John 5

John 5:1

Before looking at the following story with regard to its practical application, I would like us to consider its theological implications, for in it we find a clear picture of the impotency of tradition and organized religion… The feast referred to is most likely the Feast of Pentecostthe celebration of the giving of the law. No matter from which direction or elevation one traveled, it was always “up” to Jerusalem because Jerusalem was where the temple was, where worship took place, where the Word was taught.

John 5:2

The very location speaks of Judaism, of the law, of men’s traditionsfor it was through the sheep gate that sacrifices were brought into the city of Jerusalem. Although for years critics doubted its existence, the site of the pool of Bethesda, which means “House of Mercy,” has been confirmed archaeologically and is today a must-see site of the Holy Land. The pool had five porchesa covered “deck” on each side and one across the middle. Five speaks of the Pentateuchthe first five books of the law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. With one of the covered porches extending across the pool, the pool itself created a physical likeness to the stone tablets Moses brought down from Sinai. Thus, the pool portrays a perfect picture of the law.

John 5:3

Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee visited a sanitarium many years ago, where, during the Sunday morning devotional service, one of the residents read this passage as, “There lay a great multitude of important folk.” McGee was about to correct him, when he realized the man was right. The people at the pool of Bethesda were important folk. When people are spiritually blind, they are also “halt.” That is, no matter what rules and regulations, ordinances and laws are placed upon them, they cannot walk in righteousness or freedom. And because they are “halt,” they are also “withered"unable to reach out practically, unable to give lasting and beneficial assistance to those who are hurting. Blind, halt, and withered is a description of the condition of every culture globally and of you and me personally without Jesus. If we are not reborn, if the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in us, we will not see; we will not walk uprightly; we will not reach out with impact. Many lay by the pool, sheltered and covered, but not healed. So, too, although religion can shelter people with good values and disciplines, it cannot save them.

John 5:4

Kolumbethra, the Greek word translated “pool,” is a very precise term that means “a deep pool from underneath that comes bubbling.” Thus, it would seem that the stirring of the water was due to the occasional eruption of an underground spring. “But doesn’t the text say an angel came down?” you ask. Yes, but I believe that is a quote. You see, Greek text has no quotation marks. If it did, I believe this phrase would be enclosed in them as reference to the conventional wisdom of the day. Tradition said the first one in the pool after the water stirred would be healed. That’s what the law, religion, and man’s regulations always say. “Be the first. Be the best. Try harder. Fight your way to the top. God helps those who help themselves.”

John 5:5

Jesus singled out one man, just as Israelone of many nationswas singled out by God to be His people. This man was lame for thirty-eight years, just as Israel wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years (Deu_2:14).

John 5:6

To whom did Jesus come? Not to those closest to the edge of the pool, but to the one who was clear at the back, farthest out of the way. He came not to the aggressor, the initiator, the leaderbut to the one who was the least competitive of them all. “Every time I try to get up, someone else gets there first.” Maybe you can relate. You’re just about to get a break in business or in a relationship, but someone comes along and beats you to it. You who, like me, have a tendency to be competitive, please note the fact that Jesus was not interested in helping the lame man be the first one into the pool. His purpose was to take him out of the competition altogether.

