Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
Jesus walks among the hopeless to offer a different path to wholeness.
What happens when you've been waiting 38 years for healing that never comes? The story of Bethesda reveals a profound truth about divine intervention that many miss.
At the heart of John's Gospel lies a transformative encounter between Jesus and a man trapped in hopelessness. For nearly four decades, this invalid had positioned himself by a pool called Bethesda, watching others receive healing while he remained paralyzed by circumstance. His entire healing strategy centered on stirring waters and human assistance that perpetually eluded him.
Then Jesus arrives with a question that seems almost absurd: "Do you want to be made well?" This question penetrates beyond the obvious physical need to the deeper spiritual condition. The man doesn't immediately recognize Jesus as his healer—he's too fixated on his own solution. This pivotal moment highlights how we often become trapped in our preconceived notions about how healing should occur, missing the divine intervention standing directly before us.
When Jesus commands, "Rise, take up your bed and walk," he's not merely addressing physical paralysis but challenging the spiritual and emotional paralysis that had defined this man's existence. The healing occurs instantly, but the religious leaders' reaction reveals another form of paralysis—one rooted in rigid interpretation that obscures God's true heart.
This account invites us to examine where we're seeking solutions in our own lives. Are we waiting by metaphorical pools for healing that never comes? Have we confused our wants with our needs? Jesus continues to walk among the hopeless today, offering healing that transcends our limited understanding and transforms both body and spirit.
The question remains—are you ready to pick up your mat and walk into the abundance Jesus promises? True healing begins when we recognize Christ as its source rather than clinging to solutions of our own design. His power remains unchanged, offering wholeness to all who receive it.
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Good morning everyone. Now I'm going to do things a little differently today. Well, I say that a lot, but I just like to change tack every now and again. Several of these so not to get confused. But also, we're moving on to a greater understanding of the healing power and authority that jesus has and that that is still available for today. So what I'm talking about today is going to be the healing of Bethesda. Now, first off, I'm going to read John 5, 1 through to 29 in the New King James, and then I'm going to put that into clarification. Clarification After there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:Now, there in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool which was called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches, in there lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water. Then, whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well of whatever disease, whatever sickness they had. Now a certain man was there who was an infirmity years. When Jesus saw him laying there and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time he said to him do you want to be made well? The sick man answered him sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. But while I am coming, another step down before me, jesus said to him Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked.
Speaker 1:And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured? Is the Sabbath? Is it not lawful for you to carry your bed? You to carry your bed. He answered them. He who made me well said to me Take up your bed and walk.
Speaker 1:Then they asked him who is the man who said to you Take up your bed and walk? But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn a multitude being in that place. Afterwards, jesus found him in the temple and said to him See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.
Speaker 1:The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to have him killed because he had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them. My father has been working until now and I have been working. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he'd not only broken the Sabbath, but he said that he was God. Was his father making him equal to God?
Speaker 1:Then Jesus answered them and said to them, most assuredly, I say to you the son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the father do, for whatever he does, the son also does in like manner, for the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel For, as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them. Even so, the Son gives life to whom he will, for the Father judges not one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. That all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honour the father who sent him chapter 24. Now, assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so has granted the Son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment, also because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in graves will hear his voice and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. I can myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment righteous, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. And that's where we're going to stop today. But now I want to explain this, because earlier we were talking about the feast, and we were talking about, okay, in relation to the Passover and also to Pentecost, but this is another feast. Now it doesn't actually say which feast it is, but I want to put this into the right context, because this is when Jesus actually pinpoints his target of his comments. He makes a point of letting everybody know that he is directly speaking to the Jews and what they've done. So John's gospel shifts in this direction when he starts talking about how Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem for this particular feast.
Speaker 1:The Jews are being introduced at this time and in its development, in John's Gospel. This is where the Jews are spoken about. Are the not all Jews, but just those that are actually targeting Jesus and they're the ones that are opposed to his teaching and they're the ones that are plotting to kill Jesus. So as we read through this particular section of the gospel, it becomes clear that John is not referring to all of the Jews. He is referring to the Jewish elite, or the Sanhedrin, or more, the religious leaders that are headquartered in Jerusalem. This is important to understand because, especially in a day of growing anti-Semitism, all Jews were not, and certainly are not, opposed to Jesus. Even to this day, there are a lot of Jews that actually believe and are followers of Jesus. Now, you may have heard the terminology before, but sometimes the Jews speak about being a Messianic Jew, and that means a Jew that follows the Messiah. So when we read through John referring to the Jews, you'll notice that, unless it is used in a general sense, such as for salvation, it refers to the religious leaders who are in opposition to Jesus and his teaching.
