A New Miracle Performed

I'll take your Bible this morning and turn with me to the Gospel of John. We are going to be John chapter 5. And this morning our verses 1 through 9. John chapter 5 verses 1 through 9. Now before we get into our verses this morning, I kind of want to take a step back. And what I mean by taking a step back, I want us to notice some information about the changes in the ministry of Jesus. And what I mean by the ministry of Jesus, Jesus had enjoyed a fairly low-key ministry so far as we have learned. But beginning in chapter 5, we're going to see Jesus really venture into more public and hostile situations.

Now we know that he did burst on the scene publicly when he cleansed the temple there in chapter 2. Remember, it was almost this riotous event. And it was obviously a very public, public situation with Jesus. But he soon spent the very lengthy time in the Judean countryside with his disciples. And remember, he ventured to some area, that nowhere land that no one wanted to go to. But we are going to see a big shift in chapter 5. Chapter 5 verse 13 and also in chapter 6 verse 2, we see that there are great crowds who are beginning to follow Jesus. And we see Jesus go to Jerusalem. And I don't know if you realize it. That's the capital city.

Chapter 5 simply marks the beginning of a more public ministry and great crowds beginning to follow Jesus. Now we see more evidence of this, especially in some of the other gospels. I'll refer you to the Gospel of Matthew. If you study Matthew, you will see there are many different times where it says that there were great crowds following Jesus. Matthew 4 verse 5, Matthew 8 verse 1, 13 verse 2, 19 2, 20 verse 29. All specifically mention the great crowds that are following Christ. Now also previously, in the chapters that we've been looking at, we see that there were some who looked at Jesus with suspicion and reservation.

Remember those in Judea, those in Galilee. But yet there were some who did welcome him. He was welcomed there at the wedding, at the first miracle which he performed. He had a very warm welcome there in Samaria. But in chapter 5, we will begin to see open hostility, even persecution that Jesus will experience. In chapter 5 verse 16, the verse says that the Jews persecuted Jesus. All the translations that we study use the word persecuted. I refer you to the amplified, which is a paraphrase. And it adds to this, and I think it is accurate.

The amplified reads, "For this reason, the Jews began to persecute, anoint, torment Jesus." This is the beginning of the hostility that he would experience. We see him progress through the ministry, and we progress and continue in the book. So what am I showing you? When we take this step back, Jesus goes into a more public arena, and he begins to experience hostility. Now in our text this morning, we will see Jesus perform a miracle. And we know Jesus has performed many miracles so far. Go back to the first miracle. Remember Jesus turned the water into wine there in Galilee. And the last miracle was in Galilee as well.

We studied last week, and it was Jesus healing the nobleman's son. And of course, in between these miracles, we know that he performed some miracles there at the Passover. But this morning, we're going to see a new miracle. And that brings us to the title of the message. And the title of the message is, "A New Miracle Performed." And like I had said earlier, we will be looking at chapter 5, verses 1 through 9. Now I've put our truths on the screens for us to aid you in taking your notes. I trust that you take notes. I encourage you to take notes.

I encourage you to take notes so that you can study during the week, so that you would not forget the truths that we're learning. And so that you would have a library, a resource of information that the Lord has revealed to us so that would help form you in the future. So we're going to look at a new setting in verses 1 through 2. A sad situation in verses 3 through 5. Jesus addresses this sick man in verses 6 through 7. Jesus heals the sick man in verses 8 and 9. So we see a new setting for Jesus. A sad situation of sickness. Jesus addresses the sick man and Jesus heals the sick man. So I trust that you have your Bible.

Let's look at it together. We will read the text together starting in verse 1. "After these things, there was a feast of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem." Now, "There in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool, which was called in Hebrew, Bethsaida, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters, for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water. And whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in, was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted." Verse 5.

"And a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness. And when he saw him, when Jesus saw him lying there, and he knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, he said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?' 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.' And Jesus said to him, 'Arise, take up your pallet, or your mat, and walk.' And immediately the man became well and took up his pallet, and he began to walk." And then the second portion of verse 9. "Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

Now I have given you the truths, the manner in which we are going to break down these verses. And these are truths that I want us to see out of these verses, and I want us to jot these down so that we can see what the Lord is doing here and what the Lord wants us to learn. So let's look at main truth number one. A new setting for Jesus. A new setting for Jesus. What does the verse say? "After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

And there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, or Aramaic, 'Bustheda,' having five porticoes." Now it is obvious from these two verses that Jesus is moving into a new ministry situation. The beginning of verse 1 reads, "After these things," which means that this is after his ministry endeavor there in Galilee, but in the original wording there really is no indication of a particular time frame. We just know that this is a transition. After these things in Galilee, he's moving, and he's moving to Jerusalem. Now I want us to notice some specifics about this new ministry setting that Jesus is getting into.

