Need A Miracle (3 of 12)
NEED A MIRACLE? (3 of 12)
Meet Jesus
John 5:1-18
In the verses I have read to you this morning, we
encounter a man who is in need of a miracle. It is
altogether true that in this congregation this morning
there are people here today who are in need of a
miracle. You have come into this building and you know
the circumstances of your life and where you are at
this particular point—you need a miracle. Maybe you
need a marriage miracle. If something doesn't happen—
if events don't change—if circumstances don't reverse
themselves—your marriage is not going to make it and
you are in need of a marriage miracle.
Maybe you are in need of an employment miracle. Looks
like your job is going to be terminated. You have no
real viable prospects at this point in time. If
something doesn't happen then you are going to be out
of a job and you need an employment miracle.
There are some here today who need a financial
miracle. Some deadlines are coming up. Some notes are
coming due. Some bills need to be paid. Maybe your
401K has hit the bottom and you are getting ready to
retire. If something doesn't happen you are not going
to be able to retire. You really could use a financial
miracle.
Here is a man who came to the Lord Jesus Christ and
what happened to him is what needs to happen to all of
us when we are in need of a miracle. This man met
Jesus. We need to meet Jesus, also.
The man's name is not mentioned here. We are just
simply told in verse 5 that it was a certain man. He
is nameless. We won't know his name until we get to
heaven. He is just one of the crowd. He has come to
the pool of Bethesda.
We are told a little bit about that pool in verse 2.
It was near the sheep gate. It was a pool that had
five porches. When you go to Israel they will take you
to St. Anne's Church which is near where that sheep
gate was. The city of Jerusalem had a number of gates
that you could go through. The sheep gate was one of
them where they would bring in the sheep to be carried
Old Testament the sheep market. There they would be
purchased and many of them would be carried over to
the temple to be sacrificed. So near where the place
of sacrifice was, where the lambs of sacrifice were
bought and sold, was this particular pool.
Around St. Anne's Church they have found two pools and
they have found five porches. Also in that area they
have found a faded fresco which is a picture of an
angel who is moving the water. So it is believed that
this is the pool that is referred to in these verses
of Scripture.
The name Bethesda means "house of mercy." How
interesting that at the gate of sacrifice there is a
pool which is the house of mercy.
The second church I ever served as a pastor was
Bethesda Baptist Church. I'm sure all of you know
exactly where that is. It was in the home county where
I came from. I was a 20-year-old boy at that time. The
word around the county was—let's all go out to
Bethesda and hear the boy preacher. It used to make me
mad. The very nerve of them calling me a boy preacher.
Now, I'm at the stage where that would be pleasant to
my ears. The old timers at the church didn't call it
Bethesda; they called it old Bethursday.
It was in that church that I met my wife, Janet. It
was a homecoming Sunday—all day singing and dinner on
the ground. I was going to preach that day on Jacob's
ladder. She walked in the building that day and I fell
off the ladder. It was love at first sight. That's
where I met her and eventually we were married. So I
have warm memories and every time Bethesda comes up,
it's kind of special to me.
Here is a man sitting at the pool of Bethesda—the
house of mercy—and we are told in verse 3 that he was
just one part of a great multitude. There were a lot
of people there. When you look at the people there you
will discover that it was not the normal crowd that
people would like to be around necessarily. Here are
real victims. Here are people who have real needs—
people who have real problems. A great multitude of
impotent folks. People who have all kinds of problems.
Today we want it different from that, don't we? We
want every thing to be perfect. We want perfect
people. We want people with perfect bodies, athletic
chiseled bodies. We want somebody that has a personal
trainer to help them have a perfect body. We want
people with well-adjusted personalities. We want the
cultured and the refined.
Yet here lay a great multitude of people who had all
kinds of needs. By the way, these are the very people
that Jesus left heaven and came all the way to this
earth to die on the cross for.
Somebody says, "You have a bunch of people at your
church who have a lot of problems, don't you"? I say
I really do. "Man, there are folks who come to your
church and their lives are shattered." They really
are. "You just have a bunch of folks at your church
who are struggling." You are exactly right.
A church is not a trophy case for the display of
perfect saints. It is a hospital for the nurture and
the care and the healing of hurting saints. That's
what a church is all about. That's why we are here
this morning.
A lot of people don't want to have these kinds of
people around. It's a compliment when a church draws
people who have needs. It is a congratulation to the
church when there are people who come who have
problems, when people come who have hurts and when
people come who have need of miracles in their life.
He is one of multitude of people who have special
needs.
Let's zoom the camera in for a moment and I want to
call you attention first of all to—
I. A Needful Man.
"Certain man." He was there and he had an infirmity.
That is he had a sickness for 38 years. You will
notice that this man is a powerless man. It says in
verse 3 that it was a multitude of impotent folk. That
word is used in Romans 5:6 where it describes our
condition before God. It says we were without
strength. What a picture that is of what sin does to
us and how the disease of sin gets hold of us. Here is
a man who is without strength.
It is interesting to notice that in verse 14, this
man's particular physical ailment was due to his
personal sin. Look at what Jesus said to him later on
after the cure. "Behold, thou art made whole; sin no
more lest a worse thing come unto thee." Jesus is
saying you were sick in the first place because of a
problem of sin in your life. That is not always the
case. One point of disagreement I have with the faith
healers today is right at this point. Sickness today
is not always a direct result of personal sin. If you
question that, read the Gospel of John, 9th chapter,
and read about the man who was born blind. The
disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, who did sin because this
man was born blind? Did he sin or did his parents
sin?" Jesus basically said, "Neither one, but that the
glory of God might be made manifest in him."
Not all sickness is due to personal sin. But
ultimately we know that all sickness is due to sin.
Coming out of the Garden of Eden, among many of the
ill effects that flowed out of that disastrous
experience was the whole problem of sin and sickness.
One of these days when Christ comes and we are in the
glorious heavenly city, there will be no more sin;
therefore there will be no more sickness. It is true
that in some instances people are sick because of
personal sin. This is one of those instances.
When you read in the Bible about different diseases,
many times these diseases are illustrations of what
sin is like and the devastating affects of sin. Look
at verse 3. It tells us the kind of folks who were
there. "Blind, halt (lame), withered (dried up,
waiting for the moving of the water). Blindness is a
picture of sin because sin blinds us to the things of
God. Blinds us to what life is all about. The Bible
says the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of
them that believe not.
The word, halt, means to be limping—to be crippled.
Sin is a crippler. It keeps people from knowing how to
walk and how to live life.
Withered—sin has a way of drying up your life and
wasting your life. How many people's lives are wasted
today by the devastating affects of sin?
Think about all of the havoc that sin reeks in the
lives of people today. Think of all of the heartache.
Think of all of the shattered homes. Think of all the
turmoil. Think of all of the conflict. Think of all of
the embarrassment. Think of all of the disaster. All
of the things that sin brings into the life of a
person. Here is a man who is powerless.
Not only is this man powerless; this man is helpless.
He is sitting there at the pool of Bethesda. I don't
know how long he had been sitting there or how long he
came there. Maybe not all of the 38 years, but
evidently he had been coming for a long, long time and
had been sitting at that pool.
In the oldest manuscripts the 4th verse is not found.
I'm reading from the King James text. But in verse 7
it makes reference to the troubling of the water. In
verse 3 it talks about the moving of the water. So it
is altogether possible clear to me that this is
exactly what happened. From time to time an angel
would come down and would trouble the water and there
seemed to be some kind of healing power in the
troubling of that water.
So here's a man sitting by a pool waiting for
something to happen. Is that you this morning? Some
of you have been sitting by some of the pools of this
old world waiting for something to happen. From time
to time something does happen. There are certain
social provisions in life and you read success stories
from time to time. Something gets stirred up. Some
people get better. I'm glad and thankful for it. If
there's something that helps a person on alcohol, get
off of alcohol, I'm grateful. If there is something
that helps a person get off of drugs, I'm grateful.
