John 5:1-17 “God is still working today” (Nov 9th, 2025)

In John 5, we see Jesus entering Jerusalem during a feast, passing by the pool of Bethesda where a multitude of disabled people gathered, hoping for healing. Among them was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus, in his compassion and omniscience, singles out this man, knowing his long suffering. He asks a probing question: “Do you want to be healed?” This question is not just for the man, but for all of us who find ourselves stuck, waiting for change, perhaps even growing comfortable in our brokenness. Jesus’ question challenges us to examine whether we truly desire transformation, or if we have settled into our circumstances, making peace with our limitations.

The man’s response reveals both his longing and his helplessness—he wants to be healed, but has no one to help him into the pool. Jesus, with a word, commands him to rise, take up his bed, and walk. Instantly, the man is healed, not just physically, but restored to the point of carrying his own burden. This act demonstrates Jesus’ power, compassion, and intimate knowledge of our needs. Yet, the story takes a turn as the religious leaders focus not on the miracle, but on the supposed violation of Sabbath law. Their concern is not for the man’s restoration, but for the rules being broken. This exposes a spiritual blindness—a preoccupation with external obedience over the deeper work of God.

When confronted, the healed man shifts blame, echoing the pattern of Adam and Eve in Genesis, who deflected responsibility for their disobedience. This tendency to blame others rather than face our own hearts is deeply rooted in human nature. Jesus later finds the man and warns him, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” This is not a threat, but a call to recognize that physical healing points to a greater need: the healing of our souls. Jesus’ miracles are signs, pointing beyond themselves to the deeper work of reversing the curse of sin and death.

Jesus declares, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” God’s work through Jesus is to bring about a new creation, to reverse the effects of the fall, and to offer a foretaste of the world to come. The healing at Bethesda is a glimpse of the restoration God promises—a world with no more sickness, shame, or sorrow. Jesus’ labor is one of love, reaching even those who misunderstand, reject, or betray him. This love calls us to respond—not with blame or complacency, but with humility, gratitude, and a willingness to be transformed.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus Knows and Seeks the Helpless Jesus does not overlook those who are stuck or suffering. He knows our stories, our struggles, and our longings, even when we feel invisible or forgotten. His question, “Do you want to be healed?” is an invitation to honest self-examination and to bring our true needs before him. We are called to resist complacency and to actively seek the transformation only he can bring. [07:03]
• 2. Spiritual Healing Surpasses Physical Restoration The miracles of Jesus are not ends in themselves, but signs pointing to a deeper reality. Physical healing is a foretaste of the greater healing of our souls—freedom from sin, shame, and spiritual paralysis. True wholeness comes not just from changed circumstances, but from a changed heart, reconciled to God and empowered to live as his redeemed people. [22:17]
• 3. Beware of Legalism and Spiritual Blindness It is possible to be so focused on religious rules and external obedience that we miss the heart of God’s work. The religious leaders cared more about Sabbath regulations than the miracle of restoration before them. We must guard against a faith that is lifeless, missing the joy and wonder of God’s grace, and instead cultivate hearts that rejoice in the work of God, even when it challenges our assumptions. [21:01]
• 4. Our Default Is to Blame, But Jesus Calls Us to Responsibility Like Adam, Eve, and the healed man, we are quick to shift blame for our failures and struggles. Yet, true healing begins when we own our need and turn to Jesus in humility. The gospel frees us from self-justification and invites us to honest repentance, trusting that Christ’s love covers our weakness and empowers new life. [19:04]
• 5. God’s Work Is a Labor of Love, Reversing the Curse Jesus’ ministry is not just about isolated acts of compassion, but about inaugurating a new creation. His work is to reverse the curse of sin and death, offering hope for a world made new. This labor of love is costly, reaching even those who misunderstand or reject him, and calls us to participate in his mission with the same self-giving love. [29:55]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:40] - Reading John 5:1-17
• [02:36] - Setting the Scene: The Pool of Bethesda
• [05:01] - Why the Multitude Waited at the Pool
• [06:26] - Jesus Notices and Knows the Suffering
• [07:45] - The Question: Do You Want to Be Healed?
• [09:34] - The Church’s Call to Compassion
• [11:28] - The Deeper Question of Desire
• [12:42] - Jesus Heals and Restores
• [13:20] - Jesus’ Knowledge and Compassion
• [14:39] - The Sabbath Controversy
• [15:55] - The Pattern of Blame from Genesis
• [19:04] - Selfishness, Pride, and Blame
• [21:01] - The Religious Leaders’ Lifeless Response
• [22:17] - Healed for Holiness, Not Just Health
• [24:52] - Living as Redeemed People
• [26:09] - Recognizing Our Need for Grace
• [27:59] - Jesus’ Authority and the Father’s Work
• [29:14] - The Sheep Gate and the Lamb of God
• [29:55] - Jesus’ Labor of Love and the New Creation
• [31:12] - The Call to Love and Mission
• [31:50] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

John 5:1-17 (ESV) — 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. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Genesis 3:11-13 (ESV) He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Observation Questions

1. In John 5, what details are given about the pool of Bethesda and the people who gathered there? ([02:36])
2. What question does Jesus ask the man who had been an invalid for 38 years, and how does the man respond? ([07:03])
3. After the man is healed, how do the religious leaders react, and what is their main concern? ([14:39])
4. When Jesus finds the man later in the temple, what does he tell him, and what might this mean? ([22:17])

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 Jesus and about us? ([07:03])
2. The man blames someone else when questioned by the religious leaders, similar to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. What does this pattern of blame-shifting show about human nature? ([15:55])
3. The religious leaders focus on Sabbath rules instead of the miracle. What does this reveal about their understanding of God’s work and priorities? ([21:01])
4. Jesus tells the man, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” What deeper healing is Jesus pointing to beyond physical restoration? ([22:17])

Application Questions

1. Jesus notices and knows the suffering of those who feel stuck or invisible. Is there an area in your life where you feel “stuck” or have grown comfortable in your brokenness? How would you answer if Jesus asked you, “Do you want to be healed?” ([07:03])
2. The man at the pool waited for someone to help him, but Jesus met him personally. Are there places in your life where you are waiting for change instead of seeking Jesus for transformation? What step could you take this week to invite Jesus into that area? ([08:21])
3. The sermon mentioned that our default is often to blame others for our struggles, like Adam, Eve, and the healed man. Can you think of a recent situation where you shifted blame instead of taking responsibility? What would it look like to respond differently next time? ([15:55])
4. The religious leaders missed the miracle because they were focused on rules. Are there ways you have become more focused on religious habits or traditions than on the heart of God’s work in your life or others? How can you cultivate a heart that rejoices in God’s grace? ([21:01])
5. Jesus’ miracles point to a greater need for spiritual healing. In what ways do you seek physical or circumstantial change without addressing deeper spiritual needs? How can you bring your true needs before Jesus this week? ([22:17])
6. The sermon described God’s work as a “labor of love” that reaches even those who misunderstand or reject him. Who in your life is hard to love or serve? What is one practical way you can show self-giving love to them this week? ([29:55])
7. Jesus calls us to live as redeemed people, not just as people who have been helped. What is one area of your life where you want to live more like someone who has been made new by Jesus? ([24:52])