John 5:1-30

Here we see Jesus taking the initiative to heal a man who has been invalided for 38 years, waiting at the pool of Bethesda (house of mercy) for the water to stir and be healed. Did the man know who Jesus was? Was he hoping Jesus would help him into the water?

Jesus speaks a word of command (vv 8-9) and the man must have felt something change in his body because he does as instructed. Doing the very thing he couldn’t do he stands and walks, carrying his mat. Then we learn it is the Sabbath, and he has broken the Sabbath Law. The Jewish leaders are furious, and the man deflects blame onto Jesus. When Jesus finds him again, he’s warned not to sin lest something worse happens. Interpreting this is tricky, it may not mean that his disability was sin related but simply be a warning to live a righteous life lest he face eternal judgement (v 24).

Jesus infuriates the Jewish leaders even more by declaring that he is one with the Father (and therefore can work on the Sabbath) and involved in the work of the Father in two ways:

1)to be a giver of life to those who believe (v 21)

2) to judge all peoples (v 22)

This is possible because of the love between Father and Son, and the obedience of the Son in only doing what he sees the Father doing (he is not acting independently). The language speaks of apprenticeship, Jesus is following what he sees with the expectation that there are greater things to come.

Whilst in no way do we have a relationship to the Father like the Son we can learn something from Jesus of what it is to be a disciple and follow the guidance of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.