THE 8 MIRACLE-SIGNS IN JOHN . . . No.3
NO MAN John 5:1-9, 12
John 6:2 refers back to the preceding SEMEION in chapter 5.
The scene is set — a lot of religious activity in the religious system of the day. In Jerusalem, a celebration which equates with any religious festival that we have in our churches today! These fixed annual programs entertain God’s people quite well and they defend their being with great emotion. The location of this ‘sign’ that Jesus brought forth was the pool adjacent to the Sheep Gate of the City. The Sheep Gate was the first gate of the (12) gates of Jerusalem that Nehemiah restored and it equates with our salvation experience, the first step towards the full restoration of Jerusalem — Church.
GRACE
This pool was in Bethesda. Bethesda is a Hebrew word bought over into the Greek and it means, House of Mercy or House of Kindness. Bounding this pool were (5) porches in which were people with great needs. GRACE (shown by the number 5) is available to all in need as seen in the name of this place. Alternatively, whenever folk are under their (5) natural senses as a covering (security & confidence), there will be many, many needs that are just not getting met. There were at this spot in Jerusalem some folk who were impotent — who were feeble and unable to impart life normally (– to live supernaturally naturally!); blind folk who couldn’t see anything (especially in THE WORD) — we could say that they had no vision!
There were others who were halt, they did not have a steady walk (in the Spirit) and were thus limited from making progress onward and upward. The withered were there also — their daily communion with their Lord had just about dried up; withered from lack of exercise. What a ‘cave of Abdullam’ membership to work with!
JESUS MOVES FIRST
Jesus initiates what now happens – He makes the first move to where we are at, because there are some parts of our lives that are pictured here under these five porches. Prompted from the Father within Him , He goes to a CERTAIN man who had been in this state of helplessness for a long time — (38) years! (38 = bondage to the flesh) Father-God knew this man’s heart cry and He knew that he had above average faith; he had stuck with his limited belief through many a long year. This certain man was approached by Jesus whom he did not know nor did he recognize His voice! “Hey, you (believers), do you want wholeness?”
This man did not get the impact of the question that Jesus asked. The question was ‘loaded’! If the man didn’t want healing, what was he doing in this melee of believers? Oh yes, they all believed in something. There is a cry in our hearts, not only to have our needs met which Jesus loves to do, but for us to come into WHOLENESS. Jesus asks the question today to give us the opportunity to declare our heart cry . . . “Yes, Lord!” This man however was negative (like a lot of us!) and stressed HIS LACK as a response. ‘I have NO MAN to help me”. I need a fit and strong MAN to throw me into the water (of the Word) when it moves from the still, lifeless legalism into a effervescing reality, via revelation, of Jesus - LIFE.
THERE IS A MAN
Jesus is not put off by our condition of infirmity. Our whining about all the others ‘getting it’ except me, is not given His attention. The Lord purposed that this man should no longer lie in stagnation, believing some myth of traditional teaching, but rise above from where he had been, into the truth (Ephesians 4:26 refers) that Jesus is speaking. From the needy’s point of view, he now had A MAN to bring wholeness to him, although at first he was unaware of God’s provision. This Man, Christ had a message and an authority. A person without much of a vision can be likened to this man who was lying down.
DO THREE THINGS
1. ‘RISE’ — this word in the Greek is used to rouse one from sleep and in so doing, collect one’s (true) faculties. Church ! Jesus is speaking for us to wake up and get up (come up higher). We have been made to be an upright people not a horizontal people. The command from Jesus is going forth, ‘rise up into wholeness, fullness — into resurrection life!
2. ‘TAKE UP THY BED’ — The bed of natural earthbound thinking has been supporting you and keeping you in bondage to the flesh too long. It is now time for God’s people to move forward in the spirit, in control over earthbound reasonings (bed). The Greek word used here also means ‘to weigh anchor’ (what a ship does before setting forth on a voyage). Let us take up our bed, weigh anchor and move forth into present truth. (II Peter 1:12 refers).
3. ‘WALK’ — He did it without any reasoning, questions or excuses. He was created to walk and now he was actually moving forward into a new place. Remember you walk where you look! — ‘Look up for your (full) redemption draweth nigh’ What a glorious release for this needy one from where he had been for so long.
It was the Sabbath day, the SEVENTH DAY, in which Jesus brought forth this healing. All scripture is given by God for our profit (II Tim.3:16 refers). Jesus specifically met this certain man on the Sabbath. He knew that it would upset the religious folk of that day, but He was not concerned. Liberty to move in the Spirit with the Word of the Lord, will always clash with binding Church laws and limiting Constitutions.
The seventh - 1000 year day (II Peter 3:8 refers) of God’s overall plan of the ages is now upon us. The work of the many-membered MAN of Ephesians 4:13, is being shown to us by what Jesus, the Pattern-Son, did on Sabbath days. Observe that this man did not actually see Jesus; he heard His voice, His Word, and what was spoken went right into this man’s heart. The cry deep within him and us will act like a strong magnet to any word of life. Jesus subsequently revealed Himself to this one Whom He had made whole.
There is another thought in this encounter. Jesus was HIS MAN that brought wholeness to this weak fellow. Jesus carefully drew him away from his sincere belief that an angel (from . . . ?) agitated the water in the pool and produced a SINGLE HEALING. It is designed that God will receive all the credit for healings and for those brought into wholeness. The many-membered Christ in this 7th day is to minister to a people to bring them into wholeness . First we identify with the weak man and receive that authoritative word from Jesus which changes us; then we identify with the Pattern Son and prepare to deliver the same Word.
GOD DOES HAVE A MAN who He will dispatch to ‘the pool of five porches’. ‘Church’, you do have a MAN even though you don’t see him. People ‘out there’, don’t get despondent, YOU DO HAVE A MAN.§
RAY & SHEILA KNIGHT
3417 ELLIOTT ROAD
WEST KELOWNA BC V4T 1P1