T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S healed man did not know who had healed him as tb e crowd had gathered around him and Jesus was lost In th e m idst. But afterw ard s 'Jesus made H imself known to him and admonished him, “Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you.” W hat could be worse than th is dis ease which had held him in its grip for th irty -eigh t years? Here is a statem ent th a t proves th e Deity of Christ— a pre diction. The man’s suffering came from some sin. Jesus is the same today, is He not, and can heal and does heal so often; bu t it is tru e th a t much sick ness can be charged to sin and, healed people bring upon themselves worse af fliction th rough sin. We like the honest deportm ent of the man. He went to th e Jews and con fessed Christ as his healer. “Honest confession is good for th e soul” and it is rig h t and righteous th a t He should always have all th e glory. Let us re joice in confessing to th e world the wonders of His grace in our salvation and in His keeping power. HI SUGGESTIVE COMMENT By Bev. W. H. P ike This Gospel being a court scene, dif ferent w itnesses are brought forw ard to testify as to w hether Jesus Christ is God according to John 1:1. This chapter records th e th ird m iracle (2 :1 1 ; 4:54) th a t Jesus perform ed in proof of His deity, and contains two powerful argu ments to th is claim—one a m iracle and th e other an address. Here is a simple division of th e chapter: 1. 5:1-16, A GREAT DELIVER ANCE. 2. 5:17-47, A GREAT DISCOURSE. This DELIVERANCE proved th a t Jesus was the door to God’s mercy and th e DISCOURSE is Jesu s’ own arg u ment to H is deity. 1. JESUS, THE DOOR OP MERCY
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AS' SEEN IN THIS GREAT DELIVER ANCE, 5:1-16. Jesus finds a t th e pool of Bethesda (house of mercy) a mul titu d e longing for healing through th e mercy of God. The diseases of these people prove th e ir sins. Note Ex. 15:26; Lev. 26:14-26; Deut. 28:21-29. W hat a pictu re of th e nation Israel and of the whole world “ blind” , “ h a lt” , “w ithered” all waiting, w aiting for mercy a t th e place of mercy and no mercy available. When asked why, the only answer is ‘There is no man” . But now Jesus, the God-Man stands before him and says, “Rise; tak e up thy bed, and w alk.” Im mediately th e man was ,made whole. Here in th e ir very presence is the chan nel of God’s mercy. W hat a contrast between th e formal ceremonies of th e Jew ish feast and th e living, loving, powerful Son of God! How quickly th e man .was healed when he obeyed Jesu s’ words! The .Jews were .very much exercised because of Jesu s’ presence and for two reasons began to persecute Him. F irst, because He healed on th e Sabbath (5 :1 6 ); Second, because He made Him self One w ith God in His work (5:17- 18). Jesus does not reason w ith them about th e healing. T h at testifies for itself. But He does give an irrefu tab le argum ent concerning His relation to the F a th e r in verses 17-47. 2. JESUS REASONS AND WITNESS ES TO PROVE HE IS GOD’S CHANNEL TO MAN, NOT ONLY OF MERCY BUT THE VERY EXPRESSION OF GOD. .Seven reasons: (1 ) Because He is subordinate» to th e F ath er, bu t does ALL th e F a th e r’s works. 5:19. (2 ) Because He has a perfect un derstanding of all the F a th e r does. 5:20. (3 ) .B ecause He has resurrection power as th e F ather. 5:21. (4) Because He has all power of judgment. 5:22.
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