John 5:2-9, 14
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 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. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 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. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath….14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
Notice:
- Impotent = to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless, to be weak in means, needy, poor, sick.[1]
- The impotent folk waited for another to help them. They were looking for a Savior
- A certain man = we don’t know his name, whether he was married, what his infirmity was, or his age, only that he was in that infirm condition for 38 years.
- vs. 6, “Wilt thou be made whole?” = Other translations read:
- NASB, “Do you wish to get well?” – removes the importance of the word “whole”
- RSV/ESV, “Do you want to be healed?”
- NEB, “Do you want to recover?”
- The man’s restoration back to wholeness relied on his obedience to the command of the Lord.
- Whole = sound, of a man who is sound in body to make one whole (i.e. restore him to health), metaphorically: teaching which does not deviate from the truth.[2]
Consider the reality that many in our churches are:
- Religious, but not saved
- Churchy-fied, but not sanctified
- They holler, but are not holy
- Speak in tongues, but don’t allow the Holy Ghost to direct their lives
- Come to the altar, but don’t give their whole self to God
- Satisfied with less than purity, holiness, morality, complete transformation
Wilt thou be made whole?
Do you really want to be complete?
Are you really seeking God in every aspect of you life?
Have you truly tried to clean up all the deficits of your personality, nature, urges?
Have you really tried to present yourself to God as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Ro. 12:1)?
Are you really striving not to be “conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro. 12:2)?
Do you really want to stop doing what’s ungodly?
Do you really want to please God and obey His Word?
Do you want to be made whole?
Philippians 1:3-7, “(3) I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, (4) Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, (5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; (6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (7) Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”
God is here to do A Complete Work in you…
[1] Thayer and Smith. Greek Lexicon entry for Astheneo. The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon.
[2] Thayer and Smith. Greek Lexicon entry for Hugies. The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 