DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?
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John 5:1-15
Sin is terrible, despicable, and deceiving, which affects everything and everyone. Since the fall, this world, has been under the curse of sin; this means everything has become tainted with sin and death through the fall of Adam. We read in the Book of Beginnings, “When the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Gen 3:22-24. Rebellion, disease, temptation, bitterness, lying, stealing, murder, adultery, pride, idolatry, lust, envy and the list is endless. Sin has affected every inch of this earth. As the Apostle Paul, “But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin…” Gal 3:22. We read to the letter to the Roman Church, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” Rom 5:12
We come to
another encounter that started with a man and ended
in a discussion
with a hostile religious group of leaders.
But today I want us to focus on the lame man who is by the pool this morning! There is a lot we can learn from this man and the situation he is in, as it relates to our own lives spiritually. This encounter again reveals that Jesus, knows this man, He knows you as well, not by learning your habits, but knows from eternity past before the foundation of the world. Jesus knows you perfectly and knows everything about you, inside and out, and all you have ever felt or thought or done. “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.” Psalm 139:2-4
What do I mean? Look at (v6) “Jesus knew he had been there a long time.” A W Pink said, “This scene introduced to us in this passage is indeed a pathetic one.” This doesn’t sound very pastoral, but he says this because here you have a group of people who are lame, sick and helpless, sitting around this pool hoping to find a way into the water for a healing. Here you have the Great Physician appears, and as A W Pink concluded on this scene, “But there was no more stir among then than in the quiet waters of the pool. He was neither wanted or recognized.” The sick, the lame, and hopeless, didn’t care who Jesus was, but Jesus sought out one of them, possible the most helpless of the all suffers present. We have a man who is unable to walk or move for 38 years by what we read in the scriptures. (v5). He’s been there the whole time, and is unable and people are unable or refuse to help him into the water. Now I want to say something as side note: If you look carefully in your bible, you will find that part of v3b and v4 are not in the original manuscripts going back to the earliest Greek manuscripts! Why it was added is irrelevant to some later modern versions. Its possible these people believed in superstitions and were so desperate to believe in anything to find a way to be healed.
Now I want you to put yourself in the position of this man as Jesus approaches him with this question “Do you want to be made well?” (v6) Now if you were in the same position as this man wouldn’t you think to yourself that this guy is either a lunatic or he’s trying to be smart with you? You haven’t walked in 38 years…. which means your muscles, your body mass is deteriorating, your weak and this guy has the nerve to ask you such an insulting question. But if you stop and think about for a moment, it’s a legitimate question to ask anyone, especially a person in this sort of situation. It’s a question that will forever change the way you live and act in society!
Think about it:
If He says yes, then this man is going to have to find work.
If he says yes, then this man will have to change his daily routine and future aspirations.
Now I know this is good and I myself would jump at the occasion if I was in this sort of situation. But we forget one simple thing here [or we take it for granted] 38 years this man has been left helpless without hope, or a family. This would be exciting at first, but a couple of days, months go by, and the reality of his new ability to walk would forever change the way he interacts with society. Which would be very hard for a person like this? Take for example! A man who has been incarcerated, let’s say “38 years” and he is finally going to be released from prison. Now, that’s a very long time to be isolated in a cell from society and things, especially life as he knew it, everything would be much different than when he first went in. Do you realize that a great majority [not all of them] but a great majority of inmates return back to prison. Why? Prison life is all they know? They return back, because they don’t know how live or change their old habits, they’re so used to living the way things where they don’t know how change or adapt to their new found freedom. As one secular writer said “When an inmate is released from prison, that’s all that happens. They let the released prisoners out the door and often there’s nobody outside waiting for them and they’re given a list of shelters to go to. They also have a list of assistance programs, but that doesn't help them at that moment. They may not even be familiar with the city where they’ve been released, they are broke and alone. Getting out of prison is tough.”
Please understand! I’m not trying to compare this offer of a miracle with prison life. What I’m trying to convey is that this man’s life is about to drastically change forever. Why? He has been a prisoner to his sin, possibly a sin that has keep him lame for 38 years. (v14) Jesus gives this now healed, unconverted man a warning “If you were to continue in sin unrepentantly, you will suffer a fate far worse than paralysis, namely, eternal judgment in hell.” The formerly lame man’s greatest need was to turn from his sin and to rest in Christ alone for salvation. Now we need to understand that not every sickness or illness is due to sin as we read in John’s gospel, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3. Whether the man’s lameness was due to personal sin or not can be debatable. The clear message here is imperative for him to stop sinning; indicates that as good as it was to walk again, that healing would be ultimately insignificant if he continued to violate the law of God.
We do know,
that sin does destroys
and kills everything it touches.
So, we really need to stop and think about what Jesus is offering this man. Which is our greatest need as well. This is a question that I think we as Christians, or a society, need to be asked or need to consider daily! “Do we really want to be made well?”
If so there has to be some dramatic changes in your lifestyle and future days.
Do we really
want to let go of your bitterness?
Do we really
want to let go of your past experiences?
Do we really
want to let go of your anger?
Do we really
want to let go of your self-righteousness?
Do we really
want to let go of your choice of sin?
Again!
Put yourself in the shoes of this man, with the sin, or sins, you struggle with
the most.
As Jesus said “Do you
really want to be made well?”
To the person who lusts after the opposite sex! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the person who won’t forgive! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the person who can’t seem to find the time for your spouse or family! Do you really want this gone from your life? Seriously
To the person who is a workaholic! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the person who struggles with pornography! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the young person who disobeys your parents! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the parents who abuse or treat their children wrongly with your words or action! Do you really want this gone in your life? Seriously
To the person
who makes excuses about attending church, bible studies and so on! Do you really
want this gone from your life? Seriously
To all of us
who claim to be a disciple of Christ! Have we truly counted
the cost to
what it means to follow Jesus?
