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T HE K I N G ’S. B U S I N E S S
FEBRUARY 4, 1923 THE IMPOTENT SINNER—John 5
Time: About th ree months afte r the healing of th e nobleman’s son. Place: Bethesda (House of Mercy). The site uncertain. T radition says n ear th e Castle of Antonia or St. Stephen’s Gate, where th ere is a porch 120x360 feet long and 80 feet deep, now filled w ith rubbish. Evidence exists th a t th ere was some real or supposed v irtu e in th e water. The F east: Probably th e Passover. Outline: (1) The W orld’s Suffering, vs. 1-4. (2) The W orld’s Selfishness, vs. 5-7. (3) The W orld’s Saviour, vs. 8-16; Introduction: The Conditions: Up to th is time th ere had developed no decided unbe lief or opposition to the Lord. The masses of th e people had rem ained in active. Now th e enemies of the tru th began a determ ined hostility, a strong cu rren t of opposition set in, the center' of the resistance being in Judea. A hardening process was in progress in th e h earts of His enemies. They forced Jesus to severe utterances. He commenced to speak in different tones to th e people and His preaching was not so popular. There are th ree periods during which th is opposition was mani fested. (1) Chapter Five—Healing on the Sabbath. (2) Chapter Nine— Heal ing of th e Blind Man. (3) Chapter Nine — Raising of Lazarus. (1) THE WORLD’S SUFFERING, vs. 1-4. It was a tim e of feasting, bu t Jesus was not h ere to feast. While many were feasting in th e Temple, the suffer ing world had a call to Jesus. There is here a world pictu re— a g reat m ulti tud e of blind, h alt, w ithered, impotent. There were other people who were blind beside th e Pharisees. (Ma.tt. 23:16, 17)
“W o e u n to y o u , y e b lin d g u id e s , w h ic h s a y , W h o s o e y e r s h a ll s w e a r b y th e te m n le . i t is n o th in g ; b u t w h o s o e v e r s h a ll s w e a r b y th e g o ld o f th e te m p le , h e is a d e b to r. Y e fo o ls a n d b lin d ; f o r w h e th e r is g r e a te r , th e g o ld o r th e te m p le t h a t s a n c - tifie th th e g o ld ? ” There were lam e people, unable to walk, as in Acts 8 :7 : “F o r u n c le a n s p ir its , c r y in g w ith lo u d v o ic e , c a m e o u t o f m a n y t h a t w .ere p o s s e s s e d w ith th e m ; a n d m a n y ta k e n w ith p a ls ie s , a n d t h a t w e re la m e , w e re h e a le d .” And th e re were w ithered people (Zech. 11:17) “W o e to th e id o l s h e p h e rd t h a t le a v e th th e flo c k ! th e s w o r d s h a ll b e u p o n h is a rm , a n d u p o n h is r i g h t e y e ; h is a r m s h a ll b e c le a n d rie d u p , a n d h is r i g h t e y e ' s h a ll b e u t t e r l y d a r k e n e d .” And th is is a picture of th e world’s sp iritu al need, also, today (Matt. .15:30) “ A n d g r e a t m u ltitu d e s .cam e u n to h im , h a v in g w ith th e m th o s e t h a t w e r e la m e , b lin d , d u m b , m a im e d , a n d m a n y o th e rs , a n d c a s t th e m d o w n a t J e s u s ’ f e e t: a n d h e h e a le d th e m .” and shows us w hat we ought to do for them— bring them and cast them down a t Jesu s’ feet. Open your eyes so th a t.y o u can see them— all impotent, weak, languishing, dying, unable to help themselves; old men and women; young men and women; boys and girls; wicked; 'w retched; suffering; sorrow ing; every where. A world picture, indeed, of the Twentieth Century. Into such a scene Jesus walked when He took up His world m inistry. W hat is th e cause of. th e world’s wretched state? (Rom. 5:12) “W h e r e f o re , a s b y o n e m a n s in e n te r e d in to th e w o rld , a n d d e a th b y s ip ; a n d so d e a th p a s s e d u p o n a ll m e n , f o r t h a t a ll h a v e s in n e d .” ' and what was the purpose of Jesu s’ com ing into th is sin-stricken . world? (1 John 3:8) “F o r th is p u rp o s e th e Son- o f G od w a s m a n ife s te d t h a t h e m ig h t d e s tr o y th e w o r k s o f th e d e v il.” The compassionate Jesus left the feast and wended His way to the scene of wretchedness. “A certain man was th ere.” The need of one man stirred the h ea rt of our Lord.
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