I have a-lot on my mind today. I am praying that John chapter 5 will minister to me and those I am thinking about. I have a friend who is worried because her daughter’s husband is out of work and …….the bills are due immediately…among other things. She is feeling the heart of a mother who is worried about her children and grand-child. I hope she will read this, because my message to her today is to BELIEVE that the Lord will see her family through. I heard from my cousin today, that his Pastor was killed in a car accident. This man was not only his Pastor, but a dear friend. I grieve for Pastor Dan’s family, his friends and his flock. I did not know him well, but I remember the last message I heard him give when Ed and I attended the Church he so lovingly cared for. It was the message of Christ, who tells us, “to take heart, I have overcome the world…..in me you may have peace” (John 16:33). I would not begin to minimize the pain or sorrow of the aforementioned (my friend, who is a mother worried for her family; Pastor Dan’s family, friends and flock who are mourning ). For I too, have had, and will have pain and sorrow in my life. I pray to BELIEVE, with all my heart, that Christ will be the peace and overcomer in my life. I received the following quote in an email from my friend Betty (just read it a few minutes ago). It says,
“Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”~~ Saint Augustine ~~
If you have not done so, please read John chapter 5.
John 5:1-15 
The Cure
After Jesus’ second miracle, he went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the ‘Jews. There was a pool there called Bethesda. It was a large area, having five porches. The scripture says that a great number of disabled people would wait for “the moving of the water”. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one in the pool, after the stirring, would be cured of whatever disability or disease they had. I had never thought about it before, but that must have been quite a site to see (the stirring of the water and the chaos of who would get there first). Jesus, after learning of one man’s longsuffering disability, chose to heal him. Notice that in verse 7, after Jesus asked him if he wants to get well, the man’s only complaint is that he has no one to help him in to the pool. Jesus, though the man has not thought of nor has he asked to be cured, said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk (verse 8). Immediately, the man was made whole and walked. Can you imagine the joy that this crippled man felt after so many years of disability?
Verse 10 really gets me…the ‘Jews, could only say to this man , “it is the Sabbath and it is unlawful for you to carry your mat today, and by the way, who did this to you?”. You would think that someone there would be a little joyful with the guy. The man had no idea who healed him, until Jesus found him later and said to him, “you have been made whole, go and do not sin again or something worse may happen to you. The man left and told the Jews it was Jesus who healed him.
John 5:16-30
Jesus and His Father
Verse 16 says that the ’Jews persecuted Jesus because of what he was doing on the Sabbath. I love Jesus response to the ’Jews. He presents these men with a description of His relationship with His Father. By claiming God as His own Father, Christ was claiming His divinity, making Himself equal with God. If you have not, read verses 16-30. It is who Jesus is. He is: The Giver of Life; the one through whom all judgement will come; he has all authority which comes from God…yet he declares He is dependant on God….the one who sent Him…..unity with the Father (see John 10:30~~’I and the Father are one’). He is the one who has the “Cure”….the healer of life….the giver of eternal life. Jesus also knows that these statements are cause for more persecution, even unto death. What we know is “that the grave cannot hold Him”!
John 5:31-47
Testimony In Support of Jesus
Jesus gives five sources to support His claim to be the Messiah
1. God the Father: John 5:37 “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.” (see also Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-22)
2. Mosaic Law: John 5:46-47 “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you goiiing to believe what I say?” (see also Numbers 24:17)
3. John the Baptist: John 5:33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth”. (see also John 1:19-34 and 3:27-30)
4. Jesus Miracles: John 5:36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John, for the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” (see also John 2:11; 10:25 and 14:11)
5. Scripture: John 5:39-40 “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (see also Isaiah 53:7 and Luke 24-44) ~~~~These 5 points were inspired by the comment in my Women’s Study Bible, on John 5:31-47
To Ponder: BELIEVE…..Christ is the subject of the Scriptures, The Word. Pray, searching the scriptures to find “Something Beautiful”. Jesus is truly Our Life….today and for eternity. We do not know today, what tomorrow will bring.
“The proof of spiritual cure, is our rising and walking. Has Christ healed our spiritual diseases, let us go wherever he sends us, and take up whatever he lays upon us; and walk before him.” Matthew Henry Commentary
Jesus~~I Love To BELIEVE In Him!
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 10:47 pm and is filed under Bible Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
