Thou art made whole: sin no more

The miracle at the Pool of Bethesda is a memorable illustration of man’s problem and God’s provision.

The problem is graphically spelled out in that ‘great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered’, v. 3. Here were people marked by the absence of all that makes for real and healthy life. They were without strength, sick, and impotent, just as the sinner is congenitally unable to please God, Rom. 5. 6; 8. 8. They were without sight, blind to the things of God, 2Cor. 4. 4; John3. 3. They were without freedom of movement, unable to walk worthy of God, Eph. 4. 1. They were without vigour of life, withered, dried up, and separated from the vitality of God, Eph. 4. 18. All this describes man’s natural condition, for sin never gives; it only takes away.

The individual to whom the Lord addressed Himself was perhaps even more miserable, for he had been sick thirty-eight years. Worse, he was tragically alone, with no one to give him a hand: so near the healing pool, yet so far. The very water which offered relief from his infirmity required that he overcome his infirmity to reach it. Like the law of Moses it held out blessings to which no man could attain, Rom. 7. 14; 8. 3.

But the Lord Jesus is God’s provision for sinful, helpless man. He graciously took the initiative, demonstrating intuitive divine knowledge of the man’s condition, and exercising His sovereign power by completely by-passing the pool in which the poor man rested all his hopes. Once again, the Lord’s bare word was enough, ‘Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked’, John 5. 8-9. Like the gospel message, the cure was instantaneous, complete, and free of charge. And there is also practical encouragement for believers: whatever the Lord commands us to do, He enables us to do.

But the Lord had not finished with the man. Even more important than his physical was his spiritual need, ‘Thou art made whole: sin no more’, v. 14. All the physical miracles were but pointers to the Lord’s power to deal with the root problem - sin. And those saved by God’s grace should live for God’s glory.