Lesson 6 - John – Chapter 5
Jesus heals a man – but just one man
Why did he heal just this one man of the “great many” (NIV) or “hundreds” (Message) at the pool that needed healing? Often Jesus explains why. Here are the reasons given or at least suggested in the accounts of healing in Matthew.
Great Faith of those healed 4
Faith and Persistence 1
Safety of Others 1
Demonstrate proper Sabbath action 1
Disciples had failed to heal 1
Compassion 1
We do not know why Jesus healed this one man at the pool - possibly out of compassion. The man was alone and had been there for 38 years. Jesus provided no rules to live by, no criticism of his life, just –“Get up. Pick up your mat and walk.” Jesus called the man to act.
Barclay says: It is as if Jesus said to the man: “Man,
bend your will to it! Make a supreme effort and you and I will do this thing
together!” The power of God never
dispenses with the effort of man. No
man can sit back and relax and expect a miracle. Nothing is truer than that we must realize our own helplessness:
but in a very real sense it is true that a miracle happens when our will and
God’s power co-operate to make it possible.
Discussion Question: What miracles could happen if we
“got up and walked” to meet peoples’ needs?
Who or what could we heal with God’s help?
Jesus was in Jerusalem at the temple to celebrate one of the Feast Days. There were three (Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of the Tabernacles) that were obligations for able-bodied men.
The healed man also goes to the temple – probably for the first time in 38 years. I do not think he is looking for Jesus. I think he is going to thank God for this miraculous healing and to rejoin others in celebrating this special religious day. He finds Jesus and reports back to the Jewish leaders. Jesus is then charged with disregarding the Sabbath laws.
Jesus says: “My Father works on the Sabbath and so do I”. Didn’t God stop his work of creation on the seventh day?
In Matthew 12: 10-12, Jesus says (paraphrased) “If one of you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not lift it out? How much more valuable is a man ---- Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Discussion Question: What “good” are we doing on the
Sabbath? What should we do?
Jesus
Claims
Who is Jesus?
Barclay writes: “the Jews took this title (Son of Man)
and gave it to the chosen one of God who someday would bring in the new age of
gentleness and love and peace; and so they came to call the Messiah – the Son
of Man. One of the books that was
especially influential was The Book of Enoch and in it appears again and again
a great figure called That Son of Man, who is waiting in heaven until God sends
Him to earth to bring in His kingdom and to rule over it. --- He (Jesus) was
doing nothing less than calling himself the Messiah.”
How does Jesus relate to God the Father?
If we want to know what God is like – We only need to look
at Jesus. Barclay again writes: “if
we wish to see how God feels to men, how God reacts to sin, how God regards the
human situation, we must look to Jesus.
---- But this identity is not
based so much on equality as it is based on complete obedience. ---- This
obedience is not based on the submission to power, it is based on love.”
What does He require of us?
We often think of Jesus as loving and compassionate, but He says that he will judge as well. We often like to say that because I believe in Jesus therefore my future is secure, but He says here: “those who have done good will live”.
Discussion Question: What words would you use to describe
God based on Jesus life and actions?
Discussion Question: What then must we do to have eternal
life?
How
do we know Jesus claims are valid?
John’s (The Baptist) witness
The Scriptures, including the writings of Moses
The Father
My work
Question: Who or what would provide evidence that I am a
follower of Jesus?
Who/What
does Jesus criticize in chapter 5?
Jesus accuses the Scribes and Pharisees of accepting praise from men but not having the love of God in their hearts and of making no effort to obtain the praise that comes from God.
Praise is something we learn to enjoy early in life. Most humans can be “trained” to perform in a certain way by supplying praise when we act as desired and criticism when we act otherwise. What can be wrong with this process?
When we seek man’s praise and not God’s we are being trained by an imperfect group.
Apparently the Scribes and Pharisees enjoyed the honor of
their position and the perks that came with it. Barclay reports: “they
dressed in a way that everyone would recognized them, they prayed so everyone
would see them, they loved the front seats in the synagogue, they loved the
deferential greetings of men on the street.
And just because of that they could not hear the voice of God. Why? --- the point is, What do I look like to God? So long as we judge ourselves by human comparisons there is
plenty of room for self satisfaction --- when we compare ourselves to
Christ—then humility and faith and trust is born.”
Have you ever thought: “what would I give to be famous and honored”?
None of us dress in fancy robes. Few pray loudly for others to hear. None of us have impressive titles. Do we sometimes give an impression of pride - maybe without intending to.
“So long as we judge ourselves by human comparisons there is plenty of room for self satisfaction.”
Question: Do I sometimes invest significant money
or effort only to put on a good appearance?
Most importantly - how do I obtain God’s praise? Am I comfortable with the role of
servant?
Measured against God’s standard, we are all people that have sinned, and are forgiven by Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus has given us extensive guidance on when we are blessed (see Matt: 5-7), how we are to serve, and how we are to have riches in heaven.