Title: John 5
By: Todd Bevins
Intro
Along with brother Dan, our thoughts have been on the cross. That is really what we are going to look at. I want us to understand, I am going to use this as our text tonight; John 5:1. We find ourselves, every one of us, at some point in our lives, if we are saved; at some point in our lives, we were in this same situation. If you are not saved, then I want to tell you that you can find yourself in this story as well. The great thing of it is that Christ makes the difference. I want you to notice what happens in this story; then we will talk about the cross for a few moments.
John 5:1-9
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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.
If you weren’t able to be here this morning, I encourage you to go back and listen to brother Dan’s message. What a wonderful message it was and how he laid things out so wonderfully.
To the world, what we do is really foolish. They think what we are doing, gathering together, worshiping the Lord. As brother Dan mentioned this morning and I couldn’t agree more. What they don’t realize is what He has done for us, how He has changed our lives, how that we like these folks here; are in a situation that we needed help. The help that we needed couldn’t be by any other human on this earth, except for Jesus Christ, who came.
The Cross
I got to thinking about the cross and importance of it. I want to cover a few verses of it and talking about the cross and looking at that because had it not been for the cross—I am glad we can read these stories. I am glad we can go back to the gospels. Look at our Lord’s life and He did wonderful; a lot of great miracles. Had it ended there, He would have just been a great man. He would have been a great guy to read about. He came with a plan. He knew exactly why He came. He came to His own. We know that His own received Him not. Praise God, as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. How could He do that? Because when He came, He came to fulfill the law in doing what? He followed all the way to the death of the cross. At the cross, when He would die; they would bury Him. That is not where it would end either. He would raise again. Through Him going to the cross and being alive today and forevermore, you and I have a hope that reaches beyond this veil of tears.
Therefore, you and I can worship Him, not just as a great man or great person. We worship Him as our Savoir. He is our friend, our Lord, and our God. We know as the Apostle Paul said, I know in whom I have believed. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. How is that? Because I know He is alive. How do I know He is alive? Because He changed my life forever. I have never been the same.
Let’s talk about for a few moments; what about the cross? What is it about the cross we would like to know. Did you ever think about the fact of the agony that came with the cross. Do you know what agony is? Agony is the intense pain of the mind, or the body; its anguish, its torture.
Luke 22:44
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Why is that? It is because He understood what laid ahead of Him. Not only that but I believe, if you will read Psalms 22; it will talk about—I think some people don’t realize the weight and the heaviness that comes with the cross. Jesus here is praying. No doubt, in great agony and understanding. There is an intense pain in the mind and the body in the understanding of what lays ahead. Why would He continue? Hold on. We will talk about that in just a moment. What else is there about the cross we could say? Not only was there agony, but also humiliation.
John 19:23
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
Do you know what you will find out? They hung Him naked. It is humiliation. All the things that they did to our Lord—as I look at these things and as I think about the agony, the humiliation and not only that but also the shame that comes with it.
Mark 10:34
34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Jesus was talking to them. Do you know what you find out? Those very things that He said was going to happen; that is exactly what did happen. There was a lot of shame in the cross. They would smack Him and then they would want to know who—they would tell Him, “Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” When I think about them plucking the beard from His face, when I think about them spiting on Him, when I think about them slapping Him. You have heard people say before and I agree with them. There was nobody else in all the world, nobody else, only me; I believe He would have still done just that. He would have still went to the cross if I was the only one that was going to believe, the only one that was going to trust in Him. He would have still done just that. He knew way more than that. It is this. For you and I, it explains how much love He has for you and me. We can read through the scriptures. We can study them. We can look at them. We can look at His life. We can study about the agony and humiliation. We can talk about the shame. We can dig as deep as we would like in all of those things. I honestly believe in my heart that man’s mind can never really grasp a hold of exactly what our Lord went through, exactly what He would deal with. Trying then to connect the two and understand why He would do such a thing. It was simply because He loved you and me. That is how much.
