A Case of Supreme Wretchedness
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· 6 viewsThere were a lot of sick people at the pool of Bethesda that day. Why did Jesus only pick one? It seems like Jesus purposely did multiple miracles on the Sabbath day. What was His agenda?
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John 5:1–9 (ESV)
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.
--
In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him,
--
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked...
Process the story more.
Place of Brokenness
Place of Brokenness
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.
Jerusalem
there for feast
Sheep gate
walking through town’
Sick
blind
lame
paralyzed
Nursing Home
The healer!
did they know?
Other places
long lines
Jesus drawn to
human
hurt
woe
brokenness
He wished he could
heal them all!!!
Why not?
Sabbath.
Cause trouble
hinder his work.
(come back)
Missing Verses?
Missing Verses?
Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].
Controversy
brackets
original?
yes
no
KJV only?
Moving of Water
angel?
God?
thermal bath?
superstition?
demon?
My understanding
thermal bath
superstition
Angel?
Not God’s method
arbitrary...
Extra Damaged
Extra Damaged
Continue Story
One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
Jesus attracted to
broken people
hurting people
couldn’t help
Sabbath.
Maybe,
just one...
Desire of Ages Chapter 21—Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
But the Saviour saw one case of supreme wretchedness. It was that of a man who had been a helpless cripple for thirty-eight years.
Worst case
most damaged.
most wretched.
most hopeless.
Jesus wanted
to bring hope.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
Frequent question:
Do you want…?
Obvious?
You think
rhetorical question?
He is there
to be healed.
Begins to make
excuses
reasons
failures.
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”
True...
the belief:
“first one.”
Therefore:
must be selfish
must push
must trample
He is… paralyzed!!!
no pushing
no trampling
rolling
Jesus sees
desperation
failure
hopelessness
Brings Hope:
Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
The man could have said:
“I’m paralyzed.”
“I can’t.”
“I wish.”
“Too bad.”
Somehow,
believed Jesus.
hope arose...
Faith took hold.
nerves
blood
muscles
ligaments
bones
Move
John 5:9 (ESV)
And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
The other paralyzed man
Jesus healed...
Sinner...
Jesus said,
Luke 5:20 (ESV)
… “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Why was this
man paralyzed?
sin?
birth?
accident?
We are all
damaged by sin.
Our Choice
Someone else.
Brokenness of this life.
In a sense,
we are all
like him.
Paralyzed
frozen
broken
in sin...
Desire of Ages Chapter 21—Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
Of ourselves we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walking.
Many wonder
will he
care about me?
Remember
Jesus found him.
Paralyzed man
did not walk
to Jesus.
Christ pursues us.
Also,
Jesus simply said
Stand up and walk...
What simple
childlike faith
required to accept.
Some here today.
struggle with sin.
Jesus says,
stand up.
Desire of Ages Chapter 21—Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
Do not wait to feel that you are made whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled. Put your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the master passion which through long indulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is “dead in trespasses.” Ephesians 2:1. He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin.
John 5:9 (ESV)
And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked...
Sabbath Issues
Sabbath Issues
Jesus knew
it would cause
controversy.
Couldn’t help it.
had to save
this man.
John 5:9–10 (ESV)
… Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”
Jewish belief:
bearing a burden...
Distortion of this passage:
Jeremiah 17:19–21 (ESV)
Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People’s Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, and say:
--
‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.
Be clear,
what were the people
doing with burden?
Bring in gate
take near gate.
What is it talking about?
Buying and Selling on Sabbath
Jesus like Nehemiah
Nehemiah 13:15–18 (ESV)
In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
--
And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them,
--
“What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
Story?
bring in
food
wares
to sell.
Jews told healed man:
John 5:10 (ESV)
“It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”
Why?
taking bed home.
just healed.
Jews did care
38 years paralyzed
set free
HEALED!!!!!
No burdens
on Sabbath...
Missed something???
Continue:
But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ”
I don’t know
I’m healed
man said....
take up bed
go home!
They were
out for Jesus
more evidence
case against Him.
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
He didn’t know.
He never asked:
“what is your name?”
Walked home...
Jesus method
heal and disappear.
Don’t tell anyone.
why?
More conflict
hinders work.
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
What this tells us?
Sin no more...
Certainly,
cause of paralysis,
connected to sin.
Jew probably knew too.
wicked man.
deserve sin
result of sin
bad person
no healing for you!
Jesus healed
to show
sinners get grace!
This time,
healed man
got Jesus’ name.
The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
Told leaders...
The attack Jesus:
And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
Pharisee problem:
break down law
break down tradition
break down their position
They were afraid
lose authority
over people.
Jesus repeatedly
fought against them
over the Sabbath.
Not go there...
Next Sermon...
Jew confused
added burdens
Sabbath burden.
Jesus came
unburden Sabbath
show its joy.
They believed
healing on Sabbath
breaking Sabbath.
But religious leaders
Priests
Levites
worked on Sabbath.
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Jesus work
work of benevolence
To be done
every day of week.
Sabbath appropriate.
Some make
Sabbath about
what not to do.
Jesus made
Sabbath about
what you can do.
Appeal
Appeal
Follow Jesus’ Lead
This Sabbath
Be a Blessing
Help Others
Minister to Hopeless