July 5, 2018

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO MAKE US WHOLE (part 7)

John 5:6 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?

Jesus displayed Grace because He CHOSE this man. Jesus displayed Love because He CARED for this man. Now Jesus displayed Power because He CHANGED this man.

Jesus offered this man a second chance, and a new beginning. Here is a man who had lived in a broken body for over thirty-eight years. One day he meets Jesus, and he is offered a chance to start fresh. He is offered a new body, a new future, and a new start. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? That is what salvation was to us. It meant a new future, a new start, a new beginning, a new family, a new father, and a new purpose.

Jesus walks up to this man, who had been laying there for all these years, and He asks this man an incredible question. Jesus says, “Wilt thou be made whole?”. Then Jesus tells this man something even more incredible. Jesus says, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Jesus tells this man to do something that this man had not done for thirty-eight years. You see, all that was required on the part of this crippled man was simple, childlike faith and obedience to the command of Jesus Christ. When the call comes to the sinner lost in his sins, the only necessary response is faith! Jesus comes to men who have lived their entire lives in the grip of sin and says, “Rise up and follow me!” Jesus doesn’t require perfection, or ability, or talent, or money; He just requires faith in Him!

The Bible tells us that this man was miraculously, instantly, thoroughly, and completely
healed by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. This required no input from this man. Jesus spoke, the man was healed and all he had to do was get up and walk.

Bethesda means “House of grace”, and that is just what this man found there! There were five pools in this place, and five is the Biblical number for “grace”. Once this man was healed, you would think that it would create quite a stir at the pool of Bethesda that day. You would think that everyone there would start crying out for Jesus to help them. I do not know if that happened or not, but the Bible never mentions that it did. What a missed opportunity to be that close to Jesus, and not ask for help. Jesus is able to change you today. He is able to heal, forgive, and transform you. Do not miss this opportunity. Do not continue on, doing the same things, and getting nowhere. Be humble enough to admit that you need Him. Jesus has the power to make us whole.