He went to the Cross Because He Loved Us
That is why you read John 3:16; you have heard me say it before. There is a pause over the “so”. Why? Because God so loved the world—He did what? He gave. He gave His only begotten Son. Why? Because He loved us that much. You say, you don’t know me. You have heard me say this before and in reality; you don’t really know me either. You don’t know my past, or my behavior. You don’t know the times I make mistakes. You don’t know all of that. Praise God! He does! He still yet loves me. He still yet loves you! I don’t care what others think of you, nor do I care what others say about you, or should you care. What you and I should care most about what our Lord thinks of us, and what He knows about us. What He says about us. Do you know what I can tell you that He says? He says if we are His today, praise God, that is my child and they belong to me. He says that He loves us. He cares about us. Praise God! He showed it to us on the cross. Not only the shame but think about the suffering that was there. I think about and when you read here…
Matthew 27:26
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
He scourged Him. Did you ever think about and do much studying about the cat of nine tails and when the pieces of bone fragment and glass and other things in that. As they would whip and throw that whip or sling that whip; as it would go and do; it would wrap around Him. As they would pull it back it would pull chunks of meat from his body. As they would do that, and I think about as they beat Him, the suffering and the pain. Why?
Jesus Did Not Do Anything Wrong
Again, we go back to the same reasoning. Because He loved you and I. Just because as I read and we looked in John 5; these men who had a problem; Jesus is the only one that can help them. Do you know what? The world had a problem that only Jesus could solve. It was a sin problem. Do you know what that is. It was a problem with the heart. Not necessarily just with the mind but with the heart. Man’s heart was evil continually. As God looked down and He saw that, God said, “Something must be done. What is that? I know what I will do. I will give my Son, and my Son will go. He will fulfill all that is required.” Christ came and He did just that. While He was there taking that beating, in reality; He was taking that beating for me and you. He wasn’t doing it because He had done anything wrong. He did it because of my sin and because of your sin; not because He had sinned. We find out, as we read the scriptures, there was neither guile found in His mouth. What does that mean? He never even said anything wrong. It is hard to imagine that. Isn’t it?
Katie lets me know I say things wrong all the time. I said it wrong this morning. I told her shhh. I was just kidding. She does me that way and I am supposed to be okay with it. I had tried to do it back and it did not work. Somehow, I was wrong.
We say things wrong. We do things wrong. We think things wrong. Pause for just a moment. Our Lord never thought anything wrong. He never had a thought that should not have been in His mind. A word never came from His mouth that should not have come. He never did anything that was wrong. Yet, here He stands. Yet, He is being lashed. He is the one being whipped. Why? Because He loves us. That is why. We find out, not only that but with the cross, there is separation.
It is one thing—I don’t know if you have ever been there. Maybe you have or maybe you have not. In your Christian life, if you have been saved any amount of time, you know what it is like at times to feel it is a distance away from God. At times, maybe you have done what you should have done. Or maybe you are in a place or situation you shouldn’t be. You just feel a distance away from God and how awful that feels. That’s because of our sin and we may have done something wrong.
Psalm 22:1
When I think about things, I think about Christ. He did not do anything wrong but listen to this. You will find out in Psalms 22:1, it is also in the gospels, you will read about. However, even before it took place; notice what it says: “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring.” What is He saying? Because when He bore mine and your sin, the Heavenly, Father turned His back on sin. Do you know what it does? It causes separation there for a short period of time. How alone He might have felt. However, praise God, He went through all of that. Why? Because He loved us. He went through every bit of the agony, every bit of all the suffering and shame, all the humiliation being hung there on that cross, naked and beaten. As you read the scriptures, it says, as you would look upon Him; one may not even recognize who He was because He was beaten beyond recognition. He was beaten so badly. Why? Because of my sin and because of yours.
Here is the next thought that I had. Could He have said, no, to the cross? Could He have just said no? As we look here, in Jesus’ nature when He comes…anytime anybody needed help. He was there to help them. He was exactly what they needed. I am going to tell you this. Yes, He could have said, no. However, in reality, He couldn’t either.
Listen to this. I want you to realize what Matthew 26:53 says.
Matthew 26:53
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
If I want out of here, I can get out of here. If I want to get around the cross; I can get around the cross. However, if I do then there is no hope for humanity. Therefore, I must go. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up…I will draw all men unto me.”
