Whether it’s that first sip of coffee in the morning, or that sense of serenity that comes when you step into the bathtub, or even the feeling of relief that comes immediately after taking medicine, certain things just make us feel better. Even though science tells us that it takes 30 minutes for caffeine to enter our bloodstream, up to a minute for bathwater to regulate our body temperature and relax our muscles, and at least several minutes for medicine to begin its work (at least to the point where we can feel it), just knowing that something is being done helps our minds jumpstart the process. In our text today, there is a pool that has some healing effects on the people in this area of the city of Jerusalem called Bethesda. In fact, there are two pools with five columns and some covered areas around them where people waited to get into the water. It was thought that these two pools had some sort of healing powers. Those who waited by the pools would jump in at certain times in hopes that they would be healed of their various infirmities almost immediately. We don’t know whether or not these pool actually worked or if they had any healing powers at all, but the people there believed they did. Some of your Bibles might even say something about an angel coming down and swirling the water, giving the pools their healing power for a time. Without going into much detail, it’s most likely that there was just some type of event that happened that caused a change in the water. It would be similar to something like an artesian well, which works seemingly against the law of gravity, being combined with the healing of something like a hot spring. So it’s highly doubtful that this water was truly healing, but it did have some type of therapeutic element to it, even if it was only a mental one.
If these pools truly healed people, then we might not have been introduced to the man that we find in verse 5; a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. I mean, here was a man who had been almost totally physically disabled for nearly 40 years; if the waters healed, then he would have possibly at the very least, been in a little better condition. However, it is possible that because of this man’s near paralysis, that this was the first time that he was able to make it to these healing pools. It’s also possible that he had been in the pools, but it wasn’t during the times when the healing powers were active. You see, the pools were thought to have these healing powers for only a short time after whatever change it was took place within the water. This man was thinking that if only he could be in the water during the time in which the healing powers were active, that he would be cured of this dreadful disease that limited him physically for so long.
Jesus sees this man lying there. He can tell that this man has been in such a poor physical condition for quite some time. Judging by his age, he guesses that this is probably not this man’s first attempt at entering these pools and thus being healed of his affliction. This man most likely is thinking that Jesus is asking him whether or not he wants Jesus to push him into the pools so that he may receive their healing effects. We can gather that from his initial response to Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.” It seems to be that there are always people jumping in front of this man so that they may be healed of their afflictions; a fact that no doubt had to continuously frustrate this particular man. His freedom from this condition was seemingly so close, but he has never been able to make that final push to be healed. Little does he know it, his greatest hope for healing is standing right in front of him.
Jesus says to this man, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Now, our text tells us that at once the man was healed and got up and walked off with his bed. While I do not doubt for one second that the man was instantly healed, I can’t help but think that there had to be a delay in the man getting up, even if it was only for a second or two. Here is a man who has been for the most part bed ridden for the last 38 years, and this man who he just met is telling him to stand up and walk. The man has to be thinking, “Fellow, don’t you think I would if I could. That’s the whole reason why I was asking if you would put me into the pool.” However, this man does indeed get up and walk off, taking his mattress with him.
Now, if this were the end of the story, it would be an amazing account, but it is only half of the story. The other half of the story comes when this newly-healed man runs into a group of Jews after leaving Jesus and the healing pools. They see this man up and walking around carrying his mattress, but what catches their attention is not that this man who was an invalid is now walking. You see, they most likely had known this man and had seen him numerous times before in his previous condition. No, that’s not what catches their attention; what catches their attention is that he is carrying his mattress. It catches their attention because this particular day is the Sabbath, the day of rest. To quote biblical scholar R.C. Sproul, “Where in the Word of God does it say it is unlawful for a person who has been healed of paralysis to carry his bed? You know the answer to that question: nowhere.” Obviously, Dr. Sproul is right about such prohibition being found nowhere in Scripture, but these Jews weren’t really going by God’s Word. You see, the rabbis had created a list of 39 specific types of work that were illegal on the Sabbath day according to their interpretation of God’s law. If I had that list for all of you to see, then you would find way down on the bottom of the page, at number 39, a prohibition against carrying something from one place to another. These men are more concerned with this man’s observance of rabbinical law than rejoicing in his being cured of a 38 year disease.
Since this man who has now been healed is breaking this rule, he is questioned by this group of Jews, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” The man, quickly wanting to get himself out of trouble, comes back with, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up you bed, and walk.’” In other words, “it’s not my fault, this other guy made me do it.” Sound familiar? I can imagine that many of you, especially those of you with siblings have heard this before. And depending on whether you were the younger or older sibling, you probably have a very vivid memory of which side of such accusations you fell on, but I’m not talking about a personal shifting of blame, I’m talking about a biblical one. Way back in the beginning, in Genesis 3:12, when Adam is found by God to be eating the fruit from the tree and Adam says that it wasn’t his fault, Eve made him do it, the woman made him eat the fruit. This was sin shortly after creation, and it is still sin during the time of Jesus’ life. In fact this is sin for us today. When we make excuses and say that schedules are too busy or life is too hectic or I need rest, then we are shifting the blame off of ourselves.
This particular Sabbath, after all of the events of this past week, are proof of that. It is true that things could have been much worse, and I am thankful that they were not, but there is a laundry list of reasons why we could neglect the worship of our Lord this day: our yards are in need of cleaning, the pantry has to be restocked, I’m behind on my work, and the list goes on-and-on. Luke 12:8-9 says, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” Friends, when we choose to take care of those “other matters” instead of worshipping God, we are denying Him before men. We are saying to the outside world that what we have to do and what we have to take care of is more important that worshipping the Creator and Sustainer of all the things of this earth.
Our story for today, however, doesn’t quite end there. Later on, Jesus happened upon this man once again. Luckily for this man, this is exactly what he wanted. When the Jews had asked him who had healed him, the man didn’t have a name to give them because he didn’t know it. This second meeting gave the man a chance to learn Jesus’ identity so that he could report it back to the Jews. It’s worth noting, that many times when someone is healed by Jesus, their reaction is one of gratitude. This man, however, has no sense of gratitude and only wants to serve himself. After learning his identity, the Jews question Jesus about his working on the Sabbath and thus breaking of rabbinical law. Jesus answers them with, “My Father is working until now, and I am working;” a startling statement to the Jews. We need only look to the next verse to see why it was so heretical to them. Not only was this man named Jesus working on the Sabbath, but he now he is calling God his Father; in essence making himself equal with God.
Now we will take up much of this notion of Jesus proclaiming God as his Father next Sunday, when we look closely at God authority and the authority that the Father has given to the Son. However, what I want us to understand from this text is that Jesus is not simply working on the Sabbath, but He is the Sabbath. He is our rest and our refuge. This isn’t a discussion about whether or not we should or shouldn’t work on the Lord’s Day, nor should it be. This is an opportunity for us to see just how much we need Christ, but not only do we need him, we need to worship him. As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous reasons that we can think of to not get out of bed on Sunday and gather together with God’s people. In fact, we can probably come up with many more reasons for not worshipping than we can for worshipping. However, there is only one reason needed for worshipping. It is a trump card so-to-speak for all of you spade players. That one reason is to praise God for all that He has done and all that He is doing for you, for me, and for all of mankind. How could our response to such wonderful blessings ever anything but complete adoration, obedience, and praise? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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