The pools of Bethesda (4 things)

• 1^st – Superstitions… vs. 1-4
  • There was a feast in Jerusalem… vs. 1
    • There are seven religious feasts during the year according to the Law – Leviticus 23
    • Three of these feasts are required for every Jewish male to attend – Exodus 23:14-17
    • Jesus had attended the feast of Passover – John 2 – where He met with Nicodemus…
    • It is possible this was the feast of Pentecost – held 50 days after Passover
  • In Jerusalem just north of the Temple mount there are pools (there to this day)… vs. 2-4
    • The place was called Bethesda – meaning ‘the house of mercy’…
      • Located by the ‘sheep gate’ – where the lambs would be brought in for sacrifice…
      • The pools were large – over 120 long / 40 feet wide / and almost 20 feet deep!
    • The pools also had five covered porches – lined by great marble colonnades…
      • This was where a large number of sick people would gather and wait…
      • They believed an Angel of God would occasionally ‘move the water’…
      • And if the water ‘moved’ – the first person to get in would be healed!
  • Superstitions are nothing new…
    • The verse about the Angel is not found in most original manuscripts of the Bible…
      • The reason is because this was not a fact – it was a local superstition…
      • The pools were likely part of the Temple complex – used in the service of God…
      • But the people of Israel had lost their relationship with the Lord…
      • And what had once been used to serve God – became something people worshiped…
      • They would come from far away – just to wait for the ‘wind’ to blow on the water!

• Like the Bronze Serpent – Numbers 21
  • When Israel sinned in the wilderness – God sent deadly snakes…
  • When they repented God told Moses to put up a bronze serpent – look at live…
  • But many years later (over 600) – the people began to worship the serpent…
  • II Kings 18:4 – “[King Hezekiah] broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had begun to worship it by burning incense to it. The bronze serpent was called [a thing of brass].”
  • The people were far from the Lord – so they worshiped something God has used!
  • The serpent was just a chunk of metal – the power to save only comes from God!
• The farther we are from the Lord – the greater our tendency to worship things…
  • I think of the Black Nazarene – a 400-year-old piece of burnt wood…
  • It once represented salvation – it was meant to remind people Jesus on the cross
  • But the meaning has been lost – because people are far from God…
  • Today millions flood the streets of Manila to see it – believing the statue can heal them!
  • We fill the void in our lives with superstations / trinkets that remind us of God…
• There is no power in charms/idols/superstitions – only God has the power to save!
  

• 2^nd – Healing the lame man… vs. 5-9
  • One of the men at the pool had been lame for 38 years… vs. 5-7
    • When Jesus saw him – he asked if he wanted to be healed…
      • The man was quick to respond that he was not fast enough…
      • When the ‘waters moved’ – someone else always got in before him…
      • He was so focused on the pool – he missed Jesus right in front of him!
    • Those who trust in superstitions – are unable to see Jesus…
      • We all know people who are (as perhaps we were) caught up in superstitions…
      • People who live in constant fear of evil spirits / those who trust in idols…
      • When we are in bondage to superstition / spirits – our eyes are not on Jesus…
      • Rather than looking to the Lord – we have placed our faith in something else!
  • Jesus commanded the man – ‘take up your bed and walk!’… vs. 8-9
    • Immediately the man was healed – and he stood up and walked!
    • If you know someone who is caught up in dead religion / empty superstition…
    • They are lame – stuck – they cannot look beyond their misplaced faith…
    • Do not ignore them – do not pity them – tell them to look up / stand up and see Jesus!
      