John 3:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Speaking there in John, He said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of man be lifted up.” Jesus knew He had to go to the cross. Could He have got around it? Sure. But if He would have done that you and I would have no hope. Therefore, He had to go to the cross.
We find out this also, He was obedient unto to the cross. Philippians 2:8 says this:
Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
In the cross, we find out. Could He have said, no? Yes, He could have but He did not. He did not call for help. He remained obedient unto to the cross, even the death of the cross.
I got the next one and that is this. Why was He obedient unto the death of the cross? I am going to take a few moments on this one. Why was He obedient unto the death of the cross? Notice something here, back just a few moments ago, when we were looking at John 5. We discovered what? There among all these, a great multitude of impotent folk who were sick, halt, blind. They were all waiting for something to happen. What is that? They all had something wrong with them. They were waiting to be healed of that problem that they had. We find out Jesus comes on the scene and He was all that they needed. Do you know what we find out? I have said it already. I am going to say it again. The world has a sin problem. The only way sin can be handled and dealt with and the only way that an unholy and unrighteous individual can be right before a holy and righteous God, is if that sin debt be paid. That the sin problem be fixed. That is why He had to continue going. I want you to think about as I read and I know it is not a lengthy chapter. It is Ephesians 2. I want you to think about these words as we read through them. I thought what greater chapter to explain why. Why He would be obedient, why He would continue on being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He could have got around it. He could have got around all the shame, all the suffering, all the humiliation; He could have, but He didn’t. Praise God! Why?
I think Ephesians 2 will put it just as good as any other place in the Bible. We could have chosen many different places, but I want you to listen to what it states and says, as Paul writes to those at Ephesus.
Ephesians 2:1
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
He went because you and I was dead. If we are going to have life and have it more abundantly, Praise God, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin. He had to die. Where in times past, talking about the way they used to live their lives. You walked according to the course of this world. In other words, just like these folks, you were in some real trouble. Saying you had a sin problem. According to the prince of the power of the air—who is that? Satan. You were guided by and evil person. Satan. We find out this.
Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
He is saying this time in your life is who you were obedient unto. This is who you followed after. Jesus knew that on His way to the cross. She said, “Now hold on a minute. I wasn’t even born yet.” That is the great thing about God. He can look down through the ages of time, and He already knew. David would write about Him when I was in the mother’s womb; you knew all about me. Everything about me—all my inward parts, everything about me—you already knew. Why? Because God created him and God created you and me. Among whom—Paul continues to write:
Ephesians 2:3
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
There was a time when our talk was not right. There was a time when our actions were not right. There was a time that we said things that we should not have said, went places that we should not have gone; fulfilling the desires of our flesh, following after the evil and pernicious one. You and I of the mind there were things we fought and things we did; we were by nature, the children of wrath. Even as others, we were just like all those folk underneath those porches. We were in a world of trouble. We needed help. We had a problem.
He says this. I love this. Here is the shifting of the story, the changing, the conjunction.
“But God”
This is where we were. This is what was going on. We could not stop the bad thoughts. We could not stop the actions. You say, I don’t know. I do know because I tried. I tried to stop it. I tried to behave. I tried to be good. However, I couldn’t. Oh, but God.
Ephesians 2:4
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Listen. We may not have realized it, but we needed mercy. We needed a holy and righteous God to be able to look down through the ages of time and know mine and your fault and our sin, and be merciful unto us. Praise God! That is exactly what He did. He tells us this.
Ephesians 2:4
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
He was merciful and He showed it through His love. How! How did He do that? On the cross of Calvary, He showed every ounce of love He had for humanity. Praise God! It is easily seen.
He says this.
Ephesians 2:5
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Even when we were dead in sins—do you know what He did? By His mercy, by His grace, by His love act on the cross, by and through His blood; He tells us we are saved by the grace of God and He unites you and me together.
He says this.
Ephesians 2:6
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
How? “In Christ Jesus.” Whether you realize it or not, when we come together and worship Him, we are in a heavenly place. Why? Because we are worshipping Christ Jesus our Lord. Why are we worshipping Him? Because of what He has done for us. That is why. We know who we were. We know our thoughts. We know our behavior. Praise God! I am forever grateful for what He did for me on the cross of Calvary. I understand I was unworthy. I understand how I behaved, yet I also understand that His love—Praise God!—surpassed all of that and was greater than all of that. He said, “I love you so much that I will die in your place. I will take the lashing for you. I will allow my skin to be ripped from my body and feel the pain just for you. Praise God, I am glad that He did.
