Post by John on Feb 15, 2009 0:33:21 GMT -5
THE MIRACLE THAT DID NOT REALLY HAPPEN
************************************************************
There is a tendency these days to preach sermons based on a text without any reference to the verses on either side. Even in The WORD for TODAY, a text is selected and a comment expanded from it without reference to the passage it comes from. We need to read what proceeds and what follows, to set it in context, and understand what it is really about.
Read John’s Gospel chapter 5. All of it.
*********************************************
There is a tendency to read just the first 9 verses and it looks as though the purpose of the chapter passage lies in the healing of a cripple man, but that is not the main point if we read the verses that follow.
We see it is really about the cause of Jesus being persecuted and the tragedy of a man who was only healed in body but not healed in soul and therefore doomed to Hell for eternity. A state in which many people around us living today
Heed the words of Jesus in this passage
1). VERSE 6 “Do you want to be well?”
*******************************************
What an odd thing to ask a man who has been crippled for 38 years. But the original Greek uses a word that ought to be translated “whole” rather than “well”
The man could be healed physically, and maybe also mentally. But was he saved? Was he healed spiritually. Did he express gratitude, joy, emotion, praise? There is no evidence of any of that.
He was not made spiritually whole. He was not converted. He was not saved from sin.
As with the cleansing of 10 lepers , only one came back to say thank you, and to praise the LORD. One was saved and had his destiny changed and his character, but 9 did not. One was thus made spiritually whole. the others condemned to Hell for eternity.
Two thieves on crosses next to Jesus. One mocked him. One associated himself with him and asked of him the favour of being with Him in his Kingdom. One was thus made spiritually whole. The other was self condemned to Hell for eternity.
Lots of people would like to be healed in body or in mind, but they don’t want to be healed in spirit. They don’t want to give up sinning. They don’t want to be saved.
They are very sure they don’t want religion. They don’t want Jesus, so therefore He can do nothing for them
VERSE 8 JESUS said to this Man “Shut up, Get up. Pick up your Mat. Walk and
*******************************************************************************************
go home
***********”
Those were words of command, that would have rung round the court where the pool was by which the man was laying. Everyone would have been stunned by the clarity of the order. It was spoken by a person who clearly had authority to say it.
Someone it is wise to obey.
The authorities who had been plotting to kill Jesus for months were angry because Jesus healed the man on the holy day, the Sabbath, and told the man to pick up his mat and walk home with it, which broke one of their rules about doing no work on the Sabbath.
They were angry too because Jesus claimed God to be his father, his Dad, and they claimed no man could ever say that They simply did not recognise what God’s anointed One, would be like.
VERSE 14 Jesus said to the man “NOW YOU ARE WELL. DON’T SIN AS YOU
********************************************************************************************
DID BEFORE AS SOMETHING WORSE MAY HAPPEN TO YOU”
*****************************************************************************
What could be worse than being a cripple for 38 years? . Well to get deeper into sin and die soon, and become self condemned, to living apart from God for ever. ”
This man showed no gratitude for being healed, no expression of joy and excitement, no praise to God, because he was still an unsaved sinner.
What is more when he discovered who it was that healed him he went and reported Jesus to the authorities
So this man betrayed to the priests & lawyers who it was who healed him. JESUS.
What could be worse than being 38 years a cripple, well his destination at death
if his sins were not repented and forgiven, would be Hell.
Indeed there are a great many who are looking forward to going to Hell as they reckon it’s going to be great place for parties. All their friends will be there. So they can sing, and shout, and joke and dance, have sex, feast and binge.
The Bible paints a very different Hell as a place of beatings and torture, of well deserved punishments, of suffering and tears, of loneliness and separation, and unending sorrow with no way out. Surely no one would want to choose to go to Hell but millions apparently do, and millions certainly are going there by their own choice. Including the majority of the people in our town, or our country.
They have rejected Jesus Christ whom God sent
to provide us the means of escape,
to offer us friendship,
to confer on us adoption into the family of God
to share and enjoy for ever all God has prepared... .
So this man was really only half healed, He was not made whole. He was not whole in body. mind and spirit. Something was lacking. He was still doomed to Death and Hell. As we all are unless we are trusting and seeking with his help, to obey Jesus.
So this was the healing that did not really happen.
PRAY for WHOLENESS not just WELLNESS. ARE YOU WHOLE?
Do you acknowledge over your life the sovereignty of GOD in JESUS CHRIST?
THE LORD is King! I own his power
his right to rule each day and hour
I own His claim on heart and will
and his demands i would fulfil
He claims my heart, to keep it clean,
from all the stains of human sin;
he claims my will, that I may prove
how swift obedience answers love.
He claims my hand for active life
in noble deeds and worthy strife;
he claims my feet, that in his ways
I may walk boldly all my days.
He claims my lips, that purest word
in all my speaking may be heard
my motives feelings., thoughts. that these
my inner life. my king may please.
He claims the brightness of my youth
my earnest strivings after truth
my joys, my toils, my craftsman’s skills;
all have their place and serve His will.
To you, O Lord my King, I turn,
Your holy purpose to discern.