If your answer is yes; then we need to let go of the sin that we’re in bondage to, and cling to
what is right, and holy.
Cling to Christ
and His precious gospel. It will forever
change your
life from this point on!
This scares some people! Just as it scares the inmate who is now free after 38 years of incarceration. This scares some of us possibly in this room, we would rather stay in your sin, in your personal comfort because that is all you truly know. It feels too good, I am too complacent to let go, or give up! I don’t know what I would do if it was gone. We have become so desensitized to our own sin, it becomes a part of us, and we really don’t know how to cope without it. Jesus came to this man with a question that is life changing, because it has eternal implications. And unfortunately, this man was still blinded spiritually. John’s gospel does not tell us if this man ever came to saving faith. We can say that is true by what is before us this morning, he certainly cannot be called a man of great piety and thankfulness. When the Jewish leaders accused him of breaking the Sabbath by carrying his mat, the man immediately shifted blame to who? Jesus. (v11, v15)
Here is a man who had complete use of his legs with going through month of rehabilitated.
No workout
plans to get the muscles strong again, or the mental ability to tell your legs
t move.
Completely
healed and with zero thankfulness in his heart
Completely healed
and doesn’t stand amazed to how this is possible.
Just goes on
his way and tries to defend and deflect the accusations by putting all on
Jesus.
This healing of
this lame man demonstrates to us that God is
merciful and
gracious even towards the unsaved.
How truly blind and dead is this man spiritually? To not see the grace of God in his life with the new ability to walk again. This man is a picture of the most dangerous kind, because it leads to apathy and a hardened heart and it usually ends in destruction. Sin is destructive and it has the power to make you numb and prisoner to it. “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare [occupies] him, and he is held fast [captive] in the cords of his sin.” Prov 5:22
What sin is
holding you captive for the past hour, day,
week, month,
year, and decade?
The ultimate question is “Do you want to be changed?” Yes or no! What I want you to realize this morning is that our God is a personal, intimate God, who is full of mercy and grace, towards sinful people like you, me, and this lame man of 38 years. This is why Jesus came to this man and throughout history God has always been merciful even when we deserve His wrath. Micah said it best in his letter! “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” Micah 7:18. Jesus demonstrated His love for fallen mankind, by coming to this man full of mercy with a question that could change his life forever.
And just like the rich young man when he asked, “What must I do to have eternal life”, when Jesus told him how, he went away weeping. Matt 19:16-30. The same could be said of this man without the weeping of material possessions, but of a hardness of heart that is desperately wicked. “Do you want to be made well” The true believer knows how to answer this question; but the confused, blind uncovered man and woman do not understand this question. They would ask in return, “Made well from what?”
FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN AND DEATH…….“But thanks
be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 15:57
FROM THE WRATH AND JUDGEMENT OF GOD, “There is
therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1
FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION WHICH IS RESERVED FOR SATAN AND HIS
FALLEN ANGELS…."Then
he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt 25:41
FOR THE STRENGTH TO FLEE FROM SIN WHEN TEMPTED BY IT…. “No
temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he
will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Cor 10:13
Many people
today don’t know they are really sick, just like this man;
And many of
them sit in the pews of the local church.
R C Sproul wrote this charge to the church as it relates to
this once lame man,
“Our sovereign God may choose to intervene and bring about an unexpected
physical healing. It is good and right to pray for Him to do so. Yet we must
never forget that people need spiritual restoration far more than they need
physical healing. As we minister to others inside and outside the church, let
us not fail to call people to faith and repentance.”
This man knew he was physically sick, but did not appreciate the greater spiritual sickness he had due to own his sin. This is a big difference from the lame man who was lowered into the house who was forgiven before he was healed physically. (turn to Luke 5 with me) “And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.” Luke 5:18-25. Jesus could heal the paralyzed man because, and only because, He had authority as the Son of God to forgive sin. The forgiveness of sins was more concerning to this paralyzed man, than the ability to walk again, this is why Jesus “saw his faith” and the ability to walk was a bonus. To be forgiven by God and have eternal life is first and most important thing, and everything else is secondary, meaning the inability to walk and so on.
The Scripture reveal that……
Sin is eternally fatal, and many will travel the broad road to destruction. Matt 7:13-14
Many today are hardened by “the deceitfulness of sin.” Heb.3:13
Others will
foolishly ignore, or deny, that sin exist even in their lives. 1 John 1:8-10
But as Jesus says in (v14) this is a charge to this fallen world
to any period of time. “Sin
no more. Stop sinning. My aim in healing your body is the healing of your soul
and it come with a great cost.”
When it comes to forgiving sin, it was no easy effort for our Savior. Our redemption required the blood by the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God. The one John has been proclaiming from the beginning of this letter. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. Oh, what misery sin has brought into the world? But how great is the mercy and compassion of Christ? It is the immediate rescue from sin and death. This act of mercy and grace found in the gospel should impress upon the believer the importance of living our lives each and every day for the glory of God, through Jesus Christ. Our aim in the Chrisitan life is to mortify our fleshly desires, so that we might find ourselves in Christ, more each day as God works in us for His glory. This is why we are to be seeking Him in this area of life, pleading with God to expose all dark things in my own heart, things from which I need to be healed. Why? Because we are not perfect yet, but as John Newton proclaimed “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be; but, by the grace of God, I am not what I was. Do you truly want to be made well? Seriously
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