My Father is Always at His Work

John 5:1-30

Key verse 5:17

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

Look at verses 1-4. In these verses, we see that Jesus visited a place full of disabled people. The location was beautiful--there were five covered colonnades and a pool. The name of the place was "Bethesda," which means "House of Grace." This could have been one of the hottest tourist spots in Jerusalem at that time. The tourists probably stayed away from this place, however, because of the great number of blind, lame, and paralyzed people there. If you went there, you would probably be confronted by many people holding out their hands, begging for money. Jesus, however, did not avoid this place. He went there and looked around. 

Look at verses 5-6. One of the people Jesus saw was a man who was lying near the pool. Jesus took notice of him and soon learned that he had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years! Perhaps he was the oldest disabled person at the pool. When Jesus learned the he had been in this condition for "a long time," he asked the man, "Do you want to get well?" 

Jesus' question shows that Jesus wanted to make the invalid well. Jesus didn't want to see this child of God spend any more time as a disabled man. Even though this man was at least thirty-eight years old, Jesus did not give up hope for him. Jesus envisioned this man living a whole and productive life for God's glory.

At the same time, Jesus' question seems a little strange. Of course this man wanted to be healed, didn't he? Let's look at his reply in verse 7: "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." The man's reply is interesting. He could have simply said, "Yes, I want to be healed." He didn't say this, however. Instead, he explained why he had not been healed so far. It seems that this man was defending himself against a perceived accusation in Jesus' question. Perhaps he interpreted Jesus' question as, "Hey, man, why have you spent so many years here? Why haven't you gotten yourself healed yet?" The man's excuse basically says, "Look, it's not my fault, man." The invalid's reply also suggests that he has little hope to be healed. He had been lying by this pool for a long time and never got healed. He was only getting older and weaker, making it less and less likely that he could fight his way to the front of the line when the water was stirred again. 

So, perhaps Jesus' question, "Do you want to get well?" was not as strange as it seemed. Some people want great things, while others want just a cup of coffee. In either case, what they want is closely related to what they believe is possible. It seems that this man had little or no hope to be healed, despite hanging out by a well for so long. More likely, this man was stuck; he had become a spiritual invalid. He could only try to defend himself by telling himself and others, "It's not my fault." 

What did Jesus do? Look at verses 8-9: 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. 

Jesus healed this man by commanding him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. All three of these things had been impossible for the man for so many years. He had always been disappointed by putting his hope in the pool, but Jesus dis not disappoint. 

Look at verses 9-13: 

"The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, [10] and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." [11] But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, `Pick up your mat and walk.' " [12] So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" [13] The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 

You would think that everyone would be excited and amazed and happy that a man who had been an invalid for decades was miraculously healed. Instead, people were angry because the man was healed on the Sabbath. When the invalid man told them, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk,' no one paid attention to the part about the healing; they only wanted to know where this "fellow" was who commanded the former invalid to break the law by carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Their response shows that they had forgotten how to use their eyes and their brains. They were blind to God's work right in front of them, and they complained that God's work was breaking God's law. There are many warning we can take away from this. I think one of the most important lessons is that we should be less inclined to pass judgement and more inclined to stop and think. 

Jesus' focus, however, was still on the former invalid. Look at verse 14: 

[14] Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

Jesus healed the man physically, but for spiritual healing he needed to repent. Jesus warned this man to stop sinning because the consequences of sin are much worse than a physical sickness or problem. If this man did not repent, he would face God's judgement, which is much worse than being an invalid for decades. Jesus wanted this man to live a blessed and happy life for eternity, so he told him, "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." 

How did this man respond to Jesus' kind warning? Look at verse 15:

 [15] The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

His response is amazing. Jesus healed this man's body with a command. Jesus spoke the word, and the man was instantly physically healed. It reminds me of the way God created things, as recorded in Genesis 1: God said, "Let there be light." and there was light. If God commands the sun to blink or turn blue, it will instantly happen. The strange thing is that this principle doesn't seem to apply to people. Jesus commanded him to stop sinning, but he rejected Jesus' words. Perhaps he didn't like being called a sinner. Perhaps he wanted to please the authorities. Whatever the case, he rejected Jesus' warning. Jesus humbled himself to give this man a chance to repent of his own free will. Jesus gives each of us this chance, but the choice is up to us. 

Look at verses 16-18: 

 [16] So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. [17] Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." [18] For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

No one paid attention to what Jesus was doing or gave thought to what it means. Jesus, however, explained things clearly: he is doing the work of his Father. Every day, God is working to bring his lost children into the kingdom of God. Jesus is working for this same purpose. Those who see their Father in heaven working also work. But because they couldn't see what God was doing, because their eyes were closed, many people wanted to kill Jesus. How did he answer them? Look at verses 19-30: 

 [19] Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 

[20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. [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. [22] Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, [23] that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 

[24] "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 

[25] I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. [26] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. [27] And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 

[28] "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice [29] and come out---those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. [30] By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Jesus was doing only what he saw his Father doing. Jesus did not try to receive honor or recognition from people because he God will honor his Son. Those who hear Jesus' words and believes them as the word of God has eternal life and will not be condemned. This is the opportunity that the former invalid man received from Jesus. In the end, everyone will stand before Jesus, and he will judge everyone justly. 

Thank God for Jesus who came to save us from condemnation. May God help us to hear Jesus' word, believe them, and repent, so that we may have life in his name. 

One word: Life in Jesus' name

---