But you may be sitting by the wrong pool. You may be
waiting for the moving of the water at the right
place.
This man is basically helpless. He's evidently a
cripple. He can't walk. In verse 7 he says—I have no
man when the waters trouble to put me in the pool; but
while I'm coming another steps down before me. It was
every man for himself. Does that sound like the day in
which we live! Everybody for himself. Just get yours
and don't worry about anybody else.
This man said—I don't have any man. "I have no man."
Isn't that a sad statement. It reminds me of the
statement David made in one of his psalms when David
said, "No man cares for my soul." That's a sad thing.
Are you sitting here today and you say, "Nobody cares
anything about me. I live and go about my work and my
day and people don't care if I'm alive or dead. They
don't care if I'm there or not there. Nobody cares for
me."
Let me ask you. If you are involved in a Bible
fellowship class, do you care? Some of you who are
teaching boys and girls and children, do you care? Do
you know that little boy that came to your class last
week for the first time? He came out of a bad
situation. Do you care? Have you even bothered to
check on him this week? Have you placed a call? Have
you made a visit? Do you care? Who is going to care
about people in this world if God's people don't care?
God has placed us in a city where there are thousands
of needy hurting people all around us. We have the
tools, we have the message, we have the opportunity to
reach out and care for them in the name of Jesus
Christ. Of all people we need to care.
All of us know somebody who needs Jesus. But here is a
man who is helpless. No body to help him. Not only is
he helpless, this man is surely hopeless. He's been in
this situation for 38 years. The book of Proverbs
says, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." Think
about it. Thirty-eight years and no cure. Thirty-eight
years he couldn't walk. Thirty-eight years there was
no help for him. He has come to the point where he has
lost all hope in life. Maybe there is somebody here
this morning and you need a miracle but you have lost
all hope. You have just about given up. For this man
the pool of mercy has become a pool of misery. A needy
man.
II. A POWERFUL Master.
This man said—no man cares for my soul. But there is
one man who cared for his soul and his name is Jesus.
There is one man who cares who is a master, a great
physician. His name is Jesus. Nobody may have cared
about this man for all of these years. Nobody may have
cared about this man at that pool until Jesus came
walking up. When Jesus gets on the scene there is
somebody who cares. Look at this picture of Jesus. I
love preaching about Jesus. All of the Bible is about
Jesus. Wherever I'm preaching in the Bible, I made up
my mind along time ago that before the message was
over, I would beat a path to Jesus. I really do enjoy
reading and studying these scriptures that directly
have to do with Jesus coming on the scene and with
Jesus doing something. This is one of them. Jesus
comes walking through that sheep gate. Jesus would be
the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the
world. Jesus came walking into that pool. Jesus Christ
who is the Great Physician who can bring about
miracle-working cures in the lives of individuals.
Let's take a look at this powerful man Jesus. First of
all it says Jesus sees. "When Jesus saw him. . .(verse
6)." Jesus sees this man. He sees. Did you know Jesus
sees you this morning? Jesus saw your yesterday.
Whatever you may go through in the morning, whatever
challenges you may face tomorrow, whatever problems
you have been going through at your house Jesus sees
and he cares.
Jesus knows. "When Jesus saw the man and knew. . ." You go
to the doctor and they will pull your name up on the
computer and they will pull your record out and tell
you all of your medical history. Jesus never had to
refer any computer. Jesus never had to pull out any
records, anywhere. Jesus Christ knows everything about
you and me. He knows all about it. He knows what your
need is today. Jesus sees the man and he knows that he
has needs. He knows all about him.
It says not only that Jesus sees, but we learn here
that Jesus searches. He is going to search this man's
heart. Jesus says an amazing statement in verse 6.
"Wilt thou be made whole?" Putting it in our
vernacular today, "do you want to get well?" IS that
not an astonishing statement! Here is a man who for
thirty-eight years has been sick. Here's a man who has
been coming to a pool, hopeful that he will get well.
Here's a man that the desire and hope of his life is
that he wants to get well and Jesus says, "Do you want
to get well?" Of course, Jesus, he wants to get well.
