John 5 - Pools of Grace

John 5:1-16

The signs Jesus did pointed to Jesus as the Son of God.

Signs Jesus performed, pointed to His Divine Nature as the Son of God. So that we would see the Father (v19)

Jesus’ answer to the Jewish claim that he was making himself equal with God. The way in which Jesus used the title Son follows from his custom of calling God his Father. It shows a particularly intimate relationship. Jesus gives four reasons in support of his claim: the Son acts precisely like the Father (19); the Father shows the Son his plans (20); the Son, like the Father, has power to give life (21); the Son has been given authority for judgment by the Father (23)

John was intentional in writing his gospel. He used 7 signs or miracles to help bring a complete picture of Jesus. Here was the third sign done. First was new wine, indicating the gift of the Spirit in His saving work, Second was healing of gentile boy, indicating His abundant life and kingdom available to all, and now the third sign of healing a lame and sick man.

Jesus healed a sick man, revealing He is the one who can heal us, make us whole, and transform us.

38 years of sickness.

Jesus won’t force wholeness on us..”do you want to be made well?” When HOLY SPIRIT works, it’s flowing from fruit…He is gentleness.

Do you want to see transformation really occur? Do you want to see your entire value system change? Do you want your identity to be shifted?

for most of us, it’s walking in righteousness we struggle. It’s walking in the ways of God that we are limp thru. our formation has been dictated by the ways of the world.

our identity formation is skewed without Jesus.

Illus: work as YTH pastor was my identity. Jesus is our source of fulfillment and identity; but we dont’ stop having a job. We properly order and properly source our fulfillment.

“jesus lives in you heart, but grandpa lives in your bones”’

There are mentalities that are shaped communally based on location.

Healing, wholeness, and transformation is a work of Jesus through Grace.

pictures: remains of the pool and colonades.

John emphasises numbers intentionally to make a point. Five is the number of Grace in Scriptural Literature.

The lame man was more trusting of winning the lottery of healing than in anything else. The man had no merit and very little faith.

So much of this chapter talks about judgment to come and receiving mercy.

John 5:24 “24 “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.”

John 5:28–29 “28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

mercy and grace when you need it…

Hebrews 4:14–16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Healing, wholeness, and transformation is a work of Jesus through Grace we experience in our practices as apprentices.

So much of the issues with the healing was related to the sabbath.

This tension has two parrallel truths..

Morality and Legality aren’t always the same. One deals with justice and righteousness, the other is cultural permission.

2. Works and Grace are compatible.

“You can’t experience grace through a work”

The jews seemingly started treating the practices as if they were the means to an end themselves. Like they make us holy and clean.

no, the practices are channel and means through which we experience Grace, they are not merits of grace.

Works of the law was Pauls contention and problem he had…primarily that they trusted in the work of the law more than the Spirit they could encounter…

Galatians says the law was a custodian designed to bring us into Grace, but we stopped short.

The practices of our faith help us live out the words of Jesus: “don’t go back to sinning or something worse will come on you.”

“The deeply formed life is not possible without an intentional reordering of our lives.”

Deeply Formed Life:

“First, the practices don’t save us or make God love us more. We are saved by God’s free and faithful love in Christ. God’s love is steadfast, meaning there’s nothing we can do to make him love us more, and there’s nothing we can do to make him love us less. Rather, these practices are meant to help us receive and express God’s love in deeply formed ways.”

“The practices have personal and communal elements to them. Some practices don’t require the involvement of other people, but each practice is strengthened by the presence of others on the journey.”

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about the work of Grace that transforms us into people who are made whole. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read John 5:1-16 . What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

What does it mean for you to have a transformed identity in Christ?

Read John 5:19-23. What are the four reasons Jesus provides to support his claim of being equal with God?

In what ways can we practically seek healing and transformation through grace in our lives today?

How can we prevent our understanding of religious practices from becoming a mere checklist rather than a means to experience grace?