Embracing Healing: Jesus' Invitation to New Life
Summary
“If the tomb is empty, then anything is possible.” This truth is easy to affirm in our minds, but often hard to live out in our hearts, especially when we face long seasons of disappointment or pain. In John 5, we encounter a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, lying by the pool of Bethesda, hoping for healing. Jesus, entering Jerusalem not through the VIP gate but through the sheep gate, intentionally seeks out those who are overlooked and marginalized. He asks the man a seemingly simple question: “Do you want to be healed?” This question cuts through years of disappointment, excuses, and misplaced hopes. The man’s response is full of reasons why healing hasn’t come, yet Jesus, in His mercy, heals him anyway.
This encounter reminds us that Jesus sees us not as invalids or outcasts, but as deeply loved and valued. Our worth is not determined by our circumstances or our past, but by the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. Sometimes, like the man at the pool, we look for healing in the wrong places, or we become so accustomed to our brokenness that we can’t imagine life any other way. Yet Jesus invites us to rise, to take up the very things that once defined our pain, and to walk in newness of life.
The story also challenges us to examine our own hearts. Are we so focused on rules, traditions, or the way things “used to be” that we miss the miracles God is working right in front of us? The religious leaders in the story were more concerned with Sabbath regulations than with the fact that a man had been made whole. God’s methods may change, but His message and His power to heal remain the same.
Ultimately, the question Jesus asked the man is the same question He asks each of us: “Do you want to be healed?” Whether our need is physical, relational, emotional, or spiritual, Jesus stands ready to meet us with compassion and power. Our past does not have the right to define our future. In Christ, even our pain can become a platform for God’s glory. The invitation is open—do you want to be healed?
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Key Takeaways
- God’s Compassion Reaches the Overlooked
Jesus intentionally seeks out those whom society overlooks or devalues. He does not show favoritism, but loves each person deeply, regardless of their status, history, or brokenness. Our worth is not determined by our circumstances, but by the love and sacrifice of Christ, who validates us through His death and resurrection. [08:46]
- Our Value Is Defined by Christ’s Sacrifice
The price Jesus paid for us on the cross far exceeds any earthly measure of value. We are not “invalids” in God’s eyes; we are treasured, bought with a price, and made worthy by His love. Let this truth sink in: no matter how long we have suffered or how forgotten we may feel, we are infinitely valuable to God. [10:53]
- Excuses and Misplaced Hopes Can Hinder Healing
Like the man at Bethesda, we often look for healing in the wrong places or become trapped by excuses rooted in disappointment. Jesus’ question, “Do you want to be healed?” exposes our tendency to settle for less or to rationalize our pain. True healing begins when we bring our honest need to Jesus and trust Him to do what only He can do. [16:42]
- God’s Miracles May Challenge Our Traditions
The religious leaders missed the miracle because they were fixated on rules and traditions. God’s methods may change, and He may work in ways that disrupt our expectations or comfort zones. We must be careful not to let our attachment to the past blind us to the new things God is doing in our midst. [21:57]
- Your Past Does Not Define Your Future in Christ
Jesus told the healed man to take up his mat—a symbol of his past suffering—as a testimony to God’s power. In Christ, our past pain can become a platform for God’s glory. No matter what has defined us before, Jesus offers us a new identity and a new future, if we are willing to respond to His invitation. [25:27]
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Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:07] - Reading John 5:1-16
[02:15] - The Healing at Bethesda
[03:35] - Prayer for Open Hearts
[04:16] - Remembering the Past: A Grandmother’s Call
[05:39] - Missing God’s New Work
[06:29] - Jesus Enters Through the Sheep Gate
[07:23] - Jesus Among the Marginalized
[08:46] - The Value Jesus Places on Us
[10:53] - Bought with a Price
[12:45] - Why Do Bad Things Happen?
[13:22] - The Reality of Spiritual Opposition
[14:28] - The Question: Do You Want to Be Healed?
[16:42] - Excuses and the Search for Healing
[18:36] - Taking Up Your Mat: Remembering God’s Deliverance
[20:13] - The Burden of Religious Tradition
[21:57] - God’s Unchanging Message, Changing Methods
[22:44] - Missing the Miracle for the Method
[25:27] - The Invitation: Do You Want to Be Healed?
[26:43] - Responding to God’s Call
[27:33] - Closing Invitation and Prayer
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: “If the Tomb is Empty, Anything is Possible”
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### Bible Reading
John 5:1-16
(Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda)
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### Observation Questions
1. In John 5:1-16, what details are given about the man Jesus heals? How long had he been in his condition, and where was he waiting?
2. What question does Jesus ask the man at the pool, and how does the man respond?
3. According to the sermon, why is it significant that Jesus entered Jerusalem through the sheep gate instead of a more prominent entrance? [[07:23]]
4. How do the religious leaders react to the man’s healing, and what are they most concerned about? [[20:13]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might Jesus have asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” even though his need seemed obvious? What does this question reveal about the man’s heart and expectations? [[15:50]]
2. The sermon mentions that Jesus intentionally seeks out those who are overlooked or marginalized. What does this tell us about God’s character and priorities? [[08:46]]
3. The religious leaders were more focused on Sabbath rules than the miracle itself. What does this reveal about the danger of prioritizing tradition over God’s work? [[21:19]]
4. Jesus tells the man to “take up your mat and walk.” What might be the significance of carrying the mat, and how could this relate to our own stories of healing or transformation? [[18:36]]
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### Application Questions
1. The man at the pool had been disappointed for 38 years and had many excuses for why he wasn’t healed. Are there areas in your life where you’ve grown accustomed to disappointment or have stopped believing change is possible? What would it look like to bring those honestly to Jesus? [[16:42]]
2. Jesus asks, “Do you want to be healed?” If Jesus asked you this question today—physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually—how would you answer? Is there an area where you need to say “yes” to His invitation? [[25:27]]
3. The sermon says our value is not determined by our circumstances or our past, but by the price Jesus paid for us. Are there labels or past experiences that you’ve let define your worth? How can you begin to see yourself as God sees you? [[10:53]]
4. Sometimes we look for healing or fulfillment in the wrong places, just like the man looked to the pool instead of Jesus. What are some “pools” in your life where you’ve placed your hope instead of trusting Jesus? [[16:42]]
5. The religious leaders missed the miracle because they were focused on rules and traditions. Are there ways you might be missing what God is doing because you’re holding onto “the way things used to be”? How can you stay open to God’s new work in your life or church? [[21:57]]
6. Jesus told the man to take up his mat—a symbol of his past suffering—as a testimony. Is there a part of your story or past pain that God might want to use as a platform for His glory? How could you share that with others? [[18:36]]
7. The sermon ended with an invitation to respond to Jesus’ question, “Do you want to be healed?” What is one step you can take this week to respond to Jesus’ invitation—whether it’s asking for prayer, seeking reconciliation, or trusting Him with a specific need? [[26:43]]
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Closing Prayer:
Invite group members to pray for one another, especially for areas where healing or newness of life is needed. Encourage honest sharing and support.
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus Sees and Values the Overlooked
No matter how long someone has been overlooked or labeled as "invalid" by society, Jesus sees each person with compassion and immeasurable value. He does not define anyone by their limitations or past, but by the love He demonstrated on the cross. Each person is precious to God, bought with the highest price, and validated not by worldly standards but by Christ’s sacrifice. Let this truth soak in: you are deeply loved and valued, regardless of your circumstances or how others may see you. [10:53]
John 5:1-16
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, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
Reflection: Who in your life might feel overlooked or undervalued, and how can you show them the love and value that Jesus shows you?
Day 2: You Are Bought With a Price
Every person is precious to God, not because of what they have done, but because of the price Jesus paid for them. The cross is the ultimate validation of your worth; you are not your own, but belong to God who paid the highest price for you. Let this truth shape your identity and how you treat your body and your life, knowing you are deeply valued and called to glorify God in all you do. [10:53]
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Reflection: In what practical way can you honor God with your body and your choices today, remembering that you are bought with a price?
Day 3: God Brings Near Those Who Were Far Off
Through Jesus, those who were once excluded or kept at a distance are brought near to God. No matter your past, your failures, or how far you feel from God, the blood of Christ makes a way for you to be restored and welcomed into His presence. You are invited to draw near, not because of your own merit, but because of what Jesus has done for you. [15:50]
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you feel distant from God? What would it look like to bring that area honestly before Him today?
Day 4: God Is Always Doing a New Thing
It is easy to get stuck in the past or in old ways of thinking, but God is always at work, doing something new. Sometimes, we miss the miracles God is working because we are focused on traditions, preferences, or the way things used to be. The message of the Gospel never changes, but the methods God uses may look different than we expect. Stay open to the new things God wants to do in and through you. [21:57]
Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Reflection: What is one area where you are holding onto the past or resisting change? How can you invite God to do a new thing in that area?
Day 5: Do You Want to Be Healed?
Jesus asks a simple but profound question: “Do you want to be healed?” Sometimes, we make excuses or look for solutions in the wrong places, but Jesus stands ready to bring healing—physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. He invites you to respond, to bring your needs to Him, and to trust that your past does not define your future. In Christ, your pain can become a platform for God’s glory. [26:01]
James 5:14-16 (ESV)
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need healing today? Will you bring it honestly to Jesus and ask Him to work in you?
