Chapter 5 – the witness
of a lame man – verse 6, “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew he had
already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get
well?””
This is a key question.
Some people would rather remain as they are – hurting, struggling,
emotionally scarred, lacking purpose and fulfillment, looking for change, tired
of making the same bad choices. Perhaps
you can insert another excuse. Yes –
excuse! Like the lame man Jesus asks
each of us, “Do you want to get well?”
Now the immediate application in this passage was to allow the man to
walk. But later in verse 14 Jesus said
to him, “Behold, you have become well (physically); do not sin anymore, so
that nothing worse may befall you (spiritually).” (Clarification added in parenthesis)
Jesus makes the point that our sin separates us from God and
that separation will be eternal. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know we cannot
live a life without sin. A life without
any sin ever would please God, but since we’re
incapable of this we must respond
to his question, “Do you wish to get well?”
To the Jewish religious leaders who needed to be made well, but refused,
Jesus said:
“I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and
believe in God who sent me have eternal life.
They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have passed from
death into life. … The Father gave me
these works to accomplish, and they prove that He sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified
about me Himself. You have never heard
His voice and seem Him face to face, and you
do not have His message in your hearts, because you do not believe me –
the one He sent to you. You search the
Scripture because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! You refuse to come to me to receive this
life.” (verses 24, 36a-40)
Jesus is inviting you to make a wish.
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