First we see that he attended one of the feasts. He attended one of the feasts. It says that in the verse, that after these things there was a feast of the Jews. There's no specifics other than just what we see. Now John, the Apostle John, he mentions the Jewish feasts many times in his gospel, but here John does not mention which feast it is. Now for your information in mind, there were really three major feasts on the Jewish calendar. The Jewish Passover, the Feast of the Tabernacles, and the Feast of Pentecost. Now according to the Old Testament teaching, all Jewish males were required to attend these feasts.

Deuteronomy 1616, Exodus 2317, Exodus 3423, speak of the responsibility that all Jewish men had to attend these feasts. But the text does not tell us which feast this was. But we know that he attends one of these Jewish feasts that would have been a high mark on their calendar. The second truth I want us to see is that he went to Jerusalem. He went to Jerusalem. Verse 1 tells us that. For those of you who might not be as studious in the Old Testament, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel. Remember it was King David who took the city from the Jebusites, and he made it the capital of the United Kingdom, the United Israel.

And it was here that the temple was built, and in Jesus' day it was the site of the second temple, known as Herod's Temple. And Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life, and the temple was the center of Jerusalem and Judaism. So what do we see? It is significant that he goes to Jerusalem. Third, I want us to see that he went to the pool there at Bethsaida. Go back to the verse. Now there was in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Aramaic, or Hebrew, Bethsaida. Now notice that the sheep gate is mentioned there in the text.

Some of you might not know the significance of that, but most Bible commentators believe that this is a reference to the entrance of the city wall on the northeast corner, not too far from the temple complex. There is an Old Testament reference to the sheep gate. It's found in Nehemiah chapter 3 and chapter 12. Talking about this sheep gate, this entrance into the city. But notice the destination is not necessarily the gate, but notice the destination is this pool, this pool called Bethsaida.

Now there are various spellings for this name of Bethsaida, but this term means "house of mercy" or "house of grace." And these were covered pools that were there, and they were located near the sheep gate, and there is today historical and archaeological evidence that there were pools used and pools used in those ancient times. So notice he went to this pool at Bethsaida. Now what we see here is a big difference between Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea, and also the wrong neighborhood of Samaria and even Galilee.

Well, what I'm showing you is previously he had been in Galilee, he had been in Judea, he had been even on the wrong side of the tracks in Samaria, but now he ventures to Jerusalem. And Jerusalem was the center of Judaism, and Jesus went right to the heart of Judaism, and he went right to the heart to the temple. But notice he went to this pool, and as we continue, we will see that there is great significance and purpose to Jesus going to this pool called Bethsaida. So let's move on and let's notice the second main truth, and that is a sad situation of sickness. A sad situation of sickness.

Turn with me, or look with me again at the verses before us, verses 3 through 5. Notice what it says, "In these," talking about this pool that was covered with these porticoes, "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters," verse 4, "for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and he stirred up the water, and whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in, was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted," verse 5, "and a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness." Now before we get into these verses, we need to see that there is a controversy surrounding the end of verse 3 and verse 4.

There are some of you who have the English Standard Version before you. In the English Standard Version, notice in the English Standard Version, the last portion of verse 3 and verse 4 is omitted. Now the New American, which I preach from, and the King James, they have these verses. Now the New American does make a notation about these verses, and it's talking about this controversy surrounding these verses. Now what is the meaning here? What do we have here? Early, very early and very reliable Greek manuscripts do not have the last portion of verse 3 and verse 4. Now some manuscripts include these verses, but note these verses.

Some Bible commentators believe that early scribes added these verses as what we would call marginal notation. When they go back and they study these early manuscripts, they will have marginal notations or explanations of the text. And most Bible commentators believe that these scholars, these scribes, move these notations possibly into the text. Now it is interesting to note that one of the most capable church fathers and theologians, Tertullian, who lived in the latter portion of the second century, really called this a superstition which had moved into the text. Now we really don't know.

Now clearly there is some evidence that there was a belief by these people that they could be cured, because what do we see in verse 7? They're still desiring to get into the pool. But we really don't know. And whether you choose to hold on to these verses or possibly reject these verses, still has no bearing on the text. Because what do we see? We have a hopeless man, a hopeless individual, believing that if he were to get into this pool he would be healed, but Jesus coming, a friend of sinners to this individual.

