In today’s edition of The Vine, a spin off of the Sunday Branch feature, my notes refer to John 5 (Amplified Version).
John Archive
John 1
John 2
John 3
John 4
Verse 1-3 Notes:
There’s a pool where multitudes of the sick, blind, paralyzed, & crippled lay.
Verse 4 Notes:
An angel of the Lord went down into the pool at the appointed season and stirred the pool up. Whoever went into the pool first was cured.
Seek ye first.
Water is a symbol for cleansing. For healing. Jesus stirs things up in our lives to sanctify and heal us. Does the water need to be stirred in you? Have you stirred the water in other people’s lives?
Verse 6 Notes:
Jesus noticed a man lying helpless among the stampede of people and asked him, “Are you really in earnest about getting well?”
Verse 7 Notes:
The bible calls the sick “the invalid.” I find that very telling.
The sick man answered and said that (1) he had nobody to put him into the pool (2) when he tried himself, someone else went ahead of him. Note that Verse 5 says he had been there for 38 years. He wanted to be healed. For 38 years, he held onto the hope that one day he’d be first in the pool. How long do we stay in one place wanting more? Have Hope. And. Move.
Verse 8-9 Notes:
Jesus tells the man to pick up his bed (since He knew the man wouldn’t need it anymore – what are you holding onto that you don’t need?), get up, and walk. The man didn’t know then that he was talking to Jesus but he didn’t hesitate. It was his season. Instantly, the man became well and recovered his strength.
Verse 10-11 Notes:
This happened on the Sabbath and the Jews believed the man had no right to pick up his bed on the Sabbath. How dare he get better on the Sabbath! People will tell you that you have no right to xyz. The Jews didn’t care that the man was healed (after being sick for 38 years no less). The first thing they said was “It is the Sabbath.” All they cared about was the Law. Also note that the Jews asked the man who told him to work on the Sabbath, they did not ask who healed him.
Verse 16 Notes:
The man told the Jews it was Jesus who told him to pick up his bed and get up (after realizing it in verse 14). And so… the Jews sought to kill Jesus. Are you killing your blessing?
Verse 17 Notes:
In regards to the Sabbath, God always works. His day of rest was a message for US. We must rest. We are not God.
Verse 24 Notes:
You have to go through Jesus for life. He has the power to give you life and death eternally.
Verse 36-47 Notes:
His works testify of Him. His works speak for themselves.
There it is, right there. We pick and choose what we want to believe. So many choose to believe what for example, Moses, a man has said but refuse to believe the one Moses followed. Ha! And so many don’t even do that well. Remember, Moses is a messenger. We can go straight to Jesus and the Father…and you know, let the bible, God’s word, speak for itself.
And believe.
And move.
Tomorrow…John 6.