Good morning again. Yesterday was another good day. Short trip to Ithaca to knock off 7 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail: 4 miles in Danby State Forest and then another 3 in Sweedler Brook. Early lunch break (11AM) was at Chestnut lean to. A really great place to stop!
It is unknown what festival is being referenced here (v 1). Purim, Pentecost, and Passover are the likely choices; there was already a Passover festival (turning over the tables) so that would be a year past- so not likely Passover. The pool John mentions has been excavated and is a real structure. There was a legend (?) that an angel would visit the pool occasionally, stir up the water, and the first person in after that happened would be healed. Why did Jesus seek out the lame man with all the others present (v 5)? Jesus instructs the man to pick up his mat (we have heard those words before) and get into the pool. After some discussion, the man eventually does that and is healed. Faith again- we talked about that yesterday in our two people (Samaritan woman and the man with a sick son).
The big issue- it was the Sabbath! Oh no! The man had no right carrying his mat or Jesus to cure on this day! Jesus had left the crowd, so the man responded that he didn't know who it was. Was he afraid of what the religious authority may do to Jesus? Was he afraid of what they may do to him? The religious authority begin to get angry and find reason to want to kill Jesus- healing on the Sabbath and calling God his father! They don't seem to upset at the healing- just that it happened on the wrong day?!
Jesus then begins a long discussion on the relationship between God and Jesus. Because of this, we gain quite a bit of information. Jesus is fully submissive to God and the work God does through Jesus. Jesus is a perfect reflection of God. You think the works that Jesus does were great- you have no idea what God can do! People should honor Jesus as they honor God. All of these statements are very messianic- pointing to Jesus as Messiah. Jesus explained that those that listen to him and hear what Jesus has to say will have everlasting life (reference back to 3:16). It is Jesus that will be judge- not God.
Jesus continues with his discussion telling all who are there about his deity and eternal life and resurrection. The people- especially the religious authority- must really be shocked or wondering who this guy is! I would like to be there to hear the discussions and rumors of the crowd!
Jesus goes on to explain that he cannot witness to himself, but John the Baptist had been around talking about the coming Messiah. He is the witness that they need to listen to! John's work had been accepted for a while, and they trusted John- so for Jesus to say this was a big step in the belief of the people. In addition to John's witness is all the works (miracles) that Jesus has done- these speak volumes to who he is.
Even with all these testimonies and witnesses, they still do not trust or come to Jesus as Messiah (v 40). Jesus must be really frustrated with their lack of acceptance. Pride has much to do with it- the religious authority was too proud of their positions to accept anyone else! There is reference to Moses and their rejection of Moses. The writings of Moses prophesy Jesus, and the current religious authority had rejected those writings- so in essence rejecting Jesus. If they didn't believe Moses, their patriarch- there is no way they would believe Jesus!
Some very messianic writing today! Wow! Much different than the synoptic gospels we have read before!
Have a good weekend and really focus on these writings!
Shalom+
Pastor Paul
Pastor Paul
I have been struggling this week with eye treatments and dry eye problems from my Ra. Was able to do the readings with a magnifying glass and some concentration. Hard to use computer Will try to get back better next week hopefully vision will clear up some by then.
ReplyDeleteWill say am enjoