John 5:36-38 "The Very Works; Part Two." (1 of 2) with Pastor Michael Petit

Sep 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: From Empty Jars to New Wine: Transformation in Christ’s Hands

When Jesus turned water into wine, He revealed His power to rewrite the substance of our lives. This miracle wasn’t about convenience but about redefining what’s possible when ordinary things are surrendered to Him. Just as stone jars meant for ritual became vessels of celebration, Christ takes our dead routines, brokenness, and empty religion and fills them with new purpose. The miracle still happens today: addiction becomes freedom, bitterness becomes forgiveness, despair becomes hope. But transformation requires surrender—we must bring Him our emptiness to receive His fullness. [03:14]

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine… the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first… But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:6–11, ESV)

Reflection: What “empty jars” in your life—habits, relationships, or struggles—need Christ’s transformative touch? Where are you resisting His invitation to fill what you’ve labeled as ordinary?

Day 2: Take Up Your Mat: Obedience in the Midst of Impossibility

The paralyzed man waited 38 years for healing, yet Jesus demanded his participation: “Get up, take your bed, and walk.” Miracles often begin with uncomfortable obedience. That mat represented his identity as a victim, his dependence on others’ pity, and his resignation to failure. To carry it was to publicly declare Christ’s authority over every chain. Our healing may require leaving behind what’s familiar—toxic relationships, self-pity, or excuses—to walk into freedom. Obedience isn’t a reward for faith; it’s the pathway through which faith acts. [07:06]

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. (John 5:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: What “mat” have you been lying on, waiting for others to fix? How might Christ be calling you to actively participate in your healing today?

Day 3: Daily Manna: Sustaining Hunger for the Bread of Life

Jesus fed 5,000 with five loaves, yet the crowd wanted more meals, not the Messiah. Spiritual malnutrition thrives when we treat God’s Word like a weekly snack rather than daily bread. Manna couldn’t be hoarded; it required daily gathering. Likewise, Scripture isn’t a self-help manual but living bread—meant to be tasted, chewed, and digested each morning. Our hunger reveals our health: a starving soul prioritizes Netflix over Bible pages, excuses over prayer, and busyness over stillness. True satisfaction begins when we crave His presence more than His provisions. [10:57]

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last feel spiritually hungry? What practical step can you take today to feast on Christ’s words rather than crumbs of distraction?

Day 4: Storms as Invitations: Finding Christ in Life’s Hurricanes

The disciples rowed against hurricane winds, forgetting the storm-walker was watching. Jesus didn’t calm the sea immediately but joined them in it, proving His presence outweighs the storm’s threat. Our trials aren’t detours—they’re classrooms where we learn to distinguish between our striving and His sovereignty. Like seasoned fishermen still terrified, we often trust our oars over His voice. Yet every wave whispers Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” The miracle isn’t avoiding storms but discovering He’s in them. [19:32]

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (John 6:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: What storm are you trying to row through alone? How might Jesus be inviting you to release control and recognize His nearness today?

Day 5: The 66-Book Love Letter: God’s Daily Invitation to Intimacy

Scripture isn’t a textbook but a 66-book love letter—each page breathing “I know you, I want you, I’m for you.” Like the Israelites gathering manna, we’re tested daily: Will we seek fresh bread or settle for yesterday’s crumbs? God’s words carry the weight of His heart; to neglect them is to starve while holding a banquet invitation. The Bible’s depth mirrors His desire for relationship—He could’ve written a pamphlet but gave us poetry, history, and prophecy to explore like a lover savoring every word. [14:22]

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.” (Exodus 16:4, ESV)

Reflection: When you open Scripture, do you approach it as duty or delight? What one verse can you carry today as a personal love note from God?

Sermon Summary

John’s Gospel sets the purpose of the seven signs plainly: they were written so people would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His name. Christ’s works testify that the Father sent Him, so these miracles are not just displays of power. They show who Jesus is and what He does for people who trust Him.

The water turned into wine points to Christ’s power to make something new. Christ still takes dead people and gives them life, making them a new creation. The healing of the nobleman’s son shows that Christ is Lord over life, even from twenty miles away. The nobleman’s whole household believing shows how one encounter with Christ can reach far beyond one person.

The healed man at Bethesda shows that no one is too far gone for Christ. Christ tells the man to get up, take up his bed, and walk, but Christ also warns him not to return to the sin that had destroyed him. Sin does not stay small. Sin grows, gets exposed, and brings worse destruction when a person keeps going back to it. Christ’s command to walk means believers cannot just say they are healed and then sit still. Faith must add virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.

The bread of life points beyond physical food. Christ feeds the five thousand, but He exposes people who only want the free meal and not the eternal life He gives. God’s Word is like daily manna, a sixty-six-book love letter that God wants His people to open every day. Spiritual hunger cannot be fed by one meal a week. Christ alone satisfies the hunger and thirst that the things of this world can only quiet for a season.

The storm on the sea shows that Christ is help in the hurricane. The disciples row hard in the dark, fighting a wind strong enough to scare fishermen, while Christ comes walking over the very thing that frightens them. Christ says, “It is I. Do not be afraid,” calling them back to the God who promised in Isaiah that the waters would not overwhelm His people. The oar pictures the human habit of trying to fix everything through human strength. Christ calls His people to put the oar down, go to Him first, and keep their eyes on Jesus. Storms hurt, but those experiences bring people closer to Christ when they stop rowing alone.

Key Takeaways

1. Take up your bed and walk [08:54] Christ’s healing does not leave a person parked in the old life. His command calls for obedience that puts away sinful patterns and pursues growth in godliness. Faith becomes fruitful when it refuses to make peace with what Christ has already exposed and forgiven. [08:54]
2. Christ alone satisfies spiritual hunger [10:57] The bread of life does more than meet a temporary need. Christ confronts the habit of seeking God only for physical relief, comfort, or provision. His Word calls for daily appetite because spiritual life cannot stay healthy on occasional feeding. [10:57]
3. Do not follow Jesus for stuff [15:48] Physical help matters, but it cannot replace the gospel or give eternal satisfaction. Christ exposes a shallow faith that stays only while the food is free and the circumstances are easy. Real faith keeps coming to Him because He Himself is the treasure. [15:48]
4. Put the oar down and pray [24:13] The storm reveals how quickly people trust effort, advice, and human answers before going to Christ. Jesus does not forbid wise help, but He must be the first stop, not the last resort. His presence in the storm changes fear into a reason to trust Him again.

## [24:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Christ’s Works Testify of the Father
[01:24] - John’s Seven Signs and Their Purpose
[03:14] - Water Into Wine and New Life
[03:56] - The Nobleman’s Son and the Lord of Life
[05:08] - The Paralyzed Man and Sin’s Destruction
[07:06] - Take Up Your Bed and Walk
[09:51] - Christ the Bread of Life
[12:50] - Daily Manna From God’s Word
[15:05] - Free Food or Eternal Life
[18:11] - Jesus Walks on the Water
[20:34] - Christ Is With His People in Storms
[24:13] - Put the Oar Down and Trust God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 20:30–31
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” [01:57]

John 5:8–9
“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.” [07:15]

John 6:35
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” [10:32]

John 6:20
“But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” [19:51]

Observation questions

According to John 20:30–31, what are the two stated results John wants his readers to have from seeing and reading about Jesus’ signs? [02:01]
In the healing at Bethesda, what did Jesus command the man to do after healing him, and what did the man do immediately?
What kinds of sinful patterns were named as things that can grow worse when a person returns to them instead of turning away? [06:16]
In the account of the storm, what were the disciples doing before Jesus came near the boat, and what words did Jesus speak when they were afraid? [19:35]

Interpretation questions

John says Jesus’ signs were written so that people would believe He is the Christ, the Son of God. How does this purpose keep believers from treating miracles as only impressive displays of power? [02:18]
Jesus told the healed man to “take up your bed and walk,” and later warned him not to continue in sin. What does this show about the connection between Christ’s grace, repentance, and a changed way of life? [08:14]
Jesus calls Himself the bread of life rather than merely a provider of bread. What is the difference between seeking Jesus for temporary help and coming to Him as the One who gives eternal satisfaction? [15:08]
When Jesus says, “It is I; do not be afraid,” what does His presence in the storm reveal about where believers should look when they are overwhelmed? [20:03]

Application questions

Jesus makes dead people alive and makes them new creations. Where do you most need to remember that Christ is able to bring real change—not just small improvements—in your life? [03:17]
“Take up your bed and walk” means not staying parked in an old pattern after Christ has exposed it. Is there a pattern involving anger, gossip, dishonesty, sexual sin, addiction, bitterness, or something else that you have been tempted to return to? What would taking a clear step of obedience look like this week? [09:08]
Spiritual hunger is not sustained by one meal a week. What usually fills the time and attention that could be given to Scripture and prayer? What simple, realistic rhythm could help you seek daily manna from God’s Word? [11:24]
Christ alone satisfies the deepest hunger and thirst of the soul. When life is hard, what “free food” or temporary comfort are you most tempted to pursue instead of coming to Christ Himself? [15:48]
In a current storm, what does “grabbing an oar” look like for you—trying to control everything, depending only on advice, worrying, withdrawing, or working harder without praying? What would it look like to put the oar down and go to Jesus first? [23:59]
Jesus does not promise that storms will never come, but He promises His presence with His people. How can the group help one another remember to pray and keep their eyes on Jesus when pain, fear, or doubt rises again? [24:43]

