“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25)
The thought of laying at poolside is generally associated with luxury and ease; not so, however, for the paralytic in John 5.
Crippled for 38 years, he’d hoped to find healing in the waters of Jerusalem’s Bethesda pool, but was always passed up by those in better condition (and less need).
After four decades of powerlessness, we can’t really blame the man for despairing. How oft had he tried, but failed to seize a chance at new life? Nothing ever changes.
Not far off, Judea’s religious leadership were observing the Sabbath day. Ruling from the seat of Moses, they and their regulations were above questioning — and they took full advantage of that.
Take Sabbath observance: Where God had commanded that people take one day off from their occupations, the religious leadership enforced bans on 39 different categories of activity — like carrying one’s bed around, for instance. Yes, they added to God’s word — but who could stop them? No one! Nothing ever changes.
God’s people being delivered from their faithless leadership was about as unlikely as a paralytic springing to his feet after 38 years, or the dead all rising from their tombs. Only God Himself could work such miracles….
As you read John 5 this week, consider the following questions for Sunday:
- In v. 19, Jesus says, “whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” How does Jesus’ claim set Him apart from any other man? What things does the Father do that only Jesus can?
- In vv. 21-30, how many times does He use the words “life” and “judgment”? What does He say about those two themes here?
- In v. 20, the Son says that He “gives life to whom He will”. According to v. 24, to whom does He will to give life?
- Here’s a tough, but important one: In v. 25, He says that all the dead “will live” upon hearing His voice — but in v. 29, he makes it clear that only some of them will receive “life”. What is this kind of “life”, and how is it different from “living” through resurrection?
- In vv. 39-47, He tells the religious leadership that they think they have “life” in their study of Moses. When you think about God’s perfect commandments, do you feel more righteous in yourself, or more like you need to flee to the Son? How did Jesus say the religious leaders’ study made them feel?