196 – Pool of Bethesda
John 5:1-47
There was a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda. It was near the Sheep Gate. Local people believed that occasionally an angel would stir the waters of the pool. They felt a sick person would be healed if he or she were the first to get into the water after it was stirred. Therefore, a large group stayed near the pool, waiting for the angel.
Jesus went to that pool when he was in Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. He saw a man who had been sick for 38 years. The Lord said, “Do you want to be healed?”
The man said, “Yes, but when I see the stirring of the waters, someone always gets into the pool before me.”
Jesus said, “Stand up! Pick up your bedroll and walk.” Immediately the man was healed and got up. Jesus slipped away into the crowd as the man was picking up his bedroll.
Some of the Jewish leaders saw the man carrying his bedroll. They said, “How dare you! This is the Sabbath. It’s not legal to carry bedrolls on the Sabbath.”
The man said, “But… but… a man healed me and then told me to pick up my bedroll and go home.”
“Who told you to do this work on a Sabbath?”
“I don’t know. He healed me and then disappeared into the crowd.”
Later, Jesus saw this man in the Temple. The Lord said, “You’ve been healed, but you must stop sinning. If you don’t, something worse will happen to you.” The man then knew who had healed him. So he rushed to the Jewish leaders and told them that it was Jesus.
Hearing this made them more determined to end the influence Jesus had with the people. They felt his actions on the Sabbath were totally unacceptable.
Jesus said to them, “My Father works on the Sabbath, so I will too.”
Hearing this, the leaders started talking about killing him. They said, “He breaks the rules about the Sabbath. Now he calls God his father. He thinks he’s equal with God!
Jesus said, “The Son only does what the Father tells him to do. The Father loves the Son, and gives him power so he can give life to anyone he wants. The Father has made the Son the judge of people. If you don’t honor the Son, you’re not honoring the Father who sent him.
“I’ll give eternal life to those who hear me and believe on Him who sent me. Those who believe will not be judged, but have passed from death into life.
“How do you know if I’m telling you the truth? I’ve told you but that’s not good enough because I’m talking about myself. You heard John the Baptist talk about me, but you didn’t believe him. The Father spoke about me, but you closed your ears to him. My miracles show that I’m telling the truth, but you don’t accept them as proof.
“You study the Scriptures constantly. They talk about me, but you turn your eyes away from those Scriptures. The truth is, you’re just not willing to come to me and have life.”