John 5:8

The picture is perfect. Jesus comes and delivers a man in the place of competition and tradition, rules and regulations. Jesus delivered the one who was lame, withered, and unable to get the help he so desperately needed. The lame man was delivered not by “a man to help him,” but by the Son of Man who saved him. Read Your Bible A Topical Study of Joh_5:8 Sitting on a park bench, looking rather glum, Linus said to Charlie Brown, “Sometimes it seems like life has passed me by. Do you ever feel that way?” Charlie looked at Linus and said, “No. Life has knocked me down, and keeps walking all over me.” As we look at Jesus’ words, I think you’ll find them intriguing as they relate to you personally in areas where, like Charlie Brown or the lame man in our text, you feel walked on, hurt, or defeated. Rise Jesus came to the lame man and said, “I’m going to ask you to do the impossible. Stand up.” You see, Christ’s words work His will. Truly, God’s commandments are God’s “enablements.” The very word “rise” would enable the lame man to do the impossible. Just because Jesus said it, there would be the power to do it. Take Up Your Bed Make no provision for failure. Don’t say, “I’ll leave my bed here to save my place on the deck in case it doesn’t work out.” If you have been in bondage to anything that seems to have a grip on your life, the word of Christ comes to you today, and says, “Take up your bed. Make no provision for failure. Don’t keep a video stored in your bottom drawer just in case you get a craving again. Don’t keep a six-pack tucked away in the back of the pantry in case you might want a sip or two or three. Don’t keep his phone number just in case no one else calls you for the next three weeks. Make no provision for failure.” Walk No one will carry you. When will Christians learn this lesson? Like the lame man, we think we need help from manfrom a counselor, a psychologist, or a Christian therapist. “Where is someone to disciple me, pray for me, study with me?” we cry. The lame man had a choice to make. He could either obey the word of Christ, or argue that it wouldn’t work for him. So can we. But when we finally realize no man is going to carry us, we will find Jesus is all we needed all along. Corrie Ten Boom was right: You will never discover Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have. “Well,” you say, “if Jesus was here in the flesh as He was with the lame man, I too would walk. But He’s no longer in the midst of us. We can no longer hear from Him directly.” Really? Jesus says, “Lo I come in the volume of the book” (see Heb_10:7). He is here, gangnot only through His Spirit residing in you, but in the Bible open before you. Read your Bibleand you will hear words that will speak to you personally and specifically. People are no longer reading the Scriptures. They’re too busy saying, “What man is going to help me? What clinic is going to assist me? What pastor is going to solve the problem for me?” Read your Bible. Peter says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in this world through lust” (see 2Pe_1:4). Everything we need to escape the sickness and sadness of this world is found in the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Bible. Yet people don’t read their Bibles. They’ll drive fifty minutes to go to a thirty-minute counseling appointment but won’t spend fifteen minutes in the Word. It’s a tragedy.

God has clearly said that the one who is meditating in the Word will bring forth fruit, will never shrivel up, and will prosper in all he does (Psalms 1). Yet the top-rated religious broadcasters are no longer Bible teachers. They’re psychologists. People flock to the seminars, videos, and books of those who say, “The key is psychology and human understanding. Yes, we’re Christians. But Scripture is not totally sufficient.

We need to talk to you about how to raise your kids, how to communicate, how to be successful based upon psychology.” Can those things be helpful? Perhaps. Are they necessary? No. The Scriptures are all-sufficient, for they speak of Christ, point to Christ, and bring us to Christ. Stay in the Scriptures, gang. Read your Bible! Check out Psa_19:7-9, and you will see six descriptions and six effects of the Word of God in one’s life…