My daily task your name to own
for heart and will are yours alone.
Written by Darley Terry(1848-1934)
************************************************************
There is a tendency these days to preach sermons based on a text without any reference to the verses on either side. Even in The WORD for TODAY, a text is selected and a comment expanded from it without reference to the passage it comes from. We need to read what proceeds and what follows, to set it in context, and understand what it is really about.
Read John’s Gospel chapter 5. All of it.
*********************************************
There is a tendency to read just the first 9 verses and it looks as though the purpose of the chapter passage lies in the healing of a cripple man, but that is not the main point if we read the verses that follow.
We see it is really about the cause of Jesus being persecuted and the tragedy of a man who was only healed in body but not healed in soul and therefore doomed to Hell for eternity. A state in which many people around us living today
Heed the words of Jesus in this passage
1). VERSE 6 “Do you want to be well?”
*******************************************
What an odd thing to ask a man who has been crippled for 38 years. But the original Greek uses a word that ought to be translated “whole” rather than “well”
The man could be healed physically, and maybe also mentally. But was he saved? Was he healed spiritually. Did he express gratitude, joy, emotion, praise? There is no evidence of any of that.
He was not made spiritually whole. He was not converted. He was not saved from sin.
As with the cleansing of 10 lepers , only one came back to say thank you, and to praise the LORD. One was saved and had his destiny changed and his character, but 9 did not. One was thus made spiritually whole. the others condemned to Hell for eternity.
Two thieves on crosses next to Jesus. One mocked him. One associated himself with him and asked of him the favour of being with Him in his Kingdom. One was thus made spiritually whole. The other was self condemned to Hell for eternity.
Lots of people would like to be healed in body or in mind, but they don’t want to be healed in spirit. They don’t want to give up sinning. They don’t want to be saved.
They are very sure they don’t want religion. They don’t want Jesus, so therefore He can do nothing for them
VERSE 8 JESUS said to this Man “Shut up, Get up. Pick up your Mat. Walk and
*******************************************************************************************
go home
***********”
Those were words of command, that would have rung round the court where the pool was by which the man was laying. Everyone would have been stunned by the clarity of the order. It was spoken by a person who clearly had authority to say it.
Someone it is wise to obey.
The authorities who had been plotting to kill Jesus for months were angry because Jesus healed the man on the holy day, the Sabbath, and told the man to pick up his mat and walk home with it, which broke one of their rules about doing no work on the Sabbath.
They were angry too because Jesus claimed God to be his father, his Dad, and they claimed no man could ever say that They simply did not recognise what God’s anointed One, would be like.
VERSE 14 Jesus said to the man “NOW YOU ARE WELL. DON’T SIN AS YOU
********************************************************************************************
DID BEFORE AS SOMETHING WORSE MAY HAPPEN TO YOU”
*****************************************************************************
What could be worse than being a cripple for 38 years? . Well to get deeper into sin and die soon, and become self condemned, to living apart from God for ever. ”
This man showed no gratitude for being healed, no expression of joy and excitement, no praise to God, because he was still an unsaved sinner.
What is more when he discovered who it was that healed him he went and reported Jesus to the authorities
So this man betrayed to the priests & lawyers who it was who healed him. JESUS.
What could be worse than being 38 years a cripple, well his destination at death
if his sins were not repented and forgiven, would be Hell.
Indeed there are a great many who are looking forward to going to Hell as they reckon it’s going to be great place for parties. All their friends will be there. So they can sing, and shout, and joke and dance, have sex, feast and binge.
The Bible paints a very different Hell as a place of beatings and torture, of well deserved punishments, of suffering and tears, of loneliness and separation, and unending sorrow with no way out. Surely no one would want to choose to go to Hell but millions apparently do, and millions certainly are going there by their own choice. Including the majority of the people in our town, or our country.
They have rejected Jesus Christ whom God sent
to provide us the means of escape,
to offer us friendship,
to confer on us adoption into the family of God
to share and enjoy for ever all God has prepared... .
So this man was really only half healed, He was not made whole. He was not whole in body. mind and spirit. Something was lacking. He was still doomed to Death and Hell. As we all are unless we are trusting and seeking with his help, to obey Jesus.
So this was the healing that did not really happen.
PRAY for WHOLENESS not just WELLNESS. ARE YOU WHOLE?
Do you acknowledge over your life the sovereignty of GOD in JESUS CHRIST?
THE LORD is King! I own his power
his right to rule each day and hour
I own His claim on heart and will
and his demands i would fulfil
He claims my heart, to keep it clean,
from all the stains of human sin;
he claims my will, that I may prove
how swift obedience answers love.
He claims my hand for active life
in noble deeds and worthy strife;
he claims my feet, that in his ways
I may walk boldly all my days.
He claims my lips, that purest word
in all my speaking may be heard
my motives feelings., thoughts. that these
my inner life. my king may please.
He claims the brightness of my youth
my earnest strivings after truth
my joys, my toils, my craftsman’s skills;
all have their place and serve His will.
To you, O Lord my King, I turn,
Your holy purpose to discern.
My daily task your name to own
for heart and will are yours alone.
Written by Darley Terry(1848-1934)