"Do you want to get well?", love Jesus.

For me personally, one of the most insightful questions Jesus ever asks in the scriptures is, “Do you want to get well?” 

In other words, are you resolved to pursue healing?  Are you determined?  Is it a real desire?  He asks this of the man who had been an invalid for 38 years, John 5:1-14.  

“Do you want to get well?”

Verse 7-  “Sir,” the invalid replied, “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.”

He didn’t directly answer Jesus’ question.  It’s hard to say why he answers like this.  He was probably forlorn, i.e. feeling sad, lonely, abandoned, deserted, helpless.  When people say they have no one to help them, often they are communicating loneliness and longing for someone to help.

A closer look at the pool tells us that he would have needed help.

The KJV of the account says that it was only the first one into the troubled waters that would be healed. 

He didn’t have good odds of being first into the pool on his own.  The account says there were a great multitude of blind, lame, and crippled.  Clearly many waiting there did not have good odds of getting into the water first.

And then there was the issue of size and depth of the pool.  Scripture records there were 5 porches.  That implies a HUGE pool.  How deep was this pool? 

In 2015, I was able to tour the Bethesda pool that John 5 references!  It was excavated in the late 19th century!  It indeed has 5 porches! It is a HUGE pool and VERY deep.  Here is picture of it that I found on the internet that gives you perspective.

So when you see the depth of the waters, you have to think it would be scary to jump in, since only the first one got healed. 

You would need some assistance. “Sir,” the invalid replied, “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.” 

What about the others?  How did the blind see the waters stir?  How did the lame make it down the steps in a rush in order to be first?  How did the crippled maneuver their way into the pool and then not drown?  

More than likely many were terrified of an attempt; and so would find themselves staying close to the waters, but not attempting to get in.  

Isaiah prophesied, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.  Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.  Isaiah 35:3-6.  

Your God will come…

Jesus has come; and He demonstrated that He is the manifestation of Isaiah’s wild prophecy.  In John 5:1-14, He picked out one invalid at the pool to show He is after the one.  His eye is on the sparrow.  He sees the lonely one.  He sees the oppressed one and broken one.  The one who is ashamed, crippled, blind but will respond when He tells them to do things that make no sense, like, “Get up.  Pick up your mat and walk.” 

He sees faith in people, Luke 5:20. 

He knows who will respond to Him.  And if that is you today, He is still asking, “Do you want to get well?”  

There is a prayer class coming up on Saturday, October 29th at 9:30am EST.  It is a positioning to experience the love of God. It’s based upon the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:19!

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Visit the home page and sign up!

Sign up for the session by clicking on the image about the event above