1. The Law of the Lord is perfect, convertingor restoringthe soul (verse Psa_19:7). The law speaks of the totality of the Word. From where does emotional or mental restoration come? Not from delving into or digging up our past. It comes from taking in the Word.
2. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple (verse Psa_19:7). The word “sure” means “solid.” The word “simple” means “open-minded.” Thus, the Word of God gives solid footing to those who would otherwise sink in the sands of open-minded naivete. How solid is the Word? Peter declares it is even more sure, more solid than the voice of God he himself heard on the Mount of Transfiguration (2Pe_1:18-19).
3. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart (verse Psa_19:8). Studying the Word of God will make your heart happy. Jeremiahwho was cast into a pit, and whose ministry was seemingly unsuccessfulsaid, “Thy Word was found and I did eat it. And thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (see Jer_15:16). Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, said, “You know where I find joy? In the Word of God.”
4. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (verse Psa_19:8). The commandments are purewithout flaw. They are workable, understandable, and powerful. How does one see clearly? Through the Word.
5. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (verse Psa_19:9). The Word of God is not based upon a passing fad, pop culture, or humanistic understanding. It’s cleanpure, straightforward, easy to graspand it lasts forever.
6. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether (verse Psa_19:9). We know in our heart of hearts that the Word is true. Our spirit confirms its veracity. How can you be healed emotionally? How can you live in stability? How can you have joy experientially? How can you see clearly? How can you be guided continually? How can you find truth in totality? Through the Word, the Word, the Word. Period. “I’ve tried that,” you say. “But the Word has failed me.” Wrong. The Word hasn’t failed. You have. You stopped reading your Bible. You stopped meditating on the Word of God. Movies and television, hobbies and other pursuits became more important than seeking God. The Scriptures have never failed a single person. People have failed the Scriptures. They’ve turned their back on the Word. They’ve diminished its priority. They’ve lost their passion. And they wonder why they’re not enlightened, rejoicing, or enduring. Whatever you do, precious people, don’t fall into the trap of seeking a man to help you. Get back in the Word and seek the Lord. In Jer_2:13, God indicts His people for committing two evils: “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Christians all over the country are carving out cisterns that don’t hold water. “Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you,” Jesus said (see Joh_15:3). “The words which I speak are spirit and life” (see Joh_6:63). We are cleansed by the washing of the water, which is the Word of God (Eph_5:26). It’s the Word, the Word, the Word. I realize I may have lost some people and made some enemies with this particular study. But I am more committed to speaking the truth, as difficult as it might be for some to receive, than I am to keeping the peace because I believe the church is being seduced by humanistic psychology. Such was not the case in previous generations. Growing up in Depression-era Southern California, my mom cannot recall a single Christian counseling clinic. The term itself would have been oxymoronic. You see, in my mom’s day, the Word of God was taught, altar calls were given, and people were convicted. They would kneel at the altar, weep before the Lord, repent from their sin, and go their way rejoicing. Today, people hear Bible studies, then go home, fire up the barbecue, watch the baseball game on TV, and remain troubled inside. Four days later, they call a counselorthen wonder why they’re not really helped. I say this to pastors, elders, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatriststo all who are involved with people: The key is to point people back to the Person of Jesus Christ. Tell them to get in the Word and do what it says. If that means turning the off the TV or shutting down the barbecue to spend time seeking God, tell them to do it. Tell them to spend whatever time it takes to get to the point where rationalization and justification end and where true confession begins. “Do you want to be made whole?” Why would Jesus ask this of a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years? Because some people want to stay lame. They’re comfortable on the deck at Bethesda with their sunglasses, tanning oil, and Walkman. They don’t have to take care of their families; they have no responsibilities; they cannot work because they’re lame. So others take care of them and put up with them while they ignore the true healing available to them. You might be living with marital strife, addiction to alcohol, or a fascination with pornography. You might have a tendency to lie, to gossip, or to lose your temper. Will you be made whole? Listen to the words of Jesus: Do the impossible. Make no provision for failure. And don’t expect anyone to carry you.

John 5:10

Rather than rejoicing that a man was healed, the Jews were upset that he was carrying his bed. You see, Jewish law said a man could bear no burden on the Sabbath. This meant he could not wear a wooden leg or even his false teeth. Thus, you can imagine the outrage of the Jews at seeing a man flaunting his disobedience by carrying his bed.

John 5:11

Isn’t this amazing? I mean, here’s a guy, lame for thirty-eight years, suddenly walking aroundand the clergy is uptight and upset. In all fairness, however, although the violation of tradition might not be a point of contention for you and me, we get just as upset when Jesus violates our expectationswhen He doesn’t work the way we are claiming, believing, praying, or demanding. We have our own arena of anger. It’s not tradition. It’s expectation. “Now, Lord,” we say, “we fasted. We spoke the Word. We believed. But You didn’t come throughand we’re ticked off.” Oh, we might not say it that straightforwardly, but when Jesus blows apart our expectationsjust as He blew apart Jewish traditionwe can get angry.