Speaker 1:The next part of this. It basically sets it up for you and lets you know that it clearly shows the sign that they are in opposition and what eventually leads to Jesus' crucifixion. These Jews had lost touch with God. They had replaced truth with their interpretation of the law and bound the nation into understanding. They gained status and wealth in the process, as they distorted the message of God and his love for his people. Jesus came to set the captives free, and these rulers were among those that were holding the Jewish people captive. Now, I'm not going to go into great detail here, but the easiest way of putting this is that when you look at the Mosamic Law okay, so the Law of Moses, that God gave Moses right and the Jewish people Now what's actually happened is that all of the religious leaders had got themselves in a position where they had well, I suppose the easiest way of putting it is they allowed the law to go to their head, and I'm not going to go into this in depth because we can probably do this another time if people want to understand this better. But the Jewish elite, or the Jewish leaders? Okay, they created laws on top of laws, which made it more and more harder for the Jewish people to live their life, and that was outside of what God intended. So it was. How am I going to do this Now? This totally placed, okay, jesus and the Jewish elite oppositions to each other, oppositions to each other.
Speaker 1:Today, I want you to take some time to consider your relationship with God. Are there any ways that you have replaced or added to the truth of the message in your life? Are there any ways that you are opposed to god, either by your behavior or your lifestyle? Now, I don't mean to bring judgment on anybody. I'm just saying that you know, if you look at the written word, we ourselves are to try and become more christ-like each and every day. Now, we know we're not perfect, we know we all fail and fall short of the glory of God, and that's beside the point. But the fact is that the Word of God is written there, and it's written there in a particular way, for a particular reason, and that's about all I'm going to say on it at the moment.
Speaker 1:Because I want to look at this in relation to healing. Your healing, whether it be physical, spiritual, emotional, okay, it doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't necessarily mean or relate to an illness or a sickness. It could be in connection with the relationships you have with your family, your friends, your go-to person. Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you only talk about Jesus with other Christians or do you openly discuss him in your everyday life? And I'm not saying in relation to ministering to everybody you come across, but no, you are who you are, and you are who you are because you have Christ that dwells within you, and the way that you behave, the way that you speak, the way that you live your life should be based on the foundation of Jesus Christ as your cornerstone. So the point that I'm making here is that you need to not be ashamed of the gospel, and when you have the opportunity to speak to people about Jesus, you do so, but you still live your life as closely as you possibly can to a Christ-like lifestyle. Now I want to go on to healing now and I want you to understand why and how this is important from today's message moving forward Now, we read earlier in John 5, 2 to 3, okay, it says Now there was a place called the Sheep Gate, a pool.
Speaker 1:In Aramaic it means Bethesda, and there are five roof colonnades or sections, and in these lay a multitude of invalid people, and they were blind, they were lame and they were paralyzed. And in John 5, 1 through to 29 refers to this in his gospel. Now, his gospel Now. I want you to look at this from the different ways that Jesus worked his miracles. The sign involves the heaven, the healing of this lame man. Now, all of you know that I'm currently not in the best health and I'm currently confined to a wheelchair, but I know for a fact, and there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever, that this is 100% temporal and subject to change, and I'm not prophesying or speaking prophetically, but I know deep down inside of me that I am going to walk before we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this year. I want to make that very, very clear and there is no doubt in me whatsoever. And the reason I say that is because of listen to the words of Jesus right here, right, john gives great detail about this event at this particular moment. He tells us exactly where it took place.
Speaker 1:Many times I've tried to imagine what this setting looked like. At first. It seems to be a beautiful place, with pools and you know, like all different sections verandahed off and everything. My mind's eyes always imagine it to be a luxurious setting, but then I read further and the scene shifts in such a way it's a place that is filled with invalids. Another translation refers to the people as disabled. This setting is quite different from what I had imagined.
Speaker 1:So, as John reveals who is there, he speaks to the physical situation of the people, but, as always for John, there is a spiritual aspect to this situation as well, and we've got to be mindful of both things here. All right, jesus came to bring sight to the blind, to make the lame walk and to help those who were paralyzed, unable to move. This will be an actual physical healing of a lame man, but it will represent the healing that Jesus truly came to bring. The point here is to remind you all that we are harassed and helpless without Jesus. We are invalids spiritually as well as many of us being physically this way. We have been blind, lame and paralyzed to do anything about our own situation, but Jesus came and walked amongst us, bringing the hope we need.
Speaker 1:Just consider your situation today that you're in. Are there any ways that you feel blind or lame or paralyzed? But even more so if you know Jesus, celebrate the amazing healing you've been given. See, the thing is it's already happened. John 5, 6 says this when Jesus saw him laying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him Do you want to be healed Now? I'm not a broken record when it comes to reminding you and to reading John 5.1 through to 17.
