Healing at the Pool of Bethesda

by Aspiring Rev. Isaiah Thomas (COGIC)
(Virginia)

Reading: John 5:1-9

I. The impotent man:

This man in our text today is representative of so many people. At this time, it also represents countless thousands who will view this sermon via the internet. He is categorized in the language of the King James Version of the Holy Bible as having an infirmity. The New International Version states that he was an impotent man.

Now the word impotent means "lacking in power, strength, or vigor; helpless; suffer from a disease." The Contemporary English Version, it simply says,"the man was sick." This man is therefore representative of anyone presently in need of healing. God heals the total panorama of all humanity. Even if you are physically sound, you may be suffering from a broken heart.

God says in Isaiah that He "heals the stroke of their wound." God not only heals that, but He also heals relationships. And many times, there are breaches that need to be healed. Some married couples that sleep in the same bed can't hold a conversation.

II. The Pool of Bethesda:

Secondly, let's look at the place where he was. He was at a place where healing was expected. He was at the pool of Bethesda! The name Bethesda itself meant "house of mercy; house of grace." And when you consider the meaning of that name "Bethesda", you can very well compare it to the church. A place of mercy; a place of grace.

So this is where the man was. He was in a place where healing was to be expected. Sometimes we, like the impotent man, are at the place, but we are disappointed when we do not receive healing, even in the place where it is expected. I'm looking at people, some who have been to so many healing revivals and have been in so many prayer lines, and it looks like their healing still will not come.

I want to tell you it doesn't matter how many services you've been in and did NOT get your healing, DON'T RUN AWAY IN DESPAIR AND DISGUST! Sooner or later, in the midst of everyone shouting and praising God, if you wait around the church, after a while Jesus himself is going to SHOW UP!!! AND WHEN HE SHOWS UP, WHATEVER YOU NEED, IT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF!

III. The obstacles he encountered:

Now, we do not know all of the obstacles and conditions which were working against this man, but two things were obvious: FIRST, the limited opportunities afforded him, and SECONDLY, the lack of support when his opportunity came. This limited opportunity was even more critical in that after the angel troubled the water, only one person, the first person to enter the pool would be healed.

If you're not first, you would get nothing. Can you imagine if it were like that today? Here we have about x amount of people in here, and if the glory of God comes in, and can you imagine nobody can get blessed but one person? And the only way for you to be blessed is to be the first.

Some of us have never been first in anything. Some of us are slow physically. Some are slow of understanding. Slow to believe. Slow to catch on. But it doesn't matter whether you are first or last. ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS GET IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

IV. The duration of the man's suffering:

This man for 38 years, long, hard, difficult years, had been an invalid. Impotent without the strength to support himself. I believe that John recorded this situation to reassure you that it doesn't matter how long you have been in the shape that you're in. There is still hope for you! I speak to those of you are who very sick in your body, no matter how long you've been in it, even when your loved ones have given up on you, God has not given up on you.

This man had been sick for so long until nobody seemed to have been around with any concern for him or knowledge of him. But the thing about it is the longevity of his sickness was the very thing that caught the Lord's attention. And this brings me to my final point:

V. The source of his healing:

This man had been there 38 years, and 38 years he had seen healing within his grasp, but it slipped away. 38 years. It seemed the angel troubled the water, but somehow he could never get there in time. He could never be first. But I want to tell you something today, it does not matter how many people there are that need healing, that need deliverance from God today.

YOU are next in line! Thank you Jesus Christ! Tell somebody else "you're next in line for healing, for deliverance, for a breakthrough, right after me!" Hallelujah! Let somebody know "it does not matter how you look at it, when I face Him God I'm next in line!" HALLELUJAH!!!

Now Jesus saw that the man had been there a long time in that case. 38 years he had seen his deliverance slip beyond his reach! 38 years the promise came but he left disappointed! 38 years it looked his day would never come! And although he was one in the midst of a place where there were five porches, it looked like when Jesus entered, he looked at porch #1! He saw sick folk and said, "That's not who I'm looking for."

He came to porch #2 saw a lot of sad cases, but he said, "That's not what I'm looking for." Porch #3 had a lot of people who needed help but he said, "That's not what I'm looking for." Porch #4, He still didn't find what he was looking for! But when he looked at porch #5, He saw a man and knew he had been there a LONG time! And it was the longevity of his suffering that appeared to Jesus!

I want you to know it doesn't matter how long you have been in trouble! It doesn't matter how long you've been sick! It doesn't matter how long you've been bound by unhappiness! It doesn't matter how long you've seemingly been shut out from all of the blessings of God in your life! When Jesus saw him lay down on that porch, and knew he had been a long time in that state, He asked him a simple question: "Wilt thou be made whole?"

In other words Jesus said, "I know you've been sick, but do you want to get well?" The man evidently was not too into what Jesus said! He was so into the fact that he was being ignored and being left out and did not have any assistance, until even when his Hope Jesus came, he still was speaking out of his disappointment! You've got to understand that when the Lord tells you that He's ready to do something for you, don't let your disappointment speak out over your faith!!!

He said, "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." Jesus might've said to him, "I didn't ask you for all of your excuses! I simply want to know are you ready to get well?!" Are you ready to be delivered?! Jesus just spoke a word to him: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."

If you want to get well, all you gotta do is take a leap of faith and do like Jesus said to his disciples: "Launch out into the deep!" Rise, get up, and walk!!! I just wanna say to you today, somebody needs His deliverance! Well, if you really want to be healed, take a step of faith, and hear the Lord saying to you, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk"!!! Be healed in the name of Jesus!!!!

CONCLUSION: Jesus said if you believe, "These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues!" Believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover! If you can believe it today, God is sending you a word, and that word is the same word that we've been speaking in church for so long: "In the name of Jesus Christ, be healed, be delivered, and be set free!"

Go tell somebody that you know who is in need of healing from God, "IN THE NAME OF JESUS, BE HEALED, BE DELIVERED, AND BE SET FREE!!!" HALLELUJAH!!! Now praise God for your deliverance!!!! Praise him!!! Hallelujah to God!!! Jesus wants to meet you at the pool! HALLELUJAH!