounters the man at the side of the pool, he has a question for him: “Do you want to get well?” It seems cold, really. The man has been an invalid for thirty-eight years; of course he wants to be well! But the question is anything but cold. “Do you want to get well?” is just another way of saying, “I can make you well.” Jesus isn’t being cold; he’s being kind. But being kind doesn’t mean the absence of confrontation.

Remember, for years this man’s eyes have been faithfully and expectantly locked on the waters of the pool – locked on what he thinks offers his best chance at healing. In asking this question Jesus is asking the man to take his eyes off the pool and put them on him, the only one who can truly make him

well.

In his mind, the pool held the promise, and his only hope was for someone to help him into the pool. He had bought that line for so long that when Jesus asked if he would be made whole, the first thing he says is "I have no one to put me into that pool."

Surrounded by people who's eyes were also locked on the pool, this man was hurting and was alone, eyes locked on a promise that would never deliver.

Let me tell you this, this morning, "If you are waiting for spiritual healing, Jesus is the only one who can do that."

Don't fall for the lies that are out there that say:

If you were only a better person, God would love you.

If you just prayed or read your Bible a little more, God would then love you.

If you could just do a little better...

Those are all false promises that will never be able to deliver.

The truth is that God sent His son while we were still sinners, to die for us who were completely undeserving of love and forgiveness, so that we could be saved and have a relationship with Jesus. He is the only person that can offer that. Much like the man at the pool of Bethesda, you have to take your eyes off of what you think might help and turn them to Jesus who is the only one that can possibly help.

Being extra good or extra rich or extra philanthropical will never fill the hole that only Jesus can.

Jesus came to give life and to give it more abundantly than you or I ever could imagine.

Saints, that goes for us too. If you are here and you are saved, you have Jesus as your personal savior, you need to be careful what your eyes are locked on. Jesus came to give you more abundant life, but it is only through Him that you can find it.

What are your eyes locked on? Where are you hopes set? Which undeliverable "promise" are you waiting for?

If I only had a better job...

If I only had a better schedule...

If my business would just be a little more profitable...

If I could just make a little more money...

If I could find the right man / woman...

If I just had a better car / another car...

If I could lose a little more weight...

then life would be better.

But the list is endless, and only offers more promises that can never deliver.

What are your eyes on?

In one of his darkest times, David, as he is fleeing the jealousy of King Saul who has the whole army out pursuing him, flees and hides in a cave. He is met there by friends and family and many others who were distressed by Saul. But Saul isn't chasing everyone else, he is chasing David. And this is what David has to say about it:

Psalm 142:1-4 A PRAYER WHEN HE WAS IN THE CAVE.

1 I cried unto the LORD with my voice;

with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

2 I poured out my complaint before him;

I shewed before him my trouble.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

then thou knewest my path.

In the way wherein I walked

have they privily laid a snare for me.

4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld,

but there was no man that would know me:

refuge failed me;

no man cared for my soul.

He said "No man cared for my soul," "There was no one the could know me or understand me." Even surrounded by family and supporters, no one could relate and no one was in the danger that David was in.

But David realizes his eyes can't be locked on others. Look at what he continues to say in the rest of the Psalm:

5 I cried unto thee, O LORD:

I said, Thou art my refuge

and my portion in the land of the living.

6 Attend unto my cry;

for I am brought very low:

deliver me from my persecutors;

for they are stronger than I.

7 Bring my soul out of prison,

that I may praise thy name:

the righteous shall compass me about;

for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

His hope was not in the cave, his hope was not in family, his hope was not in the many supporters that had followed him and would have fought for him. David's hope was solidly in the Lord, and it was the Lord who sustained him in that cave.

What are your eyes locked on?

Invitation:

Life Groups:

What are things that unsaved people might turn to gain righteousness?

Should a person attempt to become a better person before coming to Christ?

Despite the healing we experience in Jesus, the temptation to look to other

sources of hope and healing remains. Our first inclination can still be to look to some “pool” for healing. How do we keep our eyes locked on Jesus alone as the source of our hope and healing?

How do we push away the voices that promise healing – and never deliver – so that they might not drown out his voice with the promise of healing that does deliver?

We might think there are miles between us and this man, but it’s quite easy, especially for new or immature Christians, to one moment believe we are saved by the life and work of Jesus, and then in the very next moment, to fret over what we must do to remain saved. That’s nothing more than another “pool.”

In what ways could people struggle to believe they are saved? Are there things we’re doing to try to maintain our salvation?

How do we keep our eyes locked on Jesus alone as the source of our salvation?

Jesus taught that he came to give abundant life (John 10:10). What did he mean? Often it is more of the eternal life that we think of when we hear/read this verse. Jesus, however, did not only come to give us an abundant eternal life, but a life that was overflowing in this life.

Like the man who had his sights set on getting in the pool of Bethesda for the fulfillment of the promise of healing, what are "pools" that our eyes get locked on to? Where are you tempted to go for fulfilment?

Think about you rough days at work. What do you turn to for relief? Is it to Jesus? To a drink? To entertainment? To sleep? To food?

Have those things ever fallen short of fulfilling you?

There are different types of healing and fulfilment that we seek and need, but we must seek them in the person of Jesus Christ.

Many people have suffered spiritual abuse and manipulation; others have been hurt emotionally. Jesus is the only one who can heal those kinds of wounds permanently. Often, people look to revenge or escape (distancing themselves from those that have hurt them) as the promise of healing. Though those may provide some level of satisfaction or fulfilment or feelings of safety, they can never heal like Jesus can.

Have you experienced true healing from Jesus from situations like this? If not, and you need to, turn to Him and understand that this type of healing takes time. It is a good thing to seek counseling through situations like these.

If there is anything that Tahsha or I could do to help you walk through this, please let us know.

03DEC2023@GNBC