John 5:13

Why didn’t the lame man know who healed him? Was it because Jesus was busy posing for publicity pictures? No. Was it because He was talking to His agents about appearing on the cover of Judaism Today? No. Was it because He was giving an interview on Christian radio? No. The man didn’t know who healed him because Jesus had simply left the scene. I really like this. After enabling a man to do the impossible, Jesus splits. If indeed this event took place during the Feast of Pentecost, all of Jerusalem would have been packed with people.

John 5:14

To this man’s credit, he wasn’t on the testimony circuit, saying, “I was lying there when suddenly I perceived a Power on the deck with me, and with great faith, I embraced His word.” No, he humbly went to the temple to worship God. And Jesus met him there. So, too, you will discover that the Lord meets you in the place of praise. You will often find the Lord has just the word you need to hear or just the touch you need to feel when you come to the house of prayer. Quite frankly, it’s hard for me as a pastor to hear people say, “I just don’t sense the Lord. I just don’t feel Him,” when I know they haven’t been to Bible study for months or at the Lord’s table for weeks. I know the Lord will find them if, like this man, they’ll just go to the templeto the house of prayer, to the place of praise. Many scholars believe this man’s lameness was caused by a sexually transmitted disease. Whether or not this was the case, Jesus’ warning was very pointed and practical. He didn’t say, “Behold, you’re made whole. Now call My secretary for therapy.” No, He said, “You’ve been made whole. Now don’t sin anymore. Walk in a new way.”

John 5:15

The war is escalating. Tensions are mounting. And because Jesus violated their traditions, the Jews are seeking to destroy Him. So, too, some, even in our midst, have turned their back on Jesus because He violated their expectations. These things are written as a warning to me. Because He is Lord, and I am not, He can sovereignly touch whoever He wants on the deck of lameness and say, “Rise. Take up your bed. Walk.” Therefore, if I try to instruct him, or order Him, like the nobleman in the preceding chapter, I will hear Him say, “No. You’ve got it wrong, Jon. I’m the Lord. You’re the servant. I want you to share your heart with Me, and cast all your burdens upon Me. But be careful you don’t start advising, demanding from, or directing Me.” Allow the Lord to be the Lord, gang. Be like the centurion in Matthew 8. Say, “Lord, here’s the situation. Now just speak the Word, and what You want will happen.” The Jews sought to slay Jesus for desecrating the Sabbath, when, in actuality, they themselves were guilty of distorting the Sabbath. You see, the true Sabbath is not based upon inaction, but upon satisfaction; not upon simply refraining from work, but upon rejoicing in work well done. When God the Father took a Sabbath break after six days of activity, He looked at all He had made and saw it was very good (Gen_1:31). Thus, because He was satisfied with His work, He rested from His work. This allowed us the glorious freedom to follow His lead and say, “Lord, through Your grace, You’ve blessed. And now I am going to rest.”

John 5:17

At this point, as tension is heightened and the war is at hand, Jesus gives an incredible, insightful, and important defense of why He could blow apart Jewish traditions, of why He was not bound by religious systems, of why He did what He did. Jesus lived the most attractive, powerful, beautiful, joyful, wonderful life ever lived. There was a quality about Him, a joy emanating from Him, a peace within Him, a love flowing through Him that attracted the common people to Him like moths to a flame (Mar_12:37). When He said He had come that they might have life abundantly (Joh_10:10), no one challenged him, saying, “Why don’t we see abundant life in You?” No, so abundant was Jesus’ life that people left everything to be near Him. Hebrews goes on to say Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness “more than any of His fellows” (Joh_1:9). That is, He had a gladness about Him unparalleled in any other person. Truly, whoever looks at the Lord cannot help but be impressed with Him. One would think the secret to such attractiveness, effectiveness, and joy would be very complex. One would think that Jesus must have understood esoteric mysteries and implemented difficult methodology. But such is not the case, for in the remainder of the chapter, we see the simplicity of the secret Jesus understood that produced in Him the life that was so successful and so beautiful.

