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Proverbs 13:15-25
15 Good understanding gains favor, But the way
of the unfaithful is hard.
16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a
faithful ambassador brings
health.
18 Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a
rebuke will be honored.
19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to
fools to depart from evil.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion
of fools will be destroyed.
21 Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous,
good shall be repaid.
22 A good man
leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner
is stored up for the righteous.
23 Much food is in the fallow ground
of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste.
24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he
who loves him disciplines him promptly.
25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his
soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
Father God, bless us and our loved ones during this
upcoming 4th of July weekend when traveling to and fro. Keep us safe
in whatever activities we may engage in. In
Jesus
name we pray, Amen!
Gospel of John 5:1-12
NKJV
This
week’s lesson is about the man laying by the pool waiting for it to be stirred
by an angel so that he might be the first in the pool for a healing. This
inflicted person of 38 years is healed by the word of Jesus on the Sabbath,
which caused an uproar from the Jewish leaders because their religious law was
broken. See how precious their laws were to them compared to the new life of
the crippled man.
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
After this there was a feast of the
Jews;
This feast is
believed to have been the Feast of the Passover. If this is correct then Jesus
would have been in His public ministry a little over a year.
Three
times a year males from every household, were to keep these Feasts as directed,
according to the Law of Moses. The first one was in April, “Passover,
Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits.” This was the time of the Barley
Harvest, to which these Feasts were connected. The second in the first part of
June, some 50 days after the Passover, the “Feast of Pentecost.” This
was the time of the Wheat Harvest. The third was in October, the Feasts of “Trumpets,
Atonement, and Tabernacles.” This was the time of the Fruit Harvest.
And Jesus went up to Jerusalem; Jesus being a Jew kept these feasts
even though He knew there was no salvation in these festivals. Salvation is
based on faith and not works of religious rituals. Abraham, Jacob, Job, the
prophets, etc. based their salvation in God and God alone.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in
Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep
Gate a pool; It is not known the size of this pool
or pond. Some say this pool is a rock-cut, rain-filled cistern, 55 ft. long X
12 ft. broad, and is approached by a steep and winding flight of steps. Others
say the pool was at the “Virgin's Fount”, which was filled by an intermittent
spring whose “troubled” waters were visited by Jews for purposes of cure.
Which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda; Bethesda (Beth-zatha) actually means
“House of Grace and Mercy.” This was considered a public infirmary since people
were cured by the properties of the water and Divine intervention. It is
believed that the waters of the pool were charged with iron and carbonic acid
along with other gases, which did have healing properties. With these
properties and also the Divine intervention, miraculous healings transpired.
Having five porches; The five porches refer to some type of
shelter around this pool since there was always people there to protect them
from the elements of weather.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people,
blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
It
appears that this pool had medicinal properties only when it was “agitated” or
“stirred.” It is possible that at regular times or intervals the fountain put
forth an unusual quantity of water, or water of special properties, and that
these times the people assembled in multitudes who needed healing.
Can
we compare this stirring of water to Old Faithful in Yellowstone? Every so
often Old Faithful goes off, could this be the same type of activity that would
cause this water in the pool to be stirred, or is it stirred by an Angel? How
often this stirring occurred, we don’t know.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into
the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the
stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
John
gives this statement as fact and not folklore. We know there is a spiritual
world and there are angel (God’s angels and Satan’s angels). Many suggest the
water of the pool was stirred by some means of nature and not of an angel. If
the Bible is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which it is, then why would
people believe the stirring was a natural cause like Old Faithful and not an
angel of the Lord? If it was natural wouldn’t John have stated it that way? One
thing we know for sure it that God had His hand in this!
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity
thirty-eight years.
We
don’t really know what the infirmity was that this man had. Some say he was
blind while others say he was crippled. Either of these conditions would hamper
the man of getting into the water before anyone else. We do know that this man
had this condition for 38 years, but don’t know if it had been since birth.
What
we can learn from this is that man has been in a state of infirmity (spiritual)
for a long time and man cannot heal all infirmities, but Christ can. The
comparison being that OT Laws, religions, works, etc. cannot save a person,
only going to the foot of the Cross in repentance where the quickening power of
Christ will heal a sinful man.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he
already had been in that condition
a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be
made well?"
When Jesus saw him lying there, and
knew that he already had been in that
condition a long time, He said to him; The all knowing Jesus knew the life
story of this man and what he endured. What the condition was of this man’s
heart we aren’t told, but could it have been that this man had been crying out
to God for mercy? Is it possible this man had been there longer than anyone
else?
The
illustration given here for us to learn is the sin nature of man that all are
born with, and Jesus asking, "Do you want to be
made well?"
"Do you want to be made
well?"; What a
question! The KJV states, “Wilt thou be made whole?”
Man
is not “whole,” and, in fact, cannot be “whole” without Jesus.
After
38 years, this man's situation looked hopeless. But no matter how trapped you
feel in your infirmities, God can minister to your deepest needs. Don't let a
problem or hardship cause you to lose hope. God may have special work for you
to do in spite of your condition, or even because of it. Many have ministered
effectively to hurting people because they have triumphed over their own hurts.
7 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."