Sermon Clips

45s

#TakeItToJesus

“And so take him to Jesus. Why don't, you know, marital issues, take him to Jesus. What does God's word say? And then they get tired of that or but, man, every time I go to him, they tell me to go to Jesus. I need help. You're you're just like the crippled man on the ground at at at the house of mercy for thirty eight years. You're expecting man to come help you when Christ is the one that needs to help you. That's the thing. You're expecting some psychologist or some some therapist or some doctor to fall to to solve all your worries when you need to be looking at Jesus.”

53s

#TrustGod

“The disciples are learning, like, and and we can be the same way. What do we all do? We're, like, all just, hey, well, grab an ore, start rowing. Kirk, get a oar. Let's start rowing. Jesse, get a oar. Let's row. Come on, Ray. Let's row. And we're all in there. We're just going, hey, grab Ira. Wake them up. Tell them to grab some oars. Let's row. It's like, stop. Go to Jesus. Okay? I had to remind myself that this week. In fact, yesterday, after a conversation I had with Steve, it's like, hey. You know what? Just stop stop put the ore down and just trust god. And and it's honestly it's a reminder. We all do that for each other.”

56s

#JesusInTheStorm

“God will provide all those other things. And guess what? Here's the beauty of it. You may hit some moments of doubt, and what do you do? The storm starts brewing again, you go to Christ again. That's the whole purpose of that, is to remind yourself, like, hey. When I'm in the storm, Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me. There's no storm that he can't get me through. And and and that's even if for some, you go, man, they're they're they're illness, and you go, they're they're getting ready to go home to be with the Lord. And it's like, you know what? The storm will be over for them soon, and they'll be absolutely healed. Absolutely healed in heaven,”

43s

#TakeUpYourBed

“we have a responsibility as we as we look at our lives as we can be healed, but you have to take up the bed and walk. You can overcome and have that marital strife, fixed because you can take up the bed and walk. You have to believe the words of Jesus. Right? You you can overcome addictions. You can overcome lies or gossip or or temper. All of that can be overcome because he just tells you to take up your bed and walk. It's in his word. And that's why this is so important because we need to be in his word.”

39s

#EternalLife

“And and so we have to be careful. I'm very adamant. Like, I'm all for helping people. But if I'm not sharing the gospel, I'm not for that Because you're only you're you're only providing a temporary need. We're trying to provide an eternal eternity is what they need. They need an eternal satisfaction. They need eternal life. The things of this world are not gonna satisfy you. They may help you for a season, but they won't they won't satisfy.”

51s

#SpiritualHunger

“It's like we have to in our relationship, we have to spend time with him. We we have to make that effort. He's always ready, but you have to make that effort. It has to be part of your day. We we spend so much of our lives as as we we'll have time for everything else, but we don't have time for God's word. We don't have time to pray. We don't have time to to like, you have a hunger. You have to you have to you wake up physically hungry every day. Right? You're ready to eat every day. But are you spiritually waking up hungry?”

43s

#GodIsWithYou

“He's referring back to the Old Testament to remind them, like, hey. Whichever water you go through, I'm with you. Whatever storm you're in right now, I'm with you. It can be it can be pain. You can wake up in absolute pain, but god's with you in that storm. Go to him. That's what he's trying to get you to do. It's like you look to him in the storm. That's the whole purpose of that. The sign is, like, you look to him. This world is gonna throw you storm after storm after storm, and some of them are gonna be like hurricanes.”

33s

#PrayFirst

“We don't do that. That should be your first indicator. When somebody tells you, you know what? I'm in absolute pain this morning. Let's pray. Miss Sylvia came in Wednesday, and she said, you know what? I'm sore. Can can y'all pray for me? We prayed. That should be our first thing. Go to Jesus. Take him to Jesus. You don't have the answers. Jesus does. You don't heal anybody. Jesus does.”

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Calvary Devine, Texas This sermon · AI assistant

What do Jesus’ signs reveal about his identity?

Why does spiritual hunger require daily dependence on Christ?

How should believers respond when storms overwhelm them?