He tells us this.
Ephesians 2:7
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
As the ages, and as the times roll on, people will finally—Praise God—when they look at the cross and believe in Jesus Christ, they will come together as family and unite together. They will worship and praise Him. That is exactly what we do. However, there is coming a day that we are going to take a flight out of here. When we go and worship Him, it is going to be that perfect worship and perfect praise that is only for Him and Him alone. Praise God, it will be without blemish. It will be a perfect praise, a glorious praise.
Ephesians 2:8 & 9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
He is writing to them. This is who you were. This was the problem. God knew the problem. This is what He did for you. He goes on and he states for by grace are ye saved. He says, through faith and not of yourselves. It is the gift—our brother said it this morning—it is the gift of Almighty God. It is the gift that has been given to you and me. Not of works—why? —lest any man should boast.
I asked the question the other day. Do we have any part in salvation, apart from the receiving it, absolutely not! Christ paid it all. We had nothing to do with salvation. I don’t care how often you come to church. Even though we know that you and I must attend the house of God. We know as we come together for different reasons—I can talk about all of that—however, as we come together, we know that we worship Him. We draw strength from one another. Here is the thing. I don’t care how often one comes to church. I don’t care how often they sing in the choir. I don’t care how many sermons they preach. I don’t care how many people they visit. None of those things matter if they have not received Christ as their personal Savior. Christ must be the Lord of their lives.
He tells us this in verse 10.
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
What is he saying? Why did He go to the cross? Praise God! I believe you are going to find out even more as we read. He went for me and you. Why? He brought about a family. We come together as a family like none other. The people of God and the children of God; they are the tightest, closely knitted family you will ever find on the face of the earth. That does not mean that we will always agree. That does not mean we are always on the same page. I will tell you this much. If Christ is Lord of our life, we know this. We love each other. We love humanity. We love people. We want more than anything else, for those outside the arch of safety to understand that they need Jesus Christ more than anything else. We will bond together. We will bound together more than anything against those that are opposing Christ. We will shout to the glory of God that Christ is Lord.
Look what happens here.
Ephesians 2:11-12
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Here you are. You are back again, under the porch. You are in trouble. You have no hope. You have no help, no one to help you. Without God in the world—here it is; he reminds them again. He reminded them back in verse four, but God. Now he says in verse thirteen, “but now in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:13
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
By the blood that was shed on Calvary, Praise God, you and I can have a relationship with Him.
Paul goes on and writes.
Ephesians 2:14-18
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
What is saying? Praise God! For man to have a relationship with God again, Christ had to go to the cross. For man to be able to have a righteous relationship, as he fell in the Garden of Eden, as you look there, as sin entered into the world, for man to be able to have a relationship with God again, Christ had to pay the price. He had to fulfill it. By doing that, He made a way that you and I can have right relationship and be righteous in the eyes of our God. How is that? Through the blood of Jesus Christ.
He says this.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Family
Praise God! He is our foundation. Do you know what you will find out? That not even the gates of hell could prevail against it; not even all the evil, in all the world. Why did He go? Why must He be obedient unto the death of the cross? If you and I were going to experience real salvation and deliverance from sin, if you and I were going to have any hope whatsoever, to have a relationship with a holy and righteous God; Jesus Christ had to come. He had to die. And He had to rise again. Praise God! He did just that. Through doing that He bound us together in Him. Through the blood of the cross, we are family. We are blood relatives. Did you know that? If you know Christ—you say, oh my, I don’t want to be related to you. Well, I hate to tell you, but if you are saved today, you are my family.
Closing
How is that possible. Because just like these folks I was in trouble the same as you were. Why wouldn’t we praise someone who changed our life for the better? He changed our life for eternity. Praise God! He gave us a hope that reaches way beyond this veil of tears. I am glad for the hope in Christ Jesus.
Come and be saved.