Man dependant on man has
its limitations, whereas man dependant on Jesus, all things are possible,
physical and spiritual. This verse shows us why we need Jesus. This poor man
had no one to help him. Many passed him by without lending a helping hand. No
compassion was shown toward this man whatsoever. It resembles the Good
Samaritan story. Luke
10:30-35 Then Jesus
answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when
he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and
looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had
compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring
on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and
took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he
departed, he took out two denarii, gave them
to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you
spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'
This
verse also shows us that man devised laws, such as what the Jews believed in,
has no eternal salvation. Those that place their faith in man’s doctrine to get
to Heaven fail every time!
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise,
take up your bed and walk."
Jesus said to him, "Rise; Jesus
picks up sin ridden man all the time. Just like this man that was disabled, no
man could help and he couldn’t help himself, but Jesus lifted him up. Jesus
didn’t touch the man, just spoke the word “Rise” and the same holds true for a
repentant sinner, Jesus forgives and a new life begins.
Take up your bed; These words gave the man divine
strength to do this after 38 years of being inflicted. The bed that had been
his prison now becomes his prisoner. This speaks not only of the “bed” in the
physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense, referring to bondages of
darkness that bind mankind in their iron grip, with no way to be free. Things
like alcohol, drugs, hate, prejudice, racism, religion, etc. But once Jesus
comes in, the jailer (Satan) and the prison (hate, alcohol, etc.), are taken
prisoner. The former prisoner goes free, and now becomes the jailer.
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As the song says:
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Chorus:
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“Once like a bird
in prison I dwelt,
“No freedom from
my sorrow I felt,
“But Jesus came,
and listened to me,
“Praise the Lord,
He set me free.”
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“He set me free,
He set me free,
“He broke the
bonds of prison from me,
“I’m glory bound,
my Jesus to see,
“Glory to God, He set me free.”
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And walk; This man was directed by Jesus to
walk and he did. For the first time in 38 years he was able to walk on his own.
Jesus set him free from his sins as we will see in next week’s lesson.
A
Born Again person is also set free of the bondage of sin and begins to walk a
new life. The joy of the new life this man now had is the same joy spiritual
birth gives to a new believer.
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up
his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
And immediately the man was made well,
took up his bed, and walked; What
do you suppose was going through this man’s mind? Whatever it was he obeyed
Jesus and did what he was told to do. It was the power of the Holy Spirit that
brought this man to his feet, gave him strength to pick up and carry his bed,
and walk. After 38 years this man’s muscles would have weakened greatly. This
event was a testimony for all around, to see a man in such a state to be healed
and get up and walk.
And that day was the Sabbath; This healing was done on the Sabbath
and for a reason. Several times Jesus healed on the Sabbath to point out to the
Pharisees that their laws were laws they had fabricated; that they were
practicing laws of man and not of God. Matthew 12:6-11; Luke 6:9; Luke
13:14; Luke 14:5 Jesus pointed out that the Jews would
pull an animal out of a pit on the Sabbath to save it, yet they would be irate
toward Jesus if He healed someone on the Sabbath. They valued animal life over
human life. It is no wonder He called them hypocrites.
Jesus
is the Sabbath He created the Sabbath and in Him we find peace, rest, and
comfort. This man was healed on the Sabbath and found great joy and peace. Born
Again people realize what the Sabbath is when they are regenerated in a new
life. Their Sabbath is Jesus Christ through faith in His death and
resurrection. Every day is the Sabbath when you love Jesus with your heart.
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured,
"It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."
A
man who hadn't walked for 38 years had been healed, but the Pharisees were more
concerned about their petty rules than the life and health of a human being.
The Jewish leaders saw both a mighty miracle of healing and a broken rule. They
threw the miracle aside as they focused their attention on the broken rule,
because the rule was more important to them than the miracle. It is easy to get
so caught up in our man-made doctrine that we forget the important things.
11 He answered them, "He who made me well said
to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.' "
This
man gave a correct answer and shows his obedience to the one that healed him.
If you were in his shoes wouldn’t you do the same, or would you argue that it
is the Sabbath and couldn’t? The man was under the power of the Holy Spirit
just like a new born Christian. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that
resides within the temple of a Born Again Christian that assist one in
obedience.
12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who
said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"
What
bigots, what Hippocrates these leaders were. All they could focus on was the
law and not the miraculous healing of this man. All they could see was their
religious law being violated and they wanted to know who violated it to punish
the person. What contentions there were and are even today between the truth of
the Bible and man made doctrine.
I close this week’s lesson with this: Is your faith in
the truth of the Bible or false teachings of man? Have you actually read the
Bible to see what it contains? Have you verified your beliefs with Bible
scripture? If not now is the time to do so, we are in end times, and time is
running out. The religion I came out of had me believing that good deeds,
works, and keeping the sacraments would get me to Heaven, which is false. Only
faith in Jesus Christ in what He did on the Cross and believing in His
resurrection will get a person to Heaven. John 3:3 Jesus
answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God."
Colossians
1:16 For
by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans
3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans
6:23 For
the wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say
to you,
unless one
is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners
Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord
Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my
sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
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