[:en]Our Daily Verse (5/12/20)[:]

[:en]SCRIPTURE: JOHN 5

“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 and life (John 5:24)

“For as the Father has life in himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.  And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:26-27)

“I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.  How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only Gpd?” (John 5:43-44)

THE HEALING AT THE POOL (vs. 1-15)

Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a Feast of the Jews.  He passed by a pool near the Sheep Gate which is called Bethesda in Aramaic.  There were lots of disabled people – blind, lame, paralyzed – waiting there to get in the pool for healing.  Jesus saw an invalid for 38 years and asked him: “Do you want to get well? (v. 6).  The man said: “I have no one to help me get into the pool when the water is stirred.  While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me” (v. 7). So Jesus said to him: “Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk” (v. 8).  The man picked up the mat at once and walked.  He was cured.  That occurred on the Sabbath day, which the law forbids anyone to do anything.  When Jesus saw him again at the temple, he told him to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him. (v. 14)

LIFE THROUGH THE SON (vs. 16-30)

In what ways is Christ equal with the Father?

  1. They are equal in works – “Whatever the Father does, the son also does” (v. 19)
  2. They are equal in giving life – “The Father raises the dead and gives them life, the Son also gives life to whom He is please to give it” (v. 21)
  3. They are equal in judgment – “The Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son (v. 22)
  4. They are equal in honor – “All who honors the Son, honor the Father” (v. 23)
  5. They are equal in authority – “Whoever hears His Word will not be condemned” (v. 24)
  6. They are equal in giving life – “Those who hear the voice of the Son of God will have eternal life (v. 26)

TESTIMONIES ABOUT JESUS (vs. 31-47)

  1.  John the Baptist testified about Jesus when he prepared the way for Christ
  2. The Father testified Jesus during His baptism when He said:  This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Mat.3:17)
  3. The Scripture testified about Christ in His Word.

It is important to have the love of God in our hearts.  Praise from God is better than praises from men.

SUMMARY:

Jesus had performed 3 miracles to show the way of salvation.  The first (water to wine) shows that salvation is through the Word of God.  The second (healing the official’s son) show that salvation is by faith.  The third (healing at the pool) shows that salvation is by grace.  This man had been afflicted for 38 years because of his past sins.  He was unable to get into the pool by himself to be healed.  But by His grace, Jesus chose an undeserving man and healed him.

We are all sinners but are being chosen by Him not because of our own merits but because of His grace.  Therefore, we should humble ourselves before God and be grateful for His salvation.

Note that the Pool was near the Sheep Gate surrounded by 5 covered colonades (v. 2).  Five represent the number of “grace”:

  1. Sheep gate speaks of sacrifice
  2. Lamb of God is being sacrificed
  3. Healing was made on Sabbath, cancelling the strict law on Sabbath
  4. Christ initiates the healing
  5. No man can help the man; neither can he help himself.

LESSON:

  1. Do not let a problem or hardship cause you to lost hope.   No matter how great is your infirmity, God is able to meet your deepest need.
  2. Observing the Sabbath day does not prohibit us to do good.
  3. Jesus and the Father are one.  Believing in Father should also include accepting His Son in order to have eternal life.
  4. The religious leaders studied the Scripture but did not apply its words to their lives.   They failed to recognize the Messiah.  They followed man-made rules instead of God’s command.  Be careful not to give more importance to religion than to Christ.
  5. We should be more concerned of God’s approval rather than of men’s approval.

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