LIFE OF CHRIST

John 5:1-16

GRACE - PM 10/9/05

Life of Christ #17

One of the greatest words in the world today is the word “grace”.

And although you and I have heard much about grace, “God’s unmerited favor”, we should not tire of hearing about it!

We have been studying chronologically the Life of Christ together.

This week we find the Lord Jesus attending a feast in Jerusalem. We don’t know which feast it was. It doesn’t matter. It is here that Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. The healing of this man was an act of grace. In this act of grace, we learn about the grace of God that the Lord Jesus shows to us.

GRACE NEEDED – Vss. 1-5

Vss. 1-2 – There was a gate near the temple in Jerusalem called the “Sheep Gate”. It is probably where the sheep, which were headed for sacrifice, were brought into the city.

Also near that Gate was a pool, called “Bethesda”. They have found that pool and have concluded that it was actually two pools next to each other, with two porches covering each pool and another porch covering the space between the two pools.

Vs. 3 – This pool was not a pretty place. It was here that all sorts of physically hurting people gathered.

These people were all there for the same reason. They needed help. They wanted to be healed. They needed grace.

Vs. 4 – These people were there because it was believed that an angel came down occasionally and troubled the water and that the first person to get in the water would be healed.

Most of the people gathered there wouldn’t have had a chance to be the first to struggle into that pool.

Vs. 5 – One man had been paralyzed for 38 years. He had tremendous need, and by his own admission in verse 7, he had no hope of ever making it into the pool first.

Every person who ever lived, with the exception of the Lord Jesus Himself, is like these cripples, these invalids.

We are or were all spiritual invalids.

We are or were all spiritually blind, spiritually lame and spiritually paralyzed.

The Bible makes this very clear. Jeremiah 17:9, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-18,

Grace was needed if the poolside people were to be healed.

Grace is needed for us to be cleansed of our sins and forgiven! If you haven’t experienced the grace, the unmerited favor, of God, you are in bad shape. Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23

If you haven’t already, you need to experience God’s grace.

Christian, even though you have experienced God’s grace, you need to experience more of it. There are still things in your life that don’t belong there. You need God’s grace to deliver you from these things!

GRACE OFFERED – Vss. 6-7

Vs. 6 – Jesus comes along and asks a question that may appear to some to be a dumb question. “Do you want to be healed?”

Jesus says to non-Christians today – “Do you want to be healed?”

And, unfortunately, most do not.

· Some enjoy their life style too much to have Jesus change it.

· Some enjoy thinking that they are good enough as they are to get to Heaven.

· Some don’t think anyone can heal them of their sins.

· Some think they are earning their own way into heaven by being good, moral, and kind.

Jesus can say to people, “Do you want to be healed?” because He has already paid the price of forgiveness.

As the sinless son of God He has already secured forgiveness for those who will accept it. Romans 5:6-9, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

This is grace my friend, Jesus Christ through his unmerited favor is offering forgiveness and eternal life.

And Christian, Jesus says to you and I, “Do you want to be healed of the sinful habits that beset you?” And many of us do not.

· Although it’s wrong some of us really like the way we are living.

· Although it’s wrong we don’t want Jesus to heal us.

· Although it’s wrong we lack the faith that God can take away the bitterness, the habits, the attitudes that don’t belong in our lives.

And yet, God in his grace offers us healing, Christian. 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 8:2-4

Christian, you were saved by grace. You can have victory over sinful habits in your life by that same grace. Jesus asks, “Do you want to be healed?”

Vs. 7 – The man admitted that his case was hopeless!

That was good!

The man had come to the end of himself and realized he couldn’t be healed without help. He didn’t deserve to be healed, what Jesus said to him later was an indication that his disease was a result of his sin.

My friend in order to get into Heaven, you need to admit that you can’t do it yourself. You need to admit that you need grace.

GRACE APPLIED – Vss. 8-9

Vss. 8-9 - How did this man receive the grace of healing?

Jesus told him to get up and walk.

The man had no ability in Himself to walk.

Jesus told him to do it, and the man believed the Lord Jesus.

The man, by faith, tried to get up and could!

The man, by faith, tried to pick up his bed and he could!

The man, by faith, tried to walk, and he could!

THAT WAS GRACE!

He believed the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus did the rest!

The grace of God was applied to His life.

Now how do we get our sins forgiven so we can go to Heaven?

Grace must be applied to our lives!

The price for salvation had already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross! - 2 Corinthians 5:21

All we have to do is to apply His grace to our account.

Jesus offers you the gift forgiveness and eternal life. It does you no good, until you accept that gift and apply it to yourself. John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9

Simply trust Christ for forgiveness and eternal life and He will give it to you and give you a new life right now. 1 Corinthians 6:11

And Christian, victory over sinful habits also requires faith.

We must have faith that we’ve been crucified with Christ, and therefore no longer obligated to practice sin. Galatians 2:20,

We must have faith that Christ will give us victory over sin. Romans 6:14

God in his grace will give you eternal life.

God in His grace will give you victory.

But we must apply that grace of our lives by faith.

GRACE CAUTIOUS – Vs. 14

Vs. 14 – Later when Jesus met the healed man, Jesus told him to be cautious. Evidently the man had sin in his life, and he was told to go and sin no more, lest something worse would happen to Him.

If grace has done a work in your life you should be cautious.

We should not want to act the way we used to act before we came to know Christ as Savior.

We should want to please the Lord Jesus because we love Him.

Folks, we should behave better towards the Lord Jesus Christ because He gave His all for us. He showed us grace!

We should serve Him by grace!

Let’s be cautious to serve the Lord Jesus the way He deserves to be served.

GRACE QUESTIONED – Vss. 10-13, 15-16

Vss. 10-13 – In Israel the man-made rules were very strict. And according to the man-made rules, the man was breaking the Sabbath.

The man told them that the one who healed him, told him to take up his bed and walk, although he didn’t know who that man was.

Instead of being joyful over the miracle that had been performed, these people were more concerned that the Sabbath, according to their way of thinking had been broken!

Vss. 15-16 – Eventually Jesus found the man in the Temple. When the man knew who it was that had healed him, he told the authorities.

And note that the authorities sought to kill Him!

It didn’t make any sense at all.

Even today there will be those who don’t understand grace.

They will call you a religious fanatic.

They will criticize you for your faith in Christ.

They won’t like it when you start living the way you ought to live. John 15:19, 1 Corinthians 2:14

GRACE NEEDED – Vss. 1-5

GRACE OFFERED – Vss. 6-7

GRACE APPLIED – Vss. 8-9

GRACE CAUTIOUS – Vs. 14

GRACE QUESTIONED – Vss. 10-13, 15-16

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