Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man John 5 January

Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man (John 5) January 17, 2021 San Angelo, Tx

John 20: 30 -31 PURPOSE OF JOHN’S WRITINGS And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that (1) Jesus is the Christ, (2) the Son of God, and (3) that believing you may have life in His name.

Scenes From John • • • Miracle at Cana Cleanse the Temple Meet with Nicodemus The Samaritan Woman at the Well Healing of the Nobleman’s Son Healing of the Paralyzed Man

John 5: 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. John is usually very accurate in his chronological descriptors. However, this is defined as simply “a feast”, and is typically referred to as the “Unknown Feast”.

John 5: 2 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. Notice how John sets the scene for his writings – Who, What, When, Where, Why

John 5: 3 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

The Jerusalem Nursing Home A collection of the sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed. …but without any of the paid employees! Think about what that would look like.

…waiting for the moving of the water From Edersheim: The bubbling up of the water was, of course, due not to supernatural but to physical causes. Such intermittent springs are not uncommon, and to this day the so-called “Fountain of the Virgin” in Jerusalem exhibits the same phenomenon.

John 5: 4 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. This is a controversial passage in the Scriptures that is not included in all translations. I think of it as a parenthetical explanation of a local custom.

John 5: 5 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. Was he born an invalid? Was there an accident or sickness that caused his calamity?

John 5: 6 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? ”

The Lame Walk (Matthew 11: 5) The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Isaiah 35: 3) Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.

John 5: 7 -9 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. ” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk. ” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Scenes From John • • • Miracle at Cana: MOTHER’S FAITH Meet with Nicodemus: HIDDEN FAITH The Samaritan Woman at the Well: LOST FAITH Healing of the Nobleman’s Son: ACTIVE FAITH Healing of the Paralyzed Man: NO FAITH

And that day was the Sabbath… (Exodus 20: 8 -10) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work

Jeremiah 17: 21 Thus says the LORD: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day… So was the man breaking God’s Law by moving his bed (mat)? Was this considered work? According to the traditions of the Jewish rabbis, Yes! One of the 39 classifications of work included carrying of non-essential items.

John 5: 10 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. ”

John 5: 11 -13 11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk. ’ ” 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’? ” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. John 8: 59, 10: 39, 12: 36

John 5: 14 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. ” What could be worse than 38 years as an invalid? Losing our eternal soul!

John 5: 15 -16 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. Why were they not impressed with the fact that an invalid of 38 years had been healed?

John 5: 5 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. Is there any significance to the 38 years? This seem a rather obscure fact to report!

Allusions to the Wilderness • John 3: 14 • John 6: 32 • John 5: 5 Serpent in the wilderness Bread from Heaven 38 years of infirmity?

Deuteronomy 2: 14 And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the LORD had sworn to them.

Numbers 14: 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

38 or 40 Years? The actual time of wandering of the Israelites in the Wilderness was … 38 years! We often say 40 years, but that might be: • Lag time after the Exodus from Egypt to the census of the people (Numbers 26) • Ambiguous (December 31, 2020 – January 1, 2022 covers 3 separate years despite being only 366 days) • Rounding

Random Choice? • So was it a random, serendipitous meeting between this man and Jesus? • No more than the meeting with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well! • I believe that the 38 hopeless years of suffering for this man mirror the 38 hopeless years of the Israelites in the Wilderness. • As the Israelites needed Moses and Joshua to lead them to the Promised Land, so we need Jesus!

Conclusion • The power of Jesus is on full display – He healed a man without his knowledge! • The paralyzed man showed no faith in Jesus, unlike the Nobleman. • The Jews hatred was stirred, because Jesus dared to break their traditions and declared Himself to be equal with God. • Beautiful story of the deliverance of Jesus.