Jesus notices the man at the pool among a multitude of others, demonstrating his all-knowing compassion and power. He knows the man’s story, his suffering, and his longing for healing, just as he knows every detail of our lives—our struggles, our waiting, and our hidden hopes. Jesus does not pass by; he stops, asks, and invites us to consider if we truly desire to be made whole, challenging us to move beyond passivity and to respond to his invitation for transformation. [07:40]
John 5:1-9 (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.
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been waiting for change, perhaps passively, and how might you respond if Jesus asked you today, “Do you want to be healed?”
When confronted by the religious leaders, the healed man quickly shifts blame to Jesus, echoing the ancient pattern of Adam and Eve in the garden who deflected responsibility for their disobedience. This tendency to blame others for our reactions—whether anger, disappointment, or sadness—reveals a deeper struggle with pride and self-centeredness, as we often expect the world and those around us to serve our happiness. True transformation begins when we honestly face our own hearts and stop passing the blame for our responses. [17:11]
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.”
Reflection: When was the last time you blamed someone else for your reaction or feelings? What would it look like to take responsibility and invite God to change your heart in that area?
Jesus’ command to “sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” points to a deeper healing than physical restoration—a call to live as redeemed people, transformed in heart and conduct. The grace of Jesus is not given so we can return to old patterns, but so we can walk in newness of life, pursuing holiness and reflecting God’s kingdom ethic in our daily choices, relationships, and habits. [22:17]
John 5:14 (ESV)
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.”
Reflection: Is there a pattern or habit in your life that Jesus is calling you to leave behind as you walk in the freedom and holiness he has given you?
Jesus’ declaration that “My Father is working until now, and I am working” reveals that God’s work through Christ is to reverse the curse of sin and brokenness that began in Genesis. The miracles of Jesus are a foretaste of the world to come, where suffering, sickness, and sorrow will be no more, and where the Lamb of God brings ultimate healing and restoration. Even now, God is at work in our lives, offering hope and transformation as we await the fullness of his new creation. [29:14]
John 5:17 (ESV)
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Reflection: Where do you see evidence of God’s restoring work in your life or in the world around you, and how can you join him in that work today?
The love of God, shown in Jesus’ willingness to heal, restore, and even be betrayed by those he helps, is the driving force behind all true transformation. This love not only saves us but also compels us to love others sacrificially—to serve, forgive, and share the good news, even when it is difficult or inconvenient. Only love can move us beyond self-interest to become agents of God’s healing and hope in the world. [31:12]
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Reflection: Who is one person you can show Christlike love to this week, even if it costs you comfort or convenience?
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.
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.”
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