What was this secret? In the following defense, we see not only why Jesus healed on the Sabbath, but the very foundational principle that governed His entire life: His relationship with His Father. If I were to question you about the defining principle of your life, you might say, “It’s my ministry,” or “It’s my family,” or, “It’s this vision,” or, “It’s this attempt to see the kingdom grow.” But as valid as those things might be, they are insignificant in comparison to your relationship with the Father. That’s all there isno other agenda, no other ministry, no other vision, no other priority. Jesus was so focused on His relationship with His Father that nothing else mattered. As a result, everything else fell into place beautifully. His life was fruitful. His relationships were special. His ministry was bountiful. In the following passage, we see eight statements Jesus makes about His relationship with His Father…

1. Reflection of the Father. Truly, the Father works on the Sabbath. The sun rises; rain falls; crops grow; life is sustained. Furthermore, God’s Sabbath was “broken” in Gen_3:8 when He went on a rescue mission to track down Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. In order to help them, the Father broke the Sabbath He Himself had established. With that in mind, here Jesus is saying, “The reason I do what I do is not based on doctrine, philosophy, or tradition. The issue is singular: My Father works on the Sabbath and I simply reflect Him.”

John 5:18

The phrase “making himself equal with God” employs a present perfect tense verb, which means Jesus was continually making Himself equal with God. Regardless of what the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, or the Way International declare, the fact is, those who heard Jesus knew He was claiming deity. That’s why they were out to kill Him.

John 5:19

2. Contact with the Father. The psalmist picks up this theme, when, in six occasions, he talks specifically about the “blotting out of the names of those who are against God.” Why could “the Son do nothing of Himself”? Because in Philippians 2, Paul declares Jesus emptied Himself of all powers, privileges, and abilities He had enjoyed previously in order to become a Man just like you and me, yet without sin. “Well, what about all of those miracles He did?” you ask. Jesus performed miracles only because He was in contact with His Father and empowered by the Spirit in the exact same way we can be. You see, in the Garden of Eden, the forbidden fruit came from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And once man ate of the knowledge of good and evil, he said, “I know what’s good and what’s evil, what’s right and what’s wrong. I can intellectually figure it out.” In so doing, he became independent of the simple childlike relationship that asks, “Father, what about this? Father, should I do that?” How do you know from which tree you’re eating? It’s so simple! Do you pray? That’s the whole issue. If I pray, I’m saying, “Father, I’m not sure what’s right here, and I just pray Your will be done, that You will nudge me in the right direction, that You will inspire my thoughts, that You will guard my heart.” If you’re praying todayjust todaythen you’re on the right course. But if you haven’t prayed today, it’s indicative of pride because you think you can pull it off by yourself. Have you eaten of the forbidden fruit today? There’s no condemnation, but how I pray you might move into maturation and say, “Lord, I’m tired of thinking I know what to do.” The solution is simply prayer.
3. Security in the Father. What a day you will have if, like Jesus, you’ll simply say, “The Father loves me and shows me everything necessary for me to navigate through this day successfully. And I know He’s going to show me greater things down the road.” How simple your life will be if you find your security not in what your spouse, the crowds, or society thinks of you, but in what the Father thinks of you. How does the Father feel about you? When you were your most rotten and vile, God said, “I’m so in love with you that I am going to send My Son to die for you (Rom_5:8).

Why did the Father send the Son? Why didn’t He die for us Himself? He did. He was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself (2Co_5:19). When the Son, pinned to the Cross, cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?” the Father felt the pain, the Father felt the agony, and something in the Father was dying at the same time, for God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. How dare you or I say, “I’m not sure God loves me.” God demonstrated His love for us conclusively in that while we were dirty, rotten, foul sinners, He died for each of us personally.

John 5:21

4. Harmony with the Father. “The Father raises the dead, so I too raise the dead,” declared Jesus. This would be a mindblower to the Jews who taught that God alone is the keeper of three keys: the key to the heavens, which He uses when rain falls (Deu_28:12); the key to the womb, which He uses when a couple conceives (Gen_30:2); and the key to the grave, which He used when the dry bones came to life (Ezekiel 37). But here comes Jesus, saying, “I have the same key. Just as the Father opens the grave and gives life, so do I. Just as the Father receives honor, so must I.

