Sermon Notes - John 5:1-15 - The Third Sign - Littleby Baptist Church - January 1, 2023

1.     It has been a few weeks since we were in John, so as a quick reminder of John’s intent for writing it.

a.      He wants everyone to know that Jesus was more than the man some of the original audience would have seen or heard about.

2.     John 1:1-3

a.      Jesus is God and has existed well before He came to earth.

3.     John 1:14

a.      Jesus became flesh to live with us humans.

4.     Jesus the man is God.

5.     John has also shown us that Jesus did not worry about what people thought or said.

a.      He shocked Nicodemus when He told him that he needed to be born again.

b.     He surprised the woman at the well when He talked to her about her sins and who He was.

c.      Jesus showed those who were watching that He was God by healing a boy some 20-25 miles away.

d.     Jesus is not limited like we are, because as God He is everywhere.

6.     As we keep in mind that Jesus is Man and God, let’s continue with our series.

7.     John 5:1

a.      Jesus returned to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival.

b.     No evidence given on which of the pilgrimage festivals it was.

c.      Passover, Feast of Weeks, or Feast of Tabernacles.  

d.     The important part is after some time in Galilee Jesus returned to Jerusalem.

8.     John 5:2-3a

a.      John is describing the place that people would have known.

b.     A place many had probably walked by and sadly turned their heads to not look upon those who were the ostracized of society.

c.      Some versions stop here and skip ahead to verse 5, the CSB for one.

d.     The earliest manuscripts do not include the following.  

e.      3b-4 “waiting for the moving of the water, ⁴ because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had”

f.      It is believed that this portion of the verses were inserted at a later date to explain why those who were blind, lame, and paralyzed would hang out at the pool of Bethesda.

g.     An angel stirring up the water to heal someone is part of local tradition.

h.     Adds flavor to those of us unaware of the local tradition, but likely not part of John’s original letter.

9.     John 5:5-6

a.      Jesus saw this disabled man lying there.

b.     As God, Jesus knew the man’s heart.

c.      He knew that the man’s case was hopeless without a miracle.

d.     Jesus asked what seems like an odd question, ‘Do you want to get well?’

e.      Most if not all who are dealing with a physical ailment or sickness would think the answer is obvious.

f.      Think about one living in sin, think about when you were living in sin.

g.     If you were asked if you wanted to be saved, the answer would probably have been yes.

h.     If they told you that you would need to repent of your sins, whatever they were, and ask Jesus to help you walk away from them… the answer may have changed.

i.       Sadly, many enjoy sin too much, at least for a time.  

j.       Jesus asked the man a question with an obvious answer to get him thinking about the possibilities.

k.     Sometimes talking to people about Jesus doesn’t get the instant result we would like, but it gets them thinking about the possibility of a different future.

10.  John 5:7

a.      The desire was there!

b.     The man wanted to get well!

c.      But he could not do it on his own.

d.     He understood that he needed help.

e.      Like each one of us when we realized that we needed a Savior, that we could not do it all on our own.

11.  John 5:8

a.      Jesus gave the man the option.

b.     Believe or don’t.

c.      Get up or continue laying there.

d.     Jesus had the power to heal the man, the man just had to believe it.

e.      Jesus has the power to save all, they just have to believe it.

f.      Romans 10:9

g.     Belief that Jesus has the power to save you is crucial.

h.     Not works, not sacrifices, nothing but belief that Jesus Christ died for our sins so that He can offer us salvation.

i.       Scripture calls us to believe to receive our gift.

j.       Jesus was telling this man that he needed to Get up, he needed to believe to be healed.

12.  John 5:9

a.      Instantly the man became well and walked.

b.     A sign, a miracle, Jesus healed this man.

c.      A man that everyone knew had been disabled for many years.

d.     Muscles that hadn’t been used in 38 years, worked perfectly in that instant.

e.      A sign of complete restoration.

f.      The first sign was seen by a handful of people as Jesus turned water into wine.

g.     The second sign was probably seen by more people, but still a small group, a household.

h.     This third sign was very public to a man many had known to be paralyzed for a long time.

i.       Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath, and you might say He stirred up a hornet’s nest.

j.       God said to make the Sabbath Holy, but man added a lot to it.

k.     God’s law said to rest on the Sabbath, to not work.

l.       Man added a crazy number of rules onto it.  

13.  John 5:10

a.      The Old Testament Law and Mosaic Law tell us that we are to have a Sabbath rest.

b.     Meaning we are to take time to rest, worship God, and enjoy the life God has given us.

c.      Rules like not carrying this mat was a man-made law added to God’s law.

d.     This man who had just been healed by Jesus was at risk of being stoned to death because he was carrying his mat on the Sabbath.

e.      He was at risk of being killed because he was listening to Jesus.

14.  Mark 2:27

a.      The Sabbath as designed by God is simply a time of rest, a time of worship, and a time to enjoy life.

b.     God knows we can easily burn ourselves out, and He built in a time for us to relax and recharge.

c.      The day of the week is not important, but the acts of resting, worshipping God, and enjoying the blessings you have been given are.

d.     Picking up his mat did not break God’s law, just a man-made rule.

15.  This verse reminds us that we have to be careful to not let tradition override the Word of God.

a.      It can be easy to take a stand on something because we have done it that way, but that does not mean it is the only way.

b.     Common examples I have heard over the years are music styles, pews or chairs, and Saturday services.

c.      Some of those are significant changes in a church, but none of them are against God’s Word.

d.     Everything is to be measured against the Word of God.

16.  John 5:11-13

a.      The man was healed and was being accused.

b.     Some would say he was trying to dodge the charges or pass the buck.

c.      I tend to look at this as when he says, ‘the man who made me well told me…

d.     His belief would have been that a man who could heal him is a man of authority.

e.      He may have truly believed that he was doing nothing wrong, because a man with the power of God to heal him told him to carry his mat home.

f.      The Jews wanted to know who ‘this man’ was, but he could not answer.

g.     Jesus had slipped away in the crowd, a very public Sign that showed the power of God and pushed against societal norms.

17.  John 5:14-15

a.      The man did not know Jesus, but Jesus knew him.

b.     Jesus sought the man out.

c.      Like He seeks out all who are lost, weary, and broken.

d.     Out of His abundant love for us, He wants to touch all of our lives.

e.      He made a big impact on this man’s life, but that is small in comparison to the impact that He desires to have on every person who has walked this earth.

f.      Jesus wants to save us from an eternity in agony that we rightly deserve.

g.     Out of His sacrifice He is offering the gift of life to all who believe.

18.  When we read the words of verse 14 it can sound like Jesus is saying sin caused the man’s paralysis.

a.      Indirectly us living in a fallen world, that is true.

b.     The curse brought onto this world by sin is what brings sickness and death.

c.      One does not earn sickness because they have sinned.

d.     It happens because of the fallen sinful world we live in.

e.      We don’t know anything about this man prior to 38 years ago.

f.      He may have been born paralyzed, but one thing I am confident it that any sin of his did not cause him to be paralyzed for 38 years.

g.     What Jesus is really telling him, is what he has endured for the last 38 years is nothing compared to an eternity in hell.

h.     Sin no more so that something worse does not happen to you.

i.       Sin no more so that you do not spend an eternity in agony.

19.  Jesus is offering a path to Glory for each and everyone person alive today, all we have to do is accept it.

20.  If Jesus is your Savior, praise God, continue to draw near to Him in the days before us.

a.      Hold on to His truth so that you can stand strong.

21.  If Jesus is not, you Savior, He is knocking at the door wanting to spend forever with you.

a.      If you would like to learn more about Jesus and the gift He is offering, I would love to talk to you.