But no doubt you have the sick congregating here at the pool and these people believing that there were powers in this water for healing. Now I want us to break down these verses and I want us to notice some details about this situation. First there was a multitude. Notice that there was a multitude. Verse 3, "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick." Now all of the translations read multitude. This simply speaks of the volume of people who were there. There was a great number of people here, people. It wasn't just one or two. There was a multitude. I don't know about you and in my mind.

I imagine someone like Jesus walking through, literally having to step over, paralyzed, and lame individuals. There was a multitude. Second, they were sick. Look at the wording there. "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered." Now take note of the wording here. I'm reading again from the New American. "Sick, blind, lame, and withered." The English standard reads, "Invalides, blind, lame, and paralyzed." In the original language, it's just multiple words to describe the various sicknesses and ailments that we have here with this great multitude.

So we see there was a multitude, a great crowd, and they were sick. And there are descriptions of their ailments. And then notice third, there was a certain man who was sick for 38 years. Now, his specific sickness is not listed, but he was sick enough not to be able to get into the pool. But we do know that he had been sick for almost 40 years in the original language and all of our translations specifically say that he had been sick for 38 years. Now, we see that this is a very bad situation on every level. You'll notice that the main truth, I titled it, "A sad situation of sickness." A lot of words, but it describes. This is very sad.

It's a sad situation, and it is a lot of sickness. There were many sick people, and not just sick people, but permanently disabled individuals. They were paralyzed, they were blind, and they were lame. And then specifically, this individual that was sick for almost 40 years. Now, as we step back from these verses, verses 1 all the way down to verse 5, we must see that Jesus goes to Jerusalem, and he goes to the temple. But he does not go to the religious leadership. He does not go to a comfortable room or hotel, and they call them a hostel. Jesus goes straight to the sick, straight to the lame, and straight to the cripple.

Now, this is a direct fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah chapter 35 verses 3 through 6, which speaks of the Messiah going to heal the sick and going with healing the Messiah. So, what do I want us to see? Jesus goes to the center of Judaism. He goes to the center, which would have been the temple, and he does not go to the ones that we might would expect him to go to. He goes to the downcast, the trodden, the outcast, the sick, lame, crippled, which Isaiah spoke of. Now, an application for me, for you, I want to ask you one question. Should this not convict us?

Because do we not feel more comfortable with those who look like us and talk like us and live like us and speak like us and dress like us? No doubt, Jesus broke a few social barriers and expectations, but yet he went to those that society would have overlooked. And I think it is the church's responsibility to go to all mankind, but so many churches have overlooked people in their communities that are much like these lame and paralyzed and sick individuals. From the time I hear stories about ministers who get in trouble with their congregations because of ministering to the lame and the blind and the paralyzed.

Here, a few weeks ago, I went and I had lunch with an individual that my previous ministry had had me in contact with. He was not a man that I directly impacted, but when I left one of my churches, he was really kind of on the tail end of me leaving. And he later became a born-again Christian. God saved him and God called him into the ministry. And he had a short time of ministry being in vocational ministry. And as we sat down at the table and we enjoyed lunch and I enjoyed catching up with him, he began to tell me how he was serving on staff at a church.

And he began to reach out to people in the community who were not like the people in their pews. They were poor. They had a different skin color. They brought their problems and their baggage in the life of the church. And the love of Christ that he and his wife shared began to be contagious to these individuals. And they began to bring them in the life of the church. But there became a problem.

His pastor sat him down and said, "You need to start spending some time with people who look like us, people who go to these schools." And ultimately, it did come to a head and he looked at his pastor and said, "It's clear that you're going one way and I'm going another." And he resigned. Why? Because the church that is supposed to be under the lordship of Christ would not do what Christ did. So what do we see here? He went to the sick. And do we not see people around us every day who are in need of healing and they are in hopeless situations? Yes, we do. I see so many people who are on medications that will never fix their problems.

It's only the power of the living Lord Jesus that will fix their problems. I see so many people in the life of the church who need to go to all kinds of counselors and all kinds of helps. And listen, it is the living Lord Jesus that will fix the root problem. And I see all types of people in our neighborhoods and around our churches that the church is overlooking. And I believe if we have the heart of Jesus, we would march straight into Jerusalem, straight to the temple and straight to them. Let's continue. Let's notice truth number four. Jesus heals this sick man. Jesus heals this sick man. Let's look at starting in verse eight. Excuse me.

