3rd Sign: A Miracle Of Grace And Religion, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ today very very Merry. I think all of you and just about everybody would understand and know something about this particular miracle. The location of America was the pool of Bethesda and Bethesda is now a popular word in English we talk about as we know all about that wasn't nearest popular term in Jesus as it is in our secondly we also know that the man who was received. America was a 38 year likely percolate and so very much aware that is taught in Sunday schools little kids know all about it is one of those miracles joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is again he shows us how God's word meets our John decided to pick seven sign to prove that Jesus has the power of God, but he also has the nature of God.

John also told us in the last chapter of John that Jesus did so many miracles in all the books of the world women containment so we could pick from hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miracles, except each one of them has something specific to say about the power and the nature of God. So two weeks ago we dealt with the wedding of Cana and we learn from that that nothing is too small for Jesus to do.

I he was invited guest. I don't think he was planning to do America.

When he got there. Mary said they have no wind or running out of wine and I Jesus. She then said this though.

She said after Jesus a reporter off a little bit. You said whatever he says to do, do it, which is a great statement of faith in our part.

It's completely up to him to decide than last week we were back in Cana again and this time a nobleman from Capernaum, 18 miles away came to Jesus and he evidenced what I call foxhole faith. He just wanted his dying son to be healed. I just want him to be healed, no matter what I want to be healed and inner dialogue is a talk back and forth.

Jesus said your son lives now is 18 miles back I told you it was a six hour walk, but the man didn't leave and just go back to Capernaum. He took his time he went the next day an effect on the way back he ran into a service and they said the boy's life he lives and he asked me said what one did this occur in a said yesterday at 1 o'clock and he knew that was when he was talking to Jesus. And so when I'm not happening.

What it said he went back and he believed in Jesus and his whole household. So as foxhole faith became genuine wine faith. Now this week Linda moved to John chapter 5 John chapter 5 and were going to be in Jerusalem to look at today very very famous miracle. I think all of you and just about everybody was Christian would understand or know something about this particular miracle. The location of the miracle was the pool of Bethesda and Bethesda is now a popular wording in the English-speaking world. We talk about Bethesda and we know all about that wasn't nearest popular term in Jesus world as it is in our world.

Secondly, we also know that the man who was received, the miracle was a 38-year-old likely paraplegic and so we are very much aware of that is taught in Sunday schools little kids know all about it is one of those miracles when I was a child growing up in Pennsylvania. My parents had a coffee table Bible. It was really big Bible nonmembers a little kid looking through presented illustrations and it is paintings and I can still see the illustration of the man at the at at the Fest at the pool getting healed by Jesus, and I can still see the image of my head is a very famous thing. But on the other hand, there's a lot more to this miracle than meets the eye. This miracle is teaching something very very different than what we think about this sign that is used hereby. John is used to reveal a couple of very very important truths that you can find in the word of God. One will deal with the receiver of the miracle we can learn a lot about that. I this morning and then secondly why did Jesus do this miracle is a very important question to answer. And so this just look for a moment at the context of this starting in verse one it says in verse one that that after these things. There was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem now after these things. Please understand something about John. Sometimes people get bothered by this, but you shouldn't. John's not very interested in chronology Luke likes chronology. He's pretty much follows a John sometimes. Sometimes not jaundiced but he's more interested in the events. If it's after these things. It could be weeks or could be months if it was after his Galilean ministry that would last about 16 months I were not exactly sure and it says there was a feast of the Jews I what feast were not sure. Again, is likely not Passover because John mentions Passover's when he talks about that feast and understand Jewish men had to go to Jerusalem three times a year for three of the feast you had to go for Passover and had to go for Pentecost and had to go for our tabernacles Passover Pentecost spring tabernacles fall most commentators believe is the time in the fall of the year I tabernacles is is now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate pool which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five portico's now. This will take a little bit of explaining the sheep gate. What we found that now is in the northeast corner of the city right when you come through the wall. It's in very close proximity to the temple and that Herod built. It's almost in the shadow the gate was used often to bring sheep through to sacrifice in the temple and so that was the gate that was used gets a little more difficult when you deal with this idea. It's called Bethesda and has five portico's Bethesda music Beth it means house. This is the house of mercy, or the house of grace. Now it's anything but that is we going to see. It's not like that at all, but it's called the house of grace or the house of mercy, and he says there's a pool there now. Throughout the history of the church and the skeptics until the end of the 1800s.

