Not all good things are obvious - John 5

Read John Chapter 5.

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.

In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, awaiting for the moving of the waters;

for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.

A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?"

The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk."

Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

John 5:1-9

This was the third miracle recorded in the gospel of John and the most public one. The first miracle, turning water into wine (John 2), was not obvious to everyone. Only the servants who served the wine and the disciples were privy to it (John 2: 9, 11).

The second miracle also had a limited audience. Only the family of the sick boy and the disciples of Jesus being aware of what happened (John 4:46-54).

In other words, the first two miracles in John 2 and John 4 served the disciples? faith. They were principally for their benefit. The disciples were learning about Jesus privately. We all need a personal and private fellowship with our Lord Jesus. Do you have one?

In John 5 we meet a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years (John 5:5). Compare this to Israel?s wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14) and you get a comparable picture. While disobedient Israelites wandered for 38 years and perished this man by the pool was healed.

Jesus can turn hopeless situations around and He often will if we allow Him. It is never too late for God to intervene.

Jesus asked the man by the pool a question that seemed to have an obvious answer - "Do you wish to get well?" (John 5:5). When we have been in negative circumstances for a long time the way out may not always be obvious.

Are you looking at the wrong pool for your answer?

Maybe it is an open door, need for comfort, or job opportunity. You may have your gaze and hope set on the wrong answer. Take a step back and look around. Are you missing something? Is Jesus trying to catch your attention?

The beautiful thing about this miracle is that the man did not even know who Jesus was (John 5:12). He was not reaching out in faith. Jesus simply picked him out from the crowd for a miracle. The only incidence similar to this that I can recall is found in Luke 22:49-51. In all other cases, someone apart from Jesus was exercising their faith for healing.

Let?s not miss the point though. This man did have faith. However his faith was in the wrong place. His faith was in the stirring of the water (John 5:7). It was not obvious to him that the real thing stood in front of him. Jesus reached out to the man?s hope and delivered him.

Where is your faith placed?
It is so easy to place our faith and hope in the wrong thing.
Maybe you are expecting a person to be your source of breakthrough.

Ignorance is a cruel blindfold. It gives the impression of progress when you are running the wrong way.

Our ignorance may not always be obvious to us but it will still hinder us.

The Jewish leaders were as ignorant as the lame man but their ignorance was mixed with arrogance and pride (John 5:10, 16). A heart unwilling to learn is dangerous. The fact you have been doing something for years does not mean it is right.

This story was about people who could not see the obvious. There is more than one lame person in it. There was the man physically lame who got healed and the Jewish leaders spiritually lame who never saw the obvious.

May God open our eyes to see the obvious things!
May we never spend years waiting hopelessly at a pool.

The good thing is that - it is never to late to see Jesus.
It is never too late to let Him intervene.

29 March 2008