for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 sermons cite this verse
… I'm going to do it for them. John chapter 5, verse 4. Jesus had gone to the pool of Bethesda and all kinds of sick people were there. lame, halt, withered, impotent, broken, handicapped. And the tradition at that church was whoever was the first in the pool would get healed. Jesus came by that pool and he saw one lone person and he asked him, do you want to be made well? And he said, I do, but I got nobody who will help me. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not just about that one lame man at the pool. What the story also tells us is after that day, the pool closed. I think I lost you. He says I've got to disrupt the spirit of competition. I don't want you to exert all your energy trying to hold other people back when you don't understand I got enough grace for everybody. You are getting ready to step into a season where you ain't got to look over your back every time you get blessed. …
Now let's get into the word of God. The Bible says sometime later Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Five is the number of grace symbolically in the Bible a lot of times when you see it. And the word Bethesda means house of mercy. So they're going to a place to get mercy, to get a miracle. And the Bible says in verse three, here a great number of disabled people used to lie, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. and and and you know when we read that list it's easy for us sometimes to think that the physical conditions are are the ones that need the greatest healing but you know you might be in here tonight and what you're dealing with is crippling anxiety maybe in here tonight and maybe you're dealing with a condition that we can't see outwardly but the lord still wants to touch that area of your life. But notice in verse five, this is the important word to me. It says one, one who was there. That's how personal God is. One who was there had been an invalid for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, do you want to get well uh-oh the way you answer this question is gonna mark your life …
… Moses, way back then, was writing about Jesus. John chapter 5 and verse 4. Do not think that I've come to do away with the law, he said in the Sermon on the Mount, or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, I came to fulfill. Christ is the fulfillment of prophecy after prophecy. Interesting, Locato, but what difference does that make? Impressive. But I've got a cranky boss. I've got too many deadlines I've got an achy neck I've got a challenging week what does all this have to do with me simple Jesus wants you to know that you can count on his voice that he has an explanation he has an authoritative opinion as to how to lead your life and to the degree that you and I listen to him, things move well. To the degree that we trust anyone less than him, things are gonna go haywire and he wants to demonstrate to you over prophecy, over prophecy, with prophecy, with prophecy that he can be counted on and that his word is reliable and don't we need that? …
… he wants to feed the crowd through you, the math won't matter. You can have been stuck in something 38 years at the pool of Bethesda, John chapter 5, verses 1 through 7. Everybody around you might be quicker than you, and you might feel like, I just can't win. I just can't get there. When the water is stirred, I have no one to help me. But when Jesus shows up, if he wants to heal what's hurting in you, it doesn't matter how many people are in front of you that are faster than you. If it's God's battle. High five your neighbor and say, the math don't matter. Bad grammar, good preaching. The math don't matter. Don't care how long it was like that. One moment in his presence, one moment of his favor, one moment of his holy fire can burn away all the dross because I'm coming out of this because the math… Do you hear what I'm saying to you? The prophet said, do not be afraid of them for those with us are more than those with them. …
… the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water. And whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity 38 years. And when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already 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 steps 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. And that day was the Sabbath. And the Jews therefore said to him who was cured, It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed. …