John 5:1-17 KJV
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.
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

The pool of Bethesda was said to have healing powers. According to what archaelogist have found there was angel painted on the wall of the pool. The pool was feed by waterway basically that cause the water to be stirred. Whether this lame man was talking about physical healing or a cleansing for spiritual and religious wholeness is unclear. Yet there was more then one person there that need help getting to the pool of water when it was stirred. Jesus wanted to know if the impotent man if he desired to be made whole? The man said there no one to carry to the water, before another steps down ahead of me. Jesus said arise, take up your bed and walk. This happen on the Jewish Sabbath which is Saturday. And as always there was something to say about any healing Jesus did, and that day was no exception for the Jews accused cripple man of sin because he carried his bed he laid on. It was consider work and work that should not be done on the sabbath day.

I do not care how well done a job, or how good something turns out there will always be a complaint somewhere even if the complaint is within yourself. There is always opposition to anything well done. Jesus healings were critized by the Jewish because of simply they seem sinful being done on the Sabbath to them. Did it require God to work if it was on the Sabbath and of God? God was not a God that made repairs on the Sabbath in regards to health? No the problem is Jesus did a miracle, no one was working, because of the Sabbath and they seen the miracle and the man ability to carry his mat. Plain and simple. No one working and all at the temple to worship God and outside the temple in the street near this pool this man could not get a soul to help him because it was sabbath day of rest. How did he get there in the first place I wonder. How long had he truly laid there.

The truth of matter God worked on the soul man everyday, and so did Jesus. Trying to get the Jewish zealots to understand that carrying a mat was not a crime, because it was action after the healing to testify of such a healing would make no since to these people. That the man had been healed and he need to take his mat home, but he desire while in town probably was to go worship in the temple praising God, where he was met with opposition to carrying his mat. Jesus found him later and told him to sin no more, and man went and told the Jews he was healed by Jesus.

For ten and thousand of years Israel had only retold the story of Moses and his miracles that they become stories and not a reality to these people. Who is man that heals on the sabbath? Where did he come from. What right did he have to heal. Prophets, teachers and ministers all heal on the sabbath spiritually from the pulpit but God's word is the healer. Yet when a physically healing came it was unheard of in so long, they had trouble accepting and receiving these miracles of Jesus.

He is a man acting like God in the land of the one only living God. No one understanding who he is? Some how because of the miracles it must not be of God though the evidence was tangible to them. There blindness amazing to us that see who Jesus is. I often think when Christ reappears in the sky we will be at a loss for words even as believers. Why because of his long awaited coming. Will we truly be ready at his coming? Or will our anticipation be such that our faith will some how not fully comprehend the scene that has come to us.

Waiting at the window a little girl is longing for her father to come home from a war. She waits and looks, knowing he said he be home one day. Will the war was over and many soldiers had returned, but she still was waiting at the window expecting her father to be there. As he walked down the lane, she spots him and goes running to meet him. Her mother not fully ready for his coming runs to fix her hair and make sure supper was ready to be put on the table. Yet she goes to the door to make sure it really him as her daughter had said. It been a long five years and no word in over two years. Yet it was to be expected at times. Most wives would of run down the lane, but it was the shock he was finally here that kept her from leaving her door, but watching and waiting from afar. The moment the reality he was home, sent her sailing to the front gate and part way down the road.

The length of Christ return is unimportant the fact he will return and will return the same way he left is only part of the believers mindset, Let us hold to the hope, that knowing the evidence in our daily life that he still alive and coming will pentrate our heart to the point that when he comes, we won't be linger back in unbelief but sailing upward to meet him in the sky.

The water was churning but the man unable to reach the water, those that went before him went away rejoicing is all he knew. And yet this man came and healed him, and Jesus found him later and told to go and sin no more. He went back and told those Jews who it was, instead of worshipping at Jesus feet. He had not even consider who Jesus might of been only that he had been healed and he knew the God of healing lived in that temple. Long waited Messiah before but he knew not who Jesus was. Only in temple were Jesus found him did the man learn who had healed him. He understood not who Jesus was.

Don't get caught up with legalism of the laws of the church that you can not see who your healer truly is, who spirtually calms your heart and your mind, physically even heals you, and knowing that answer to prayer is often those open doors that were not seen before. Hold on to the hope he is providing through individual and corporate prayer, knowing he is able to do more then we ask in our life, and he desires us to be whole.

Dear Heavenly Father strengthen us and give us the knowledge daily of your Son's return. Help the believer to hold to the work you do in us as individual, giving evidence of our eternal hope. Help us to learn to seek you in our life and move in us to do your will. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 John 2:27-29 KJV
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.