Walking with Jesus; The Pool of Siloam

Introduction:

The next few weeks we will be walking in the footsteps of Jesus. To begin walking in the footsteps of Jesus it would be helpful if we knew what Jesus’ mission was during his ministry.

Here is what Jesus said he was here for:

Luke 4:17–19 NIV

and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

John

This is why he was sent, what he proclaimed and demonstrated in his ministry. This morning we are going to look at his ministry in relation to the Pool of Silaom, which in Hebrew means ‘sent.’

The Pool of Siloam:

The Pool of Siloam:

The water came from the Gihon spring “heart of God” it flowed through Hezekiah’s tunnel to fill the pool and provide water to the poor and needy. This is where they would take their baths and have their ceremonial cleaning.

The priest is drawing water from the heartbeat of God at the Messiah’s pool when Jesus begins to teach.

The people are looking to the water to provide; physical healing/cleansing, provision for the upcoming year, satisfaction for their thirst.

Among the writings of the oral law the pool was known as Messiah’s pool, the Old Testament clearly defines the Messiah as the ‘sent one’ numerous times, and Siloam or Shiloach is the same word in the Hebrew and the English transliteration is the word apostle, or missionary; ‘sent one.’

The Feast of Tabernacles/Booths:

This was one of the three major feasts of mandated by God throughout the year [; ]. All people were to gather in Jerusalem to celebrate and give offerings to the Lord for seven days. It was held from 15-22nd of the 7th month, every male was required to appear. The 8th day was a solemn day before the Lord and is ‘the great day of the feast’

Deuteronomy 16:16 NIV

Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:

Leviticus 23:43 NIV

so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ ”

Before the exile:

The people were to gather in celebration and bring offerings from the harvest. Those who were native born in Israel were to build and live in temporary dwellings, booths, to remember their ancestors wandering in the dessert and the Lord’s provision.

After the exile:

After the exile the tradition of water-pouring, sacrificing water started signifying the request to the Lord for the water/rain needed to grow the crops and maintain life. The Priest would take the water from the Pool of Siloam and carry it through the crowds to the temple to offer it to the Lord.

The Living Water of God:

o The water came from the Gihon spring “heart of God” it flowed through Hezekiah’s tunnel to fill the pool and provide water to the poor and needy. This is where they would take their baths and have their ceremonial cleaning.

o The priest is drawing water from the heartbeat of God at the Messiah’s pool when Jesus begins to teach.

o The people are looking to the water to provide; physical healing/cleansing, provision for the upcoming year, satisfaction for their thirst.

o Among the writings of the oral law the pool was known as Messiah’s pool, the Old Testament clearly defines the Messiah as the ‘sent one’ numerous times, and Siloam or Shiloach is the same word in the Hebrew and the English transliteration is the word apostle, or missionary; ‘sent one.’

· The Living Water of God:

It was during the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles that the priest would have taken the water from the Pool of Siloam or Shiloach. He would carry the water up a wide set of stairs from the pool to the temple. He would then pour out the water as an act of sacrifice; this was considered their most precious possession as the water was necessary for life.

It was at this time Jesus cried out; “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” The promise he gave everyone who would come to him to drink that living waters would be flowing through them. Imagine the illustration Jesus just gave the people, the living waters of God would be flowing through you and you would never be thirsty again. This offer was not made only to the priest but to everyone in attendance there that day. The sick, the poor, the faithful and the commoner.

Created to be a witness of God:

Let us now go back to chapter nine; Jesus is back in Jerusalem with his disciples.

John 9:1–7 NIV

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

The first question asked is who sinned, there are two possible scenarios given as to the cause of his blindness; he sinned in the womb, his mother or father sinned while he was in the womb.

Jesus responds with neither he nor his parents; but so that the works of God might be displayed (manifested) in him.

Jesus then makes some mud to put on his eyes and sent him to the ‘pool of sent’ where he would believe and be healed. He would in fact receive and have the living waters flowing through him, by the one whom was sent.

Application: what do you struggle with in your life, what imperfection do you have? It might be something so blatant that everyone can see it or it may be something only you and a few close to you know. Whatever it is perhaps it is there in order that God might be displayed in you.

Being sent as He was sent

Jesus sends the man as an illustration to the disciples teaching them

When the man believed and went he was healed

He displayed the work of God

As Jesus was sent by the father so did he send the man and so did he send his disciples and so does he send us.