Quotes
If the tomb is empty, then anything is possible. And we know that in our head, but sometimes we forget about that. Sometimes we need help in our faith, right? I remind myself that I'm an awful lot like that Roman authority that came to Jesus and said, will you heal my son? And Jesus said, well, I don't have to go there. All I have to do is speak the Word and boom. You know, the healing can happen. But sometimes I'm like, I believe, but you've got to help my unbelief, God. I believe, but sometimes I need my faith to be built up. [00:00:03]
In this story, we have some people who don't know what time it is. Jesus is here. He's come. He's doing a new thing. But they're stuck in the past. And they're stuck in their old ways of doing things. And they're missing out on what God's wanting to do in the new thing that He's trying to do within them. [00:05:46]
But that's how Jesus rolls, isn't it? He can interact with the richest of the rich and the most powerful of the most powerful and He can interact with those who are the least of society. And He loves them all the same. Jesus shows no favoritism. Because He's created all of us and all of us are created in His image and He loves and cares for each one of us no matter what our background is, no matter if we are one of the invalids, blind and lame, uneducated, paralyzed. [00:08:33]
We recognize how much Jesus loves this man when the Scripture tells us that he validated you and he validated me and he validated this man and everyone in this world when he went to the cross to die for us. 1 Corinthians 6, 19 -20 says, Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God? You are not your own. Verse 20, For you were bought with a price to glorify God in your body. Every one of us was bought with a price. We were validated. [00:10:17]
Jesus has validated us with the cross. We are valuable to Him. God paid the highest price for each one of us. Just think about that. Let that soak in for just a moment. The price that Jesus paid for us. [00:11:11]
That horse is nothing compared to the value that God places on you. [00:12:00]
Well, sometimes that question comes in the form of why do bad things happen to good people? And the answer is, well, we really don't know because we just see things from a real narrow perspective. We don't see things from God's perspective from all of eternity. We have this real narrow view and sometimes we can point our finger at Jesus and point our finger at God and say, what are you doing? You don't know what you're doing here. You don't know what you're doing here. When in reality, we don't begin to see things from His perspective. [00:12:17]
But we need to remember too that we live in a fallen world. That this was not how God created this world to be. God didn't create cancer. And it wasn't His design that we would be cut off and separated from Him. That sin would enslave us. That wasn't God's plan for this world at all. But we can see all around this world that's what's happened. [00:12:52]
Another thing that we need to remember is that we have an enemy. And the enemy is real. And he is active in this world that we live in. And he's got minions that we call demons that are opposed to us as we try to follow God. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6 that we wrestle not in this world against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and these demons that God has seen come into this world as a result of the fall and rebellion of man. [00:13:18]
Another thing to consider is sometimes it's not Satan or the demons that are attacking us, but sometimes it's our own dumb choices. And I don't know if that's a theological word or not, but dumb. Sometimes we're just kind of... Bad choices. You know, as a pastor, sometimes I have people come to me and I remember one guy that came to me and said, Satan's after me. I said, after you. You don't get to work on time and you probably don't work too hard while you're there. I think that's your own bad choices. You're reaping what you sow. Sometimes we blame Satan for some of our dumb stuff. [00:13:54]
But Jesus has come to make a way for us to be restored into a right relationship with our Creator God. In Ephesians 2 .13, but now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [00:15:35]
Do you want to be healed? Jesus asked. Seems like a silly question. But it's one of those questions that I find myself asking sometimes in counseling sessions. Couples that come into my office and pastor, we're having trouble in our marriage. And then as I'm hearing them and talking with them, I have to ask the question, do you want your marriage to be restored? Do you want your marriage to be healed? And sometimes like this man that Jesus meets who's here, his first response is, starts making all the excuses, right? How easy is it for us to fall into the excuse -making category, right? [00:15:52]
The problem with this man is he's looking at the wrong place for his healing. He's looking for the waters. He's looking for the waters to be miraculously stirred. He's standing before Jesus the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He's standing before the author of life. He's standing before the resurrection and the life and he's complaining about the waters. He's looking in the wrong places. [00:17:08]
Sometimes God heals us with prayers and sometimes God heals us with pills and sometimes God heals us with physicians and nurses and hospitals. Sometimes he uses all three and even though he's whining and giving his excuses Jesus still heals him anyway he is a gracious God he's a merciful God and Jesus says get up and take up your bed and walk. [00:17:36]
But Jesus sometimes has us hold our past, remember some of the things of the past so that we can see what we've been delivered from, that we're reminded of how he has delivered us. And see me walking now, well, this is what I used to be. I'm no longer that anymore. We're no longer a cripple. We're no longer an invalid. We're now a child of the king. [00:19:17]
Sometimes we get stuck on the way things used to be and we miss that God's trying to do a new thing and we start pointing our finger at the mats that are being carried and not the way that I want it to be done and you shouldn't be doing that and we miss out on the miracle that God's trying to work. [00:23:09]
Because of Jesus, your past no longer has the right to define your future. In Christ, your past pain can become a platform for God's glory. See this stinky mat? I lied on this thing for 38 years and now look at me. God has healed me. [00:25:41]
Maybe you need the forgiving power of God's grace to come and heal a broken relationship that you think there's no chance. Maybe you're dealing with some anxiety or depression or grief. You've got headaches and high blood pressure and maybe it's a feeling of loneliness or hopelessness or an addiction that you can't seem to break free. Do you want to be healed? [00:26:10]
But that's the question. It's a simple question. Do you want to be healed? [00:27:43]
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