What are you talking about?
Don't be so hasty. Did you know that there are some
people who find ill health to be convenient? Some
folks, if you don't want to know how bad they are
doing, don't ask them how they are doing. Some people
rather enjoy poor health. For some people it has
become a convenient crutch. It's an attention getter.
It's an opportunity for self-pity. The same thing is
true in the spiritual realm. Do you want to get well?
There are some people in the spiritual realm and the
question really is—do you want to change? Not
everybody wants to change. Some of have been in a life
of sin so long you have gotten adjusted to it and you
think it's normal. You let somebody walk into some
offices in this city and if they don't drink liquor
and they don't run around with women and they don't
cuss and all that kind of stuff—people look at them
and say, "My gracious alive, how abnormal can you
get?" They've been in sin so long they think that's
what life is all about. They think that's normal life.
They don't want to change. You would like a miracle
today to get you out of your financial problem. You
would like a miracle today to get your wife to not
leave you as she as threatened to do. You would like a
miracle today to straighten out some trouble you are
in, but you don't really want to change your
lifestyle. Am I right? Am I telling the truth? Am I
preaching?
Here's another thing I want you to notice. "Will you?"
Jesus addresses the man's will. "Will you be made
whole?" Divine omnipotence never runs roughshod over
the human will. I believe in divine sovereignty. The
Bible clearly teaches the sovereignty of God. God is
sovereign over all. When it's all said and done, God's
will is ultimately going to be done.
I also believe in the freedom of the human will. God,
in His divine sovereignty, has chosen to give to man a
will. You have a will. You have the ability to choose.
God does not run roughshod over your will. God
appeals, but He doesn't attack. God moves, but He
doesn't mug. God extends His grace, but God does not
impose His grace. You have a will. You have a choice
in the matter. Sitting right here in this building
today—you have a choice. If you decide to, if you will
to, you can be lost forever. If you absolutely insist
on it, you can die and spend eternity in a devil's
hell. God has given to you a will. "Will you be made
whole?'
What Jesus sees. What Jesus searches. What Jesus says.
Look at verse 8. "Jesus saith unto him. . ." He give
three quick, clear, crisp commands. Keep in mind that
here's a man who has been sick for 38 years. Here's a
man who has been unable to walk for 38 years. Jesus
says, "Rise, take up your bed, walk." Rise—do the
impossible. Do what he couldn't do. Take up your bed—
don't leave any provisions for a relapse. And walk—
literally the word walk means, "walk around now, start
doing what you haven't been able to do for 38 years."
Is that impossible? Jesus calls upon us to do the
impossible. Jesus always invites us to do that which
we cannot do. Somebody sitting here this morning and
you've been saying, "I would accept Christ if I
thought I could live it. I would become a Christian if
I really thought I could be the way a Christian ought
to be. I've got news for you. You'll never be a
Christian if you wait until you think you've got the
power. If you wait until you think in your ability you
can live for the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you will
never come. Jesus Christ calls those things which are
not, things that are. Jesus Christ brings into
existence that which does not previously exist. Jesus
Christ gives power where power was previously not.
Jesus Christ can give you the ability to live for Him.
You got a drug problem? Jesus can give you power over
it. You got a drinking problem? He can give you power
over it. You got a lust problem? He can give you
power over it. You got a disposition problem? He can
give you power over it.
The Apostle Paul said one time that "God has enabled
me, having put me into the ministry." He was saying—
where God put me, He gives me the power to perform.
Christ can give you the power to be everything He
wants to save you to be.
A needful man. A powerful master. We have—
III. A Wonderful Miracle.
Look at this cure in verse 9. "And immediately." That
means suddenly. That means on the spot. The man was
made whole. He's cured. He takes up his bed and walks.
He is immediately cured. God can do a miracle in your
life. He can change your life instantaneously. You may
have walked into this building lost in your sin. You
can walk out of this building forgiven and set free.
You may have come here today paralyzed by sin. You can
walk out of this building free by the power of Jesus
Christ. Christ gives instantaneous cures to the sin
problem.