If you don’t honor Me with the same honor you give Him, then you’re not honoring Him at all.” This is a good passage to use when talking to the cultist because all cults diminish Jesus. All cults make Him a created being, less than the Father.

John 5:27

Why does the Father let Jesus do the judging? Because Jesus walked in the same places we walk. He was tempted in all points like you and me (Heb_4:15). “I’m in harmony with the Father,” said Jesus. “I do the same things the Father doesincluding judging.”

John 5:30

5. Submission to the Father. Jesus had no program, no agenda, no vision other than the Father’s will. I challenge us to live each day saying, “My only desire is simply to do the will of the Fathernot to make it easier on myself or better for my family; not to find more fulfillment in what I do personally or to establish myself financially. I just want to do the Father’s will by the power of the Spirit within Me.”

John 5:31

6. Validation from the Father. “My validation comes not from Myself. John the Baptist told you I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (see Joh_1:29). If that’s not good enough for you, look at the works I’m doing, the miracles happening. Yet even they aren’t the issue, for ultimately the validation for what I do comes from the Father Himself.”

John 5:37

The Father validated the Son when He said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased,” (Mat_3:17). And that’s the key. Jesus’ validation came not from John the Baptist, nor even from His own works. It came directly from the Father. Is your validation coming from your own accomplishments, or from others patting you on the back? It’ll never be enough.

You’ll always be one pat shy of satisfaction. Validation for your life will not come from someone pointing out how good you are. Nor will it come from your own achievements. True validation comes when you hear the voice of the Father in your heart, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That’s the only validation that brings security, satisfaction, and stability. That’s the only validation that will make your life attractive, fruitful, and effective.

John 5:39

The Greek word translated “search” is ereunao, which means “to track the scent"like a lion, or a bloodhound. That’s the way to study Scripture: Follow the scent of the blood. Sniff out the scarlet thread of the Cross. Look for Jesus.

John 5:40

“You study the Scripture doctrinally,” Jesus said, “but you’ve missed the point entirely because you’ve missed Me.” Here Jesus is referring to the peacemaker, the Middle East problem-solver, the anti-Christ who will come in his own name and who will be embraced by the world.

John 5:44

7. Concern about the Father. Jesus cared only about the honor that came from the Fathernot the honor that came from men. That’s why He was free to fulfill the Father’s will. Solomon was right when he said that the fear of man will trip you up, but the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Pro_29:25; Pro_9:10). Jesus could say, “Father, I’ve finished the work You gave Me to do, and I’ve glorified You” (Joh_17:4) because He sought honor from God rather than man.

John 5:45

8. Silence before the Father. To those who were out to kill Him, Jesus said, “All of the sacrifices and prophecies Moses wrote of in the Pentateuch were about Me. Therefore, I don’t need to accuse you before the Father. There is no need for Me to tattle or whine. The Word has condemned you already. Moses nailed you totally.”

John 5:47

Here’s a simple experiment: Go through the next twenty-four hours saying, “I want to be a reflection of the Father in every conversation, in every encounter. I’m going to depend on the Father, making no decisions without prayer. My security is in the Father. I’m going to believe He loves me because He proved it on Calvary. I’m going to be in harmony with the Father, just doing what I see Him do. I will be submitted to the Father, doing nothing on the basis of my own will.

My validation will come only from the Father. I won’t be fishing for compliments, or looking for approval from men. My only concern will be about the Fathernot what the world says about me, not what my friends think of me, but only how the Father sees me. I will be silent before the Father, resting in the sufficiency and potency of His Word.” Fellow adventurers on this spiritual pilgrimage, if you try this tomorrow, you will find tomorrow to be the most successful, wonderful, powerful, fruitful day of your life. My prayer is that some of us might make such a discovery and be set free from agendas, vision, and even ministryto live for the Father and for Him only.