All the skeptics read this and said there's no pool there is not been a pool.

There, and there is no pool. There in the late 1800s, so they findable in the actually fun tuples that was interesting about that is that the skeptics said though that it had five portico's mission that doesn't make sense supported goes just like a porch roof much more elaborate but it's like that's not the son Mason. If you take a pool in the singular pool was square.

How many portico's 12344 portico's John misspoke when he said there's five portico well when they took an estimate of the pools they find out that pools are together with a walled on the metal and other workers to pools instead of one big one, and it goes right in a right down the middle. So how many portico as with every five one around the edge. One down the middle so and always amazes me with the skeptics never say you know I was completely wrong when find something like this, they just move on to the next thing that they're sick or that proves it never happened. So that's what happened.

Now here's the situation in these lay a multitude of those who were sick and blind and lame and withered this a really sad scene menu go to get some sense of the scope of this one ancient historian said that normally I want to pull like this of Bethesda. There were about 100 people that be normal, but with feast day tabernacles. There was likely more than a thousand people. When all the Jews came in for the feast day that changed someone to think about at least a thousand, and may be much more than that, but at least a thousand people who are sick, blind, lame, weathered line that pool anything what what were they doing their it's completely pagan with her doing her. This isn't something that God ordained nothing like it's all pagan Asclepius is a Greek God and in the Greek temples to Asclepius. People who had infirmity could go into the temple and sleep in their. If you slept in the hallways and there he fell asleep and you dreamed Asclepius would heal people in the dream. Pure superstition and up but that was the oral origin of what's happening here.

This is the pool thing you'll notice in your Bible. Then as we go one there's brackets WSE brackets at the end of verse three and all of verse four what that tells you is it's not in the oldest text we have it all. None of it all. The old text we have. This is omitted so the ones closest in time furthers back don't have this.

First of all, is pretty universally believed that a copyist decided to add this so that you and I would understand what's going on here so it's it's it's helpful but I don't believe it's in Scripture law so he says here is what the copyist right waiting for the moving of the waters.

He said, for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever then first after the stirring up of the water stepped he said stepped in was made well from whatever disease in which he was afflicted, so that's what's going on now let me explain something these this pool is fed by an underwater spring. That's how these two pools get their water there fed by an underwater spring sorry once while depending on elevation water in the pool. The water would be stirred, so when the water was stirred first person in gets the healing so you can imagine, you have between 100 over thousand people and blind people, and someday stir the water then everybody goes in and I can't prove this, but I read it this week. One of the archaeologist said he estimated the depth of the pool at 49 feet first in the pool. I'm just thinking I'm a paraplegic and someone froze me in the pool but I get there second. Now I do besides think you know I mean this is this horrible scene.

This is kind of the unit and it's called the house of mercy and grace in its anything but that is not not bad in any particular way at all, then it says in a man was there who had been the over 38 years 38 years is paraplegic claim Penny can't walk at all. Maybe can scoot at all the edges of his arms are not wanting to match one's life been like 38 years by way that's longer than the average lifespan of a man at this time is 38 years and that's longer than average lifespan. He's the only thing he has ever got a bake for here, the bid for food, clothing, anything is a paraplegic. He has all kinds of hygiene issues, difficulty, just imagine laying in that's war for 38 years now. It's interesting about it. It says when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there for a long time in that condition. How did Jesus know two possibilities. One has someone told him, but the other one is a new this is a divine appointment, but say there's a thousand people there what you read in this text is how many did Jesus go and heal one, one no one else just that one. This is this is Christ divine appointment here. He knows how long this man is here and I want to. Then he said to him now. Think of this view was to get well present some stupid do I man 38 years 38 years of been laying by this pool is a painter and Jesus loves it. He was to get well when you think that why we why would he say that what's can become more evident to us as a goes on is not just a matter of on the surface it looks like a certain kind of point of view it. It really reveals a closer thing.

Jesus is asking this question if you apply this though this is mentioned in question. This man is a paraplegic. He's without any mobility. Any worth isn't this exactly what the same question Jesus ask you and me when you heard the gospel you wish to get well.