Not only is he cured, but would you look at this. He's
criticized. Look at the last part of verse 9. "And on
the same day was the Sabbath." What was the Sabbath?
Well it wasn't today. This is not the Sabbath. You can
call it the Christian Sabbath if you desire. But
literally speaking, today is not the Sabbath.
Yesterday was the Sabbath. Saturday is the Sabbath. It
commemorated God's act of creation. The seventh day
was the day of completion, the day God rested after
His work of creation.
Jesus healed this man on the day of the Sabbath and it
says in verse 10, "The Jews therefore said unto him
that was cured." Here's a man who for thirty-eight
years has had a sickness. For thirty-eight years has
not been able to walk. Wouldn't you think that
everybody would be happy? That everybody would rejoice
in the cure of this man? Yet, here come the religious
police. They say to him, "Today is the Sabbath. You
can't walk around with your bed rolled like that. It's
against the rules."
Every time people get saved, I think about new
converts and I say, "Oh, Lord, I hope they don't meet
some Christians I know."
"What are you so happy for? You'll get over it.'
"Sit down, you are disturbing the worship service."
"You are too exuberant."
"You have too much joy."
"You are too free."
It doesn't matter what anybody says. All that really
matters is—if you are in need of a miracle today and
you meet the Lord Jesus Christ and He gives you a
miraculous cure, that's all that really matters.
Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people are going
to be happy and rejoice with you.
You walk down this aisle this morning giving your
heart and life to Jesus Christ; you are in the midst
of a group of people who are going to rejoice with
you. The Bible says that there will be rejoicing in
the presence of the angels of heaven over one sinner
who repents.
He's also challenged. Verse 14 Jesus finds him in the
temple. That's a pretty good sign right there, isn't
it? Now that the man is cured, you find him in the
temple. Am I saying that you have to join the church
in order to be saved? No. I'm not saying that at all.
But I'm saying that there is a pretty good evidence
that a person has been changed in his life and loves
the Lord is that now he loves the church. It's
incongruous to me for someone to say, "I love Jesus,
but I'm not interested in the church at all." The
Bible says Christ loved the church and gave himself
for it.
Christ has saved me. The least I can do is be involved
in His church. That's the easy part. I'm not saying
you're not saved if you don't join the church. I'm
not saying you are not saved if you don't attend
church. But I'm saying to you that's the easy part of
the Christian life. If you can't do that, doesn't
raise at least a little question in your mind about
the reality of your experience with the Lord?
The Bible teaches that when we receive Christ we are
to be baptized and we are to be taught His
commandments. That takes place in a local church.
I was talking to our staff the other day. In my study
of the New Testament, one of the things I have noted
is that when people were saved in the New Testament,
they were automatically baptized and automatically
became a part of the local church. Isn't that what you
read in the New Testament? You don't read about
anybody having to be browbeaten or cajoled or tugged
or pulled to be baptized. It was just an automatic.
Why is that? Why is it that you will have people today
who will say, "Oh, yes, I've been saved? But I'm not
going to be baptized." Why? In the New Testament it
was an automatic. Think about it.
Then it says that the man told them it was Jesus who
made him whole (vs.1 5). He begins to tell other
people about the Lord. I think when we have
experienced a miracle from the Lord; we'll begin to
tell other people about it in some way. We have
different degrees of abilities to say things. Some of
us are more timed and more reticent than others, but
there will be some effort to at least share with
someone what Christ has meant to us.
I read about a blind man in China who was carried to a
missionary hospital. The doctors removed cataracts
from his eyes. This enabled him to see. He went home
rejoicing. Several days later he returned to the
missionary hospital, holding a rope to which were
attached 40 other blind people who wanted a similar
cure. Jesus said in verse 17, "My father works
hitherto." The father did the work of creation and He
rested. When sin entered the Father began to work
again. Now Jesus comes and he says, "I'll work."
God the Father did the creation work and it took a
miracle. Now, he does the salvation work and it takes
another miracle. You need a miracle this morning?
Meet Jesus.
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
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