Let me back up. Let's look at truth number three. Jesus addresses the sick man. We'll start in verse number six. What do we see? And when he saw him lying there and he knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, he said to him, do you wish to get well? The sick man answered and he said, sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. But while I'm coming, another steps down before me. Notice he addresses this sick man. Now, here we see Jesus moving his attention to a certain specific man. He had already noticed him.

Verse five tells us, but now these verses tells us, tell us that he begins to address this individual. Now let's notice some details about this address. First, Jesus knew his plight. Jesus knew his plight. What do we see when Jesus saw him lying there and he knew that he had been already a long time in that condition. Now, the new international, some of you might have the NIV. It reads Jesus learned of his situation. But the original language does not specifically say that the construction in the original language suggests a supernatural knowledge, not an acquired knowledge. Now, we saw this in many different ways.

Previously, in chapter one of the Gospel of John, verse 47 through 48, Jesus dealt with Nathaniel and he knew of Nathaniel supernaturally. We see it also in chapter four, verse 17, when Jesus dealt with the Samaritan woman supernaturally, he knew of her sinful condition. Now, whether you debate this was a learned situation or not, the original language really does not say it was a learned situation. I have to believe that he intuitively supernaturally knew the plight of this man. Second, Jesus asked the obvious. Go back to the text. What does it say? Do you wish to get well? I mean, that's just kind of the obvious. Is it not?

I mean, this might seem like a dumb question because it was obvious that the man wanted to be healed or cured. But but there was a purpose in Jesus asking this question. Jesus is drawing this attention, his attention, this man's attention to himself for a purpose and for his plan. Third, notice the man's response. Notice the man's response. Look at verse seven. The sick man answered him, sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. See, that tells us that they expected healing out of this pool. But while I'm coming, trying to get into the water, another man steps down before me. This is the man's response.

Now, this man did not understand the situation that was before him on multiple levels. And I want you to notice that first. He did not know the person that was standing before him, did he? The Samaritan woman didn't know who Jesus was. What about the nobleman? The nobleman had heard of Jesus. Maybe he suspected who Jesus was. Maybe there was something down in that nobleman that believed that he was the Messiah, but he had no idea who the person was standing before him. Second, he did not realize the purpose of the question. Jesus was drawing this man's attention and ultimately, you know, we know his purpose.

But this man did not realize the purpose of the question. And then third, he did not know the possibility of healing. Now, he thought maybe he could be healed from the pool, but the possibility of healing came from the person who was standing before him. This is the man's response. It is obvious that healing was on his mind, but he was still thinking of healing from the water. And it is clear from verse seven as to the reason why he believed this water could heal him, but that he did have a tremendous belief that healing was possible from the water. Now, notice his continued presence at the pool waiting to somehow be the first in the water.

In other words, what I want you to see is his response reveals to us that he had no idea who was before him and the possibilities of healing. But yet he held on to healing from the water. And the fourth thing, notice the man's disappointments. Look back at verse seven. The sick man answered, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool. And besides that, when I try, someone gets in before me." The last portion of verse seven indicates that many times when the water was stirred, that others had gotten in the pool before him.

This again speaks to the belief that when the water was stirred, there was a possibility of healing in their minds and in their hearts. And no doubt he had been disappointed or heartbroken when he was unable to get into the pool. You see? Many disappointments. Now, here we see two truths. First, the purpose of Jesus to engage this man for healing. And then also the utter hopelessness of this man's situation. He was trapped. He was trapped possibly by superstition, believing that the pool would heal this individual.

He was trapped possibly by tradition that had been handed down, that if he could get into that water and he was holding out for hope day after day, week after week, year after year, 38 years. They have an application. Do we not see people all around us who are just like the sick man? Do we not? People all around us who are sick. And they look for the fix all around them in society. Do they not? Do we not see people on medicines? Do we not see people going to counseling? Do we not see people turning to alcoholism and drugs? What do we see? We see the utter sickness of mankind all around us.

But yet we know that it is only Jesus who could fix their problem. Let's continue and let's look, notice truth number four, and that is Jesus heals the sick man. He does heal the sick man. Look at verse eight. Jesus said to him, "Arise, take up your pallet and walk." And immediately the man became well and he took up his pallet or his mat and he began to walk. Now, it is obvious from these previous verses that this man did not even suspect who Jesus was. We've covered that. Now contrast this with the nobleman at the end of chapter four. The nobleman had heard of Jesus and ventured to Jesus and exhibited a certain amount of faith.

