John 5
COMMENTARY:
: 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath. (5199 “whole” [hugies] means sound, restored to health, healthy, accurate, well, cured, safe, or undamaged.)
DEVOTION: Christ is a unique healer. HE will walk up to a blind person and ask what he wants HIM to do. Of course, our thinking would take us to the fact that he is blind and would like to see. Here we find the a man who has been waiting at a pool of Bethesda for an angel to stir the waters in the pool. Once they are stirred the first one in the pool is healed. The man has been waiting for thirty-eight years. He had no one to take him to the pool.
Now Jesus comes to the pool on the Sabbath. HE sees the man and what does HE do? HE asks him what? Does he want to be restored to health? What should the answer be?
If we were sick for that time period and someone came who could heal us or give us other things what would we ask for? We should be like this man and ask for health.
Some of us might not need physical healing but we all need spiritual healing. Our goal should be to ask the LORD to continue to heal us spiritually, so that, we can be spiritually mature to help others. Of course the first step is to become a follower of the LORD. The next step is to continually ask HIM for spiritual development. We have to realize that there will be times when we are tested and we can only pass the test with HIS help.
So we need to ask HIM for that help. Those who are physically sick need HIM to heal them physically. Those who are spiritually sick need HIM to heal them spiritually.
CHALLENGE: Understand your weakness whether physically or spiritually and turn to HIM for help. HE will guide you in the right direction.
: 17 But Jesus answered the, MY Father works hitherto, and I work. (737 “hitherto” [arti] means now, the period of time that is happening in the present moment, immediately, at once, or at this very time.)
DEVOTION: Jesus wanted everyone to understand that HE and the Father were one. The Godhead was working together during Jesus stay on the earth.
When Jesus informed the religious leaders of what was going on during HIS stay on earth they were furious. They were mad because HE made HIMSELF equal with the Father. They worshiped the Father or at least they thought they worshiped the Father.
They couldn’t understand the concept that Jesus and Jehovah were working together as one. They wanted to kill Jesus just for saying such a thing. They were angry.
Jesus had broken the Sabbath because HE had healed a man on the Sabbath. They were angry because Jesus told the individual to take up his bed and go home which they considered work. Work was a sin on the Sabbath according to them.
God is our Father once we become followers of Jesus. HE is the one that we are to pray to for our needs. We are to always pray in Jesus’ name. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us understand what we should pray for on any given occasion.
All three form one God. Each has their own responsibility in the Godhead. They always work in unity. They are always equal. Is it easy to understand? NO!! The Bible states it that way and we just have to believe it.
CHALLENGE: Are we working together with the Godhead to reach our world for the LORD? Jesus did while on the earth and HE gave us the same assignment.
: 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me (2045 “search” [ereunao] means examine into, try to learn, try to find out, or investigate.)
DEVOTION: Jesus had told the religious leaders that HE had an equal relationship with the Father. They were furious and wanted to kill HIM. HE continued to teach them the relationship HE had with the Father.
This is an excellent chapter regarding the activities of the Father. Jesus points out to the religious leaders that their Old Testament writings predict HIS coming and tell of HIS ministry. HE tells them to examine or investigate the writings or Scriptures to see what is there. HE tells them that they speak of HIS coming and ministry.
They think because they can count the letters when they copy the Scriptures that they are going to heaven. They are wrong. The Scriptures testify concerning the coming Messiah who will die for the sins of the world. Eternal life is for those who worship God, not the writings HE has given them. The religious leaders were concerned more with preserving their traditions, then to worship Jesus as the Messiah.
Can we get so preoccupied with our position that we worship it rather than God? Can we look for proof texts to prove our point and cause others to turn away from the LORD? Our responsibility is to testify of what the LORD is teaching us from HIS word in love. We are to be sharing the truth in love. Are we truly examining the Word of God so that we can get closer to the TRUTH?
CHALLENGE: Investigate the WORD to see what the Holy Spirit can teach us regarding Jesus Christ. The more we know about HIM and HIS Word, the more we can be like HIM. Emulate Jesus Christ!!!
: 47 But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe MY words? (4100 “believe” [pisteuo] means to accept as true, take to be true, to regard as trustworthy, have confidence, or to be firmly persuaded.)
DEVOTION: The Jews in Jesus day were Old Testament saints. The ones who were genuine believers were using the books of the Old Testament to live by on a regular basis. Even though they were living under the rule of Rome, the Jews had their own worship centers and religious leaders.
These religious leaders didn’t like Jesus. They claimed that they had Moses and the prophets to guide them in their worship. Jesus confronted them on this belief. They were not listening genuinely to Moses. They were making their own rules and saying that they were following Moses.
Jesus stated that they didn’t believe Moses. If they believed Moses, they would believe HIM. They didn’t believe Moses and therefore didn’t believe HIM. They were going to face judgment for disobedience to Moses but more importantly to the teachings of Jesus.
Religious people have an outward appearance of Christianity but the real followers are those who worship HIM internally also. Be a believer in Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Watch out for false teachers.
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