Sabbath Healing of Lame Man John 5 New Life Bible Fellowship Dr. Kermit Ecklebarger February 3 www.newlifetucson.com/connection/

A. Opposition resulting from Sabbath healing of lame man 5:1-16 1. The performing of the miracle 5:1-9 a. Setting of miracle: during Jewish feast at Pool of Bethesda 5:1-4 “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.”

Lame man healed at Pool of Bethesda

Pool of Bethesda Today

Pool of Bethesda Today

b. Difficulty of miracle: Sick 38 years 5:5-6 c. Basis of miracle: Divine selection 5:3-5 “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, Jesus asked him…”

d. Condition of miracle: Jesus: “Do you want to get well?” Invalid: “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 5:6-7 Act of will

e. Correction of text: Oldest manuscripts end vs. 3 “the paralyzed.” Some manuscripts add to vs. 3 “the paralyzed— and they waited for the moving of the waters.” Some less important manuscripts add a vs. 4 “From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.” Scribal marginal note included in text 5:4

f. Occurrence of miracle: Instantaneous 5:8-9 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” “At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

2. The effect of the miracle 5:10-16 a. Jewish criticism of man for carrying mat on Sabbath 5:10-13 Jewish leaders said to healed man, “…it is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” b. Jesus meets man’s spiritual need 5:14 “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

c. Jews persecuted Jesus for two reasons “These things…” 5:16 ~~Healing on Sabbath ~~Telling man to carry bed on Sabbath Lesson: Jesus is Master of Time

B. Opposition resulting from Jesus’ claims B. Opposition resulting from Jesus’ claims about His relationship with God 5:17-47 1. Claims stated 5:17-29 a. God is His Father in a special way ~~significance of “My Father” 5:17-18 ~~“for this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.” 5:18

b. Jesus’ work originates with the Father 5:19-20 “The Son can do nothing by himself: he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” c. Jesus shares Father’s power to give life to the dead 5:21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.”

d. Jesus is judge of people 5:22-29 ~~Purpose of Jesus’ judgment 5:22-23 “…that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” ~~Standard of Jesus’ judgment 5:24 …Peoples’ attitude to Jesus ~~Qualification of Jesus to judge 5:25-29 …Jesus is source of life “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.”

NOTE: Jesus shares with God the Father: Work The Power of Life Honor as Judge The Life Principle

2. Claims substantiated 5:30-47 a. Witness of Jesus Himself 5:30-31 (This wouldn’t be accepted in court) “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.” b. Witness of John the Baptist 5:32-35 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.”

c. Witness of Jesus’ works 5:36 “The very works that I am doing testify that the Father has sent me.” d. Witness of the Father 5:37-38 “And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified concerning me.”

e. Witness of OT Scriptures 5:39-47 “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” “Your accuser is Moses…If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.” LESSON: Jesus is Deity