Now this crippled man seemed to be totally ignorant of who Jesus was and what Jesus was about to do. Totally in the dark and totally blind to what was before him. Now let's notice Jesus healing this sick man. First, notice that Jesus gives him a direct command. Go back to the verse. Jesus said to him, "Arise, take up your mat or pallet and walk." Previously he had had one question, "Do you wish to get well?" Not a lot of conversation from Jesus. But notice he gives a direct command. Now Jesus moves from a simple sentence, an obvious sentence, to a direct command.

Now this command has three parts and I want you to notice all three parts are imperative verbs which emphasize the force with which Jesus is commanding this individual. Notice he says to stand. Jesus literally with force commands a crippled man to stand. Notice he says, "Carry your mat, carry your pallet." Again with force, emphatically Jesus commands a crippled man to carry the straw mat with which he had been bound to. And then notice he commands in an imperative forceful manner this man to walk. Jesus commands a crippled man to walk.

MacArthur says, "Just as Jesus spoke and the world was created, also his words have the power to create a new body." Same power on display. The second thing I want us to notice is that he was healed immediately and completely. Go back to the verse. "Arise, take up your mat and walk." And immediately the man became well, he took up his mat or his pallet and he began to walk. Now it is important to see two truths here. Jesus' healing here was miraculous. And it was a healing which was there for all to see. Now notice that Jesus commanded him to carry his mat. This is proof of the healing.

Not only did he get up, but he picked up the mat which he had been bound to. Previously he was crippled and now he was carrying his sick bed. So what do we see? We notice that he was healed immediately and completely. Now here in these verses we see a wonderful healing of a man who demonstrated no faith at all. Previously the noble man, he had exhibited faith. He journeyed to Christ and he came to Christ and he sought healing for his son. Demonstrating faith. But this individual demonstrated no faith at all. Others who were healed did demonstrate a certain level of faith. But this man did not even know who Jesus was.

Now what can we learn here? What can we see here? When the living Lord Jesus does something, he does it totally, he does it perfectly, and he does it completely. And he does not need man's help at all. Do we understand that? We need to see that, especially in the life of the church when it comes to conversion. Because many churches believe that if we do not take someone by the hand and force feed them into being a strong Christian, you know they can never grow. But let me tell you something. When God saves, God saves completely and totally, and God saves in such a manner where that individual will be healed. Not perfect.

They will become a new creature. Paul says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. And Jesus commanded the sick man to stand up and walk, and he stood up and walked, carried his mat, carried that pallet as proof of a total healing. And we need to understand that Jesus, when he does a work, he does it completely and totally. And he needs no man's help. Now as we begin to conclude, here in application we need to see two truths here. Sometimes I will ask us to take a step back from the text, back from the message, and to notice certain truths. And I want us to notice some truths here.

First of all, this man represents the hopelessness and helplessness of all of mankind. Before you get on your high horse and feel like you are somebody, before you have a faulty understanding of who you really were and are, we are just like this cripple. Prior to conversion, we are sick and we are bound by our depravity. And it is only by the goodness of God that we are able to stand up and walk. This man represents the hopelessness of mankind. Listen, there are no good men. By man's standards there are. But by God's standards, all of mankind are hopeless and helpless rebels against God. What does Romans chapter 8 say?

While we were enemies of God, he died for us. And while we were bound to the mat of depravity, God died. But the second thing is the act of Jesus represents the sovereign act of God to go to a single man. What did we learn earlier? We saw in verse 1 that there was a great multitude, a great number of sick individuals. But he only went to one. There was not some massive invitation. No, he went to one. And this speaks of Jesus, the work of God in a sovereign manner. It is God he goes to an individual. And no man, no woman, no young person will ever be helped in any manner, will ever be converted in any way unless God goes to them.

Now, in completing the message, I want to refer you to the title. Remember, the title of the message is what? A new miracle performed. In helping you understand what this title means, I want to refer you back to verse 9. And immediately the man became well and he took up his pallet and he began to walk. Now, notice the second portion of verse 9. Now, the transition. It was the Sabbath on that day. What I'm showing you is in doing so, Jesus violated Jewish teaching. And he started a great opposition from the religious leadership. Prior to this time, he had done nothing to agitate the Jewish establishment.

But beginning on this day, he aims directly at the Jewish establishment. He purposefully and willfully went to this man there at the pool and he healed him on the Sabbath day. And listen, this was a new miracle performed because this miracle challenged Jewish establishment and Jewish teaching. And if I can use our language, it got him in a lot of hot water. Not with God, but with man. And next week we will understand more fully about the ramifications in the ministry of Jesus of this miracle that was performed on the Sabbath. So a new miracle performed. Let's pray together.

Lord Jesus, I pray that we will see the utter simplicity of what is before us this morning. Lord, I pray that you will help us enable us to see you.