Do You Want to Be Made Whole?

Do You Want to Be Made Whole?

John 5:1-16

 

The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.   John 1:17

 

An ailing man, confined to his pallet for 38 years, was enslaved by a disease that rendered him too weak to get up. His only hope was to be the first one into the pool when the angel stirred up the water – but he was absolutely incapable of accomplishing this feat. His 'hope' was no hope at all!

 

Jesus saw the man lying by the pool when He was in Jerusalem for a Jewish feast. He felt sympathy for the helpless man and asked him, "Do you want to become well?"  It seems odd that Jesus would ask a question with such an obvious answer; however, it allowed Jesus to make a most important point when the man revealed that he had the desire, but not the strength, to get into the pool.  

 

. . . the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.   Rom. 7:18b

 

Jesus did not speak to this man about his corrupt nature, as He did with Nicodemus; nor did He expect him to realize that he was under the power of sin, as with the Samaritan woman. Jesus did not stress the importance of believing His word, as He had done with the nobleman. In this encounter the spotlight is on the man's absolute inability to act for himself. Generally, the infirmed man illustrates that mankind is powerless to overcome sin without help; and specifically, he represents the Jew who has repeatedly proven an inability to keep God's law.

 

What the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son. . . Rom. 8:3a

Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.  Rom. 6:14

 

Do we truly understand the substance of God's grace? It is this: God sees our need and has sent His Son to meet it. He knows that our 'disease'(sin) will keep us from Him eternally and He is not willing for that to happen. The Lord's question to us is, "Do you want to be free from sin and its effects?" If we say yes, we must set aside all personal effort and receive everything Christ wants to give us for life and godliness.

 

His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness . . .  2Pet. 1:3a

A Dying Boy and a Living Faith

A Dying Boy and a Living Faith

John 4:45-54

We walk by faith, not by sight. 2Cor. 5:7

 

Jesus left the Samaritan community and returned to Cana of Galilee. The Galileans did not suspiciously question Jesus, like the Judeans; nor did they embrace Him as Savior like the Samaritans. They welcomed Him because they wanted to see more signs and wonders (vs 45). When the nobleman found Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house to heal his dying son. It seems as though this man was acting in faith, believing that Jesus could save the boy, but the Lord knows the man's heart and defines his motive for us when He says, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."

 

We need to compare the story of the Samaritans with this story in order to understand this reproof. What sign did the Samaritans see before they would believe that Jesus was their Savior? There was no sign – only His word about who He was. The woman was amazed that He knew everything about her, but this is not a sign. Some believed because of her story, but many more believed because of His own word (John 41). In contrast, the nobleman wants to see Jesus heal his son –  but Jesus will not accommodate him.

 

Even as the man repeats his request for Jesus to "come down" at once, the Lord tells him to go home –  "your son lives." Finally, the man believes because of the Lord's words, and goes his way. The word believe means that he put his confidence in the character, motives and ability of Jesus (W.E. Vine). However weak his faith might have been, the man put one foot in front of the other and started home. Before he arrived home his faith was further strengthened by the news that his son was healed. His whole household believed as well.

 

Wherever there is faith Jesus is ready to save the life of those who are ready to perish.  J.N. Darby

 

The boy was physically perishing because of sickness – and the household was spiritually perishing because of sin . . . until they put their confidence in Christ.

The River of Life Comes to Samaria

The River of Life Comes to Samaria

John 4:3-30

 

He who believes in the Son has eternal life [has it here and now and for eternity].      John 3:36 ATR

 

Late in the day, a woman goes to draw water in her town and she sees a man resting by the well. It is unusual to see anyone by the well at this time of day, for all the other women had come earlier to fill their water pots and socialize.  She avoided those women, knowing that they would not tarnish their reputations by even speaking to her – for she had been married five times and now lived with a man who was not her husband. Yet this Jewish man, began speaking to her.

 

He asked her for a drink – How odd! He didn't look down on her like the others, instead, He asked for her help. Then He spoke of living water – water bubbling up to permanently quench her thirst.  She wanted to avoid the well and the daily reminder of her humiliation, so she asked for this water. He began talking to her about her sinful life – but not in a way that made her feel low and rejected  – instead, she was drawn to Him, even as He exposed her sin.  She felt at ease in His presence, so she questioned Him about the proper place to worship.

 

This man told her that true worshipers will no longer worship the Father in a place, they will worship a Person. He said, I who speak to you am He. Living Water is a Person! A Person who would flood the dark wilderness of her heart with life – life here and now and for all eternity! She abandoned the task of drawing water for herself as she ran off to tell the townspeople that she had met the Savior.

 

Jesus had gone to the well to wait for the woman. He won her confidence at the same moment He exposed her sin – not to others – but to her own heart. He came into the world to meet with sinners; not to bludgeon them with their weakness and failure, but to win them with the promise of eternal life.

 

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. John 1:16