Tag Archives: Pool of Siloam

JOHN’S GOSPEL…HOPE IS A WORD – 11

Bible Study, ,

Every miracle was unique, tailored by Jesus’ perfect knowledge of the sufferer. To the Samaritan woman, He was the Messiah, the one who knew the intimate details of her private life. He gave her a drink of the “living water”, a love she craved but couldn’t find.  

To the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus was the stranger who understood his hopeless heart.  

“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬, ‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ surprise question was not intended to convey His ignorance but to encourage the man to own his real condition. He was full of self-pity, the death of hope…For thirty-eight years, he had been in this condition and no one, NO ONE, had ever been there to help him. 

““Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Poor me!” Now that he had owned up to the real issue, Jesus cut him short, gave him an instruction which was His promise. 

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.””

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The result was instantaneous. The man was too shocked to argue. The miracle happened and he walked…

“At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath…”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John adds a sinister note to the story…on the Sabbath! Jesus’ deed was volcanic! His persecutors were always nearby, watching for an opportunity to catch Him in an infringement of the law.  

Once they knew the identity of the man who did miracles who was, of course, who else but their arch enemy, Jesus, they were on His case. 

“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It never entered the thick skulls and unbelieving hearts of these religious leaders that the very fact that Jesus did miracles on the Sabbath was evidence that He was no ordinary man. People don’t just walk around telling paralytics to get up and walk…and it happens!

There followed this clash one of the longest of Jesus disclosures of His true identity and His intimate connection with the Father…

“In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…calling down the murderous rage of the Pharisees on His head. 

Let’s go back to the miracle itself. In John’s introduction to Jesus, he identified Him as “the Word of God”.  Who Jesus is and what He says are the same thing. His word is a revelation of Himself, an extension of Himself, and the power by which He operates. So, what He says is the substance of what will happen. 

John’s vision of Jesus in Revelation 19 is the vision of the all-conquering warrior-king whose name embodies  essence if who He is. 

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬, ‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ weapon of conquest is His word. In the gospel story, it was His word that carried weight and power. What He said happened, whether it was calming a storm, driving out demons,  or curing sickness…all was evidence of His authority over all things through His spoken word. 

To the devil himself, Jesus declared…

…“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This truth has great significance for us in the crises  and the daily grind of life. When we call on the name of the Lord, for what must we ask? A miracle or a word? It’s the word that is the vehicle of the miracle. When Jesus speaks the word, it is done. 

When the centurion pleaded for the life of his dying servant, all his confidence lay in four words, “Just say the word…”

All Jesus’ authority and power is concentrated in His word. Our prayer must be, not for a miracle but for a word because…

“…My word…will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭11‬b ‭NIV‬

To be continued …

LET’S SEE WHAT GOD CAN DO – 13

Christian Life, ,

Another miracle… another sign… another lesson!

En route to somewhere, Jesus and His disciples encountered a blind man, most likely begging by the wayside. Nothing unusual in that but this encounter was a divine appointment. Jesus was always on the alert for an opportunity to glorify His Father.

So, perhaps in the hearing of the blind man, the disciples began to discuss his condition with Jesus. Was this blindness a consequence of someone’s sin, the man himself or his parents?

Typically, man’s way of thinking! How often even God’s own people think that their adversities are a punishment for sin. Yes, God does punish sin, has punished all sin through the death of His Son. No longer is every bad thing that happens to us punishment. This idea was an age-old way of explaining the reason for suffering. Think of Job’s friends who tried to convince Job that he had done something really bad to deserve his calamities!

Jesus brings a new perspective into the situation. “Look at it this way,” He says.

‭‭John 9:3-5 MSG‬
[3-5] “Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do….”

What a way to view our troubles! Instead of a pessimistic resignation to suffering, Jesus saw an opportunity to put God’s glory on display. He recognised God’s love shining through the trials and hardships of this life. He looked at every situation through the eyes of faith and anticipation.

God is never happy to inflict suffering on His people. He uses whatever difficulties that come our way for a greater purpose. He wants us to see our adversities as opportunities to experience more of His covenant love (chesed) in our lives.

So, Jesus changed the outlook from, “There’s nothing we can do about it,” to “Let’s see what God can do.”

Blindness, for the disciples, especially from birth, was an irreversible condition. However, Jesus didn’t see it that way. He called the Father in to intervene. How does God work?

‭Psalms 107:20 NLT‬
[20] “He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.”

‭Matthew 8:8 NLT‬
[8] “But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.”

How often in the Gospel records Jesus spoke and healing happened.

‭John 9:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. [7] He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!”

Why did Jesus put mud on the blind man’s eyes? There was no magic or healing in the mud. It was not even an agent through which healing happened. Perhaps muddy eyes forced the man to wash it off! In that act of obedience and necessity, he was healed.

Of course, this event sparked another furious debate with Jesus’ enemies, once again raging around Jesus ‘working’ on the Sabbath. However, for us now, the miracle itself points us to a way of dealing with impossible issues in a way far better and more rewarding than mere resignation.

When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, let’s do what Jesus did. Let’s not look for a reason for our suffering. We may never find one, and anyway, the reason will not bring a solution. Instead, let’s see what God can do.

A perspective like this awakens faith and expectancy and gives God an open door to work on our behalf and, best of all, to reveal His glory once again.

The outcome of this miracle for the blind man was faith in Jesus, the Messiah and a changed life – a greater miracle of grace.

‭John 9:35-38 NLT‬
[35] “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [36] The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” [37] “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” [38] “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.”

For those who believe and love Jesus, “Let’s see what God can do,” changes the attitude from resignation to hope, the expectation from continual misery to a new life, and from self-pity to thanksgiving and praise to God.

‭1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT‬
[18] “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”