• 3^rd – The Sabbath day… vs. 10-13
  • This all happened on the Sabbath day…
    • In the beginning – Genesis 1-2 – God established the 6-day work week…
    • God worked 6 days to create the World – so man is also only to work 6 days a week…
    • The 7^th day God rested – so He made it a day of rest – it became known as the Sabbath…
    • Saturday is the 7^th day in the Jewish week – the Sabbath (day of rest)…
    • The first church celebrated the Sabbath on Sundays – resurrection of Jesus – Acts 20:7
    • That is why we consider Sunday to be our day of rest…
  • Jesus would intentionally heal on the Sabbath!
    • In total Jesus healed 7 times on the Sabbath – He did it to make a point…
      • It happened so often the leaders followed Him around on the Sabbath…
      • Mark 3:2 – “They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day…”
    • Jesus did it to show them the real purpose of the Sabbath…
      • Because man is more important than the Sabbath – Luke 6:5…
      • God did not create us to follow the Sabbath – He gave the Sabbath to us!
      • It was meant to give us a day to unwind – rest – recover…
      • It is no longer required – but it is probably a really good idea…
    • Because the real purpose of the Sabbath was to point us to Jesus!
      • Colossians 2:16-17 – “So let no one judge you… regarding..  Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
      • If you see the shadow of a friend – you do not run up and hug the shadow…
      • But the shadow does tell you your friend is close…
      • The Sabbath was a shadow of Jesus – He is where we find true rest!
  • The Jewish leaders saw the man walking with his bed… vs. 10-13
    • They reprimanded him – you were not allowed to carry anything on the Sabbath…
      • It is against God’s Law to work on the Sabbath – 4^th commandment – Exodus 20:8…
        • Working on the Sabbath was punishable by death – Exodus 35:2…
        • In Numbers 15:32 a man was found gathering sticks for a fire on the Sabbath…
        • The punishment for his crime was to be stoned to death by the people!
      • The leaders of Israel defined the Law for the people…
        • The challenge was though the Bible said you could not work on the Sabbath…
        • But what constituted ‘work’ – that is where the religious leaders stepped in…
        • They defined what ‘God meant’ when He said you could not work – (39 do not’s)
        • Jewish leaders teach that it breaks the Sabbath to – pick your nose…
        • According to Jewish teachers – even turning on a light is breaking the Sabbath…
        • Refrigerators in Israel know the day – and do not turn on the light on the Sabbath!
    • The man responded – ‘the man who healed me commanded me to carry my bed…’
      • The leaders demanded to know who that had told the man ‘break the Sabbath’…
        • But he did not know – Jesus had already disappeared into the crowds…
        • Amazing that they did not care a man – lame for 38 years – had been healed…
      • All the leaders were concerned about was he was carrying a bed on the Sabbath…
        • The leaders condemned men because they broke ‘their interpretation of the law’
        • But they missed the real purpose of the Law – to teach men about God…
        • They missed the most important thing in the Word – they missed Jesus!
        • People want to judge what you wear – where you live – who you know…
        • They are only concerned about the outside and appearances…
        • But they miss what really matters – which is a relationship with Jesus!
          
• 4^th – Challenging the Leaders… vs. 14-18
  • A while Later Jesus found the man in the Temple… vs. 14
    • He had been healed – but Jesus warned him not to continue in sin…
      • The suggestion seems to be this man was lame because of some sin…
      • Sin certainly has consequences – and many times sickness comes from sin…
      • Galatians 6:7 – “God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he will reap…”
      • We understand the principals of harvesting – what you put in is what comes out…
      • If you plant a corn seed in the ground – you are going to reap corn…
      • You do not expect to plant a corn seed – and harvest papaya!
        
      • In the same way we will reap what we sow in our life…
      • If we sow to sin – sexual sins / idolatry / jealously and anger / partying…
      • Then it should come as no surprise that we reap corruption / destruction…
      • Whether it is some disease / prison / fight / death – sin will destroy our life…
    • Jesus warned – if he did something far worse than being lame would happen to him…
      • What could be worse than spending 38 years not being able to walk…
      • How about spending an eternity separated from Jesus in the Lake of Fire…
      • The consequences we face for our sin here – are only meant to teach us not to sin…
      • Because the real consequence of unrepentant sin – is an eternity apart from God!
  • The man left and told the leaders it was Jesus who healed him… vs. 15
    • You would think the lame man would show some gratitude…
      • But he knew he was in trouble with the leadership – so he ‘turned Jesus in’…
      • I Samuel 23 – David saved the city of Keliah from the Philistines…
      • King Saul found out – and came to kill David (God had anointed David to be king)…
      • You would think the people of Keliah would defend David – he saved them…
      • But when David asked the Lord – God said they would betray David to Saul!
    • For the most part people only look out for themselves – and are ungrateful…
      • They will take whatever they can get from you – and the moment you cannot give…
      • ‘You have changed’ – they turn on you – stab you in the back for you effort…
      • You would think Jesus knowing this – would not have helped this man out…
      • But the Love of Jesus – loves others in spite of what they do back to us!
      • And when we Love others – in spite of what they do – we show we are God’s kids!
      • Luke 6:28-29, 35 – “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you… and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest…”
  • Then the Leaders looked for an opportunity to kill Jesus… vs. 16-17
    • Jesus had told the man to carry his bed – breaking their Sabbath rules…
      • In their mind that made Jesus guilty – He should be put to death…
      • But Jesus answered them – the Father is working – so I am also working…
      • In other words – God did not take a day off – so why would Jesus…
    • Jesus point is He was going to follow God’s example – not the Religious leaders…
      • We are not here to follow the man made rules / religion of men…
      • We are not here to be bound up in the silly superstitions of others…
      • We are called to follow after Jesus – we are called to follow His Word…
  • All the more the Jews wanted to kill Jesus – He called God His Father… vs. 18
    • By saying God was His Father – Jesus made Himself equal with God…
      • The Jewish leaders understood what so many are confused by today…

• When Jesus said He was the Son of God – it had nothing to do with His birth…
• From before creation Jesus carried the title – the Son of God – John 10:30
• It describes His relationship to the Father – the 2^nd person in the Trinity…
• The leaders understood what Jesus was saying – He is God!
  • Jesus Christ is equal to God – because Jesus is God…

Jesus is God – and only by faith in Him – can we be saved!

Do not be fooled by the counterfeits – the false religions – and the cults…