Made Whole

“Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethsada, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And immediately, the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.” John 5: 1-10.

There are many like this poor man by the pool, in life. Stuck. In a place where they lack the power, the resources, the endowment of gifts or opportunities to help themselves. In the race of life, they are trailing a far off, way behind their more competent fellow creatures, unable to catch up, to live the life God intends for them to live. They are impotent like this man. Unable to propel their lives forward by their own wits. They are oppressed, held back by some infirmity or affliction. Then there are those who are far more capable, they can walk, and even run in this life, they succeed and do well according to the world’s definition. However, all of us suffer the sinful condition passed down from the fall, through Adam, the inability to obey God’s law perfectly, and stand before Him blameless on our own merit. We all have a sinful disease that will bring judgement one day from a Holy God. ” For all we like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way. But He hath laid upon Him, the iniquity of us all.”

But God. God sees our fate. He comes to us through the person and divinity of Jesus Christ, and offers, wholeness, healing, forgiveness. What is interesting about this passage is the directness with which Jesus approaches this man. He doesn’t waste any time with introductions. The man didn’t know who he was or with whom he was speaking. Jesus simply asks, ” Wilt thou be made whole”? For the man’s will on the matter had to be considered. Jesus knowing he alone was able to heal this man, did not say to him, Well let me help you down to the pool the next time the angel comes, or ” I’m so sorry to hear of your misfortune, here is some money to ease your sorrow”. He flatly asks Him,”Do you want to be healed?” He cuts to the chase. The man presents his obstacles to Jesus, in a sense answering his question. Jesus commands him, ” Rise Up! Walk. ” Jesus possessed all the power the man needed to change his entire life and eternal destiny. Yet it would take one thing, one requirement of the man. Faith. He had to believe, in order to move his legs, stand up, put one foot in front of the other and move. Jesus healed him, but he had to believe to experience it. After all, the man could have responded, “Didn’t you hear me, I can’t walk, I can’t move, why do you tell me to rise?” In which case he would have continued to sit there, waiting helplessly, for perhaps another thirty eight years or until he died in defeat. But thankfully, he doesn’t do that. He believes! He rises, he walks!

Jesus is able to help each one of us, in whatever state we are in. He offers us hope and truth. He offers Himself. We can not make it it to heaven on our good works, we are as impotent as the man. We are sin sick and need a Saviour. We can’t get to the pool, heaven, on our own, to be made whole. Jesus knows this. That’s why He came. He finds us in life, wherever we are, whoever we are. He knows all about our disease, our limitations, and our helplessness. He didn’t come to us to play games or offer some false hope, religion, or rules, some self help program or the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. In his invitation, he doesn’t use a lot of eloquent words or enchanting philosophies. He’s rather straight. ” Do you want to be made whole?” Do you want to be forgiven, loved, and receive eternal life? ” Believe on Me,” he says. Those who believe are healed. Those who believe, He states in John 6:47, have eternal life.

It’s also interesting to note in this passage who is not happy for this healed man. Who wouldn’t be, but those who would be threatened by Jesus’ power, those who didn’t believe themselves, and didn’t want anyone else to believe either, lest they should lose their power, and control through religion. The pharisees response to this miraculous healing is found in verse 16 of the same chapter, “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day. “

They persecuted Jesus because he broke their laws in healing the man. They hated him because he threatened their control, because He didn’t submit to their authority but through his power, would turn the people away from them. Not everyone will believe on the Saviour, and many won’t be happy for you if you do. They would offer religion, rules, works, as a means to earn heaven, as if any of us could. Jesus came to offer truth, mercy and grace. The question each one of us must answer is the question Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethsada, ” Wilt thou be made whole”? If the answer is yes, believe!

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24

Receive.