Speaker 1:Today, just try and picture that scene and imagine laying by a pool waiting to be healed. Imagine that near you are all sorts of people waiting for the same thing. Just try and imagine that you've been this way for 38 years. I'm complaining about three and a half years, but 38 years waiting, waiting for the waters to be stirred, watching the water, seeing for the first time a ripple, and then trying to make your way to the water, day after day, year after year, waiting for a supposed situation, a solution to everything that's going on. Now, sometimes this is the way the world works. There are so many obstacles, so many things in the way, or you could put it this way there are so many other people around you that have the same condition, whether it be spiritual or physical, and one that never, this situation never brings healing.
Speaker 1:Then a man walks up to you and asks you if you want to be healed, what do you suppose the response would be? Hello, yes. That would be the immediate answer yes, yes, yes and amen. Why would you not want? Now, I just want to put this in a little perspective. I'm going a little bit off track here for a second, but I just want to make sure you get this right, okay Now? Jesus always asks the question because he's given us free will right. So now he already knows what you want, and sometimes we get our wants and our needs mixed up. But what you want and what Jesus wants for you isn't always the same thing. He knows the answer before he asks a question, but he has to ask the question because he wants to know what's in your heart.
Speaker 1:See this man here. He said that his situation was hopeless. So straight away he did not recognize that he could have what Jesus was offering him. He said that his situation was hopeless. Now you may be thinking that your situation is hopeless. There was no possible way for this person to be healed in the way that he had sought healing. See, the way that you want to do things and the way that Jesus wants to do things are totally different. We need to start thinking outside the box. Yes, we have the word of God to guide us, but the thing is, this is where this man and Jesus differed, because he was looking at a physical solution to his problem, where Jesus was looking at a spiritual solution to his problem. See, there was no possible way for him to be healed in the way that he had sought the healing. He had become so focused on his solution and that was the only hope that he actually had, only hope that he actually had.
Speaker 1:We have a situation that comes into our lives and we design a solution that really is not ever possible Sometimes, and then we wait for that solution to come and it never does, and hopelessness can grow and you become bitter, you become depressed, seeing no way in the natural. But Jesus comes and makes the offer a different pathway, both in the natural and the spiritual. The man does not see Jesus is the solution until Jesus leads him to see it through his eyes. He then finds the healing that only Jesus can bring. He takes up his mat and he walks. He takes up his mat and he walks. See, sometimes stirring in him, as Jesus looked into his eyes and spoke to him, he believed that he could stand, and so he did.
Speaker 1:Is there a situation in your life that you have formed a solution for? What if Jesus has a different solution? What if he is the source of your healing, instead of whatever it is you think is the source? Maybe you never met Jesus in the way that would allow you to know him and have that healing touch. Maybe you feel lost and blind and paralyzed, wondering what if? What if you know what life is all about? Maybe you have some thoughts that are falling short in helping you find the meaning your life truly has for you. Jesus is asking if you want to be healed, give your life to him today. Pick up your mat and walk and remember this.
Speaker 1:I'm not just speaking figuratively, I'm also speaking spiritually. Jesus makes a way when there is no way. He is the truth and he is the life. And it also says nobody comes to the Father except through the Son. So we need to start looking at our life differently. It's not, you know, hoping and praying and believing for what might happen. We need to start praying and believing for what is going to happen, and the thing is you need to look at both sides of the page, both spiritually and physically, and are you living a life trying to be more Christ-like each and every day? All power and all authority has been given unto us.
Speaker 1:You can have the desires of your heart, but just remember one small tumbling block, okay, a need and a want are two different things. You know what is needed in your life is not always what you want, but the thing remains that you have Christ that dwells within you. You know what the Word of God says and now what you need to do is you need to put that into practice. You need to make sure that you know that. You know that. You know, and is what you are desiring in your heart, what God wants for you and is the path, the right path, that you are taking. But know this without a shadow of a doubt. It clearly states in the word that Jesus will give you the desires for your heart and it says press down, shake in the air that, running over man will give into your bosom.
Speaker 1:Luke 4, 18 and 19 says this the spirit of the Lord is upon you because you have been anointed to preach the gospel, heal the brokenhearted, set those in captivity free and to declare the acceptable year of the Lord. John 10.10 says the thief has come not to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come. Has come not to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come. Jesus has come to give you life and give you life more abundantly. And an abundant life is not having any sickness or disease in your life. It is not having any problems of this world being attached to you, problems of this world being attached to you. Jesus has come to set you free of all sickness and all disease, both physically and spiritually. Now it's time for you to all take up your bed and walk, both physically and spiritually. God bless you. We'll talk to you next week and if there is a testimony out there, please let me know about it, because I'm excited about what God is going to do in your life. Amen.