The question of the gospel you wish to get well that's the question to me if you he's gonna tell this man everything in your life in a change your entire life is going to change you wish to get well this evening when you offer the gospel. You see what that's man represents as we go on here. It's an interesting thing the sick man answered to him and said this Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water stirred up Balaam coming. Another steps nonperforming. That's what this man believes that's what he believes there is his faith. What's his faith in man front had a man throw me in the water in time I be fine but I don't have a man nothing about it from another point of view. What's he believing here pure pagan superstition. My faith is in pure pagan superstition, but I don't have a man throw me in notice is not mentioned in all God. None of all in this process has nothing to do with.

But I can imagine God being so cool was that put all these people want a pool and then said hey go stir the water and miss what's the fun he reveals his heart when he says this only man can help me and by the way is even clearer in the Greek predecessor. I have no man, but the first word in the Greek sentences man Greeks do that! It's a man I need a man to make me well that's what a stone Jesus. Jesus has no interaction with none here comes Jesus said to them, get up, pick up your pallet and walk. That's it. That's all he says get up, pick up your pallet walk. There's no touching there's no here you'll heal me and I'll have to lay my hands that no conversation just as word there were three conditions get up, pick up and walk. Get up, pick up and walk one of those asleep. Then there for very important reason why he did the miracle in me ask you this if I could walk for the first time a 38 years. I need my pallet that I've been laying on for 38 years group.

Jesus once I pallet picked up cassettes why doing the miracle he tells the man and noticed then what happens the next word which is interesting is immediately that's strictly for emphasis. Now want to tell you what that means when Jesus said, get up, pick up and walk. It wasn't like this wasn't like the men.

Now I gotta go to physical therapy to get everything he is a modem's muscles are atrophied. He is abandoning a 38 years, I believe, as soon as Jesus said it, he just popped straight up like I'm standing here right now and miss in my opinion. I can prove that he might've been doing cartwheels for awing. If you could get up you could move for 38 years. How would you react to this is an amazing miracle.

When you think about what Christ did he just spoke to him and immediately the man became well picked up a spell and began to walk and it seems like now wow what a great story.

What a great miracle, but we haven't got to the reason for it's right there at the end of the verse.

Notice what it says it was the Sabbath on that day is weighted Jesus there for the feast. What they could've Jesus combine any day what they does it come by Sabbath. This is why Jesus did miracle. This is why Jesus said, pick up your pallet. Jesus knows exactly what this guys going to do now understand for all these years.

Because of this man's condition is not allowed on the temple grounds is unclean Jewish religious views of the time that he was cursed by God is unclean.

This place where he came from. By the way, I think the Pharisees would've ever step foot in it. However, they wanted a part of this was the man likely to go when I go the temple I might've anything to further the net if you're a leper in the Old Testament, and you get healed of your leprosy.

What you have to go I have to go to the temple and the interview by priest who's going to say that my leprosy was gone before I can be part of the Jewish community.

So he's picked up his pallet on the Sabbath and is on his way is on his way to the temple.

Now the reason so the Jews were saying to the man who was cured. It is the Sabbath. It is not permissible for you to carry about when you view noticed that a man was a beggar for 38 years reckless the temple is walking right now. Would've you mentioned that when you said anything they put it this way so you have someone who is a paraplegic or quadriplegic narrative next door you and Abe lived there for 20+ years is your next-door neighbor and up.

Mrs. Sager, a legalistic Christian your your what is called a Sabbath keeper now legalistic Sabbath keeper keepers are Christian are kind of funny to me because the day they keep is Sunday, which is not the Sabbath, so they don't keep the Sabbath. They keep the first day of the week Sabbath.

Friday nights and on the Saturday night sundown but see you keep it and if you remember, did many Christians keep the Sabbath your laws all over the country. The laws we flip all kinds of blue, was elected what he could do on the Sabbath day, but this is Sager that way. And then that morning. Your thinking and praying doing some religious in your house and your lawnmower start you want to what's going on the lawnmower and look out the window and your neighbors mowing the grass just without will joy in her step. Now if that happened to you, you would get out of the parking lot to them and you would say you camo your grass on the Sabbath. Is that what you say or might you say what happened how you walk in, but they didn't even notice that he was walking.

They only notice that he was carrying his pallet is amazing what religion Susan that it doesn't have to go apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time.

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