One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. (Romans 14:5-6)
We find Jesus on the road again, leaving Nazareth, and After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 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. (John 5:1-4) We read in scripture that at various times God uses water in the process of healing a person, like when the Prophet Elisha instructed Naaman to go into the Jordan River to be healed of leprosy (II Kings 5:1-19). The use of water by God for cleansing, purifying and healing was nothing unusual to the children of Isreal.
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 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 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.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. (John 5:5-9) For those of us who can walk, imagine not being able to walk, ever! Then imagine knowing that there is something that may allow you to receive the ability to walk, and you know where the remedy is, but you CAN'T get to it, after trying for years! That's the condition Jesus finds this man in.
We all have situations in our lives that we CAN'T FIX! We have tried everything we know to do to fix it, but it doesn't change. Just like this man, Jesus is asking each of us “Do you want to be made well?” Whether our physical condition changes or not, our spiritual condition can be healed. As the Apostle Paul testified, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:7-9 NLT) God knows us better than ourselves, and sometime we don't receive some of the things we want because He knows we can become proud. But He knows those of us who will not become self-centered and boastful, and The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)
Yet again, Jesus does a miracle that can't be explained as anything other than a miracle, no medicine, surgery, touching, just speaking The Word! How do you think the Jewish religious leaders responded? The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’” Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 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.” The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. (John 5:10-16)
Most of us are familiar with the term Sabbath Day. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3) God also gave the children of Isreal instructions regarding the Sabbath Day in the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: ... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) The Jews took this very seriously and still do today. We will study in an upcoming lesson that Jesus explained, And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) God's whole purpose in establishing a Sabbath Day, a day of rest is so that we would rest! It doesn't matter what day it is, just as long as we have a day for our bodies to rest. Thank God for being so concerned with our physical well-being, along with our spiritual well-being!
As always, Jesus shows us how to Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6) But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:17) If somone needs help, it doesn't matter what day of the week it is, HELP! We can't get so comfortable in our own little world and daily rituals that we can't take a detour that may put us in a situation where we have to go outside of our comfort zone and actually demonstrate that we are Christians. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? [yes, but...] If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.(James 2:14-17, 21-24) We can call ourselves whatever we want, but one day we're going to actually have to do some things to prove it, even if it's on the Sabbath Day!
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:18-23) In other words, Jesus said [or is saying] to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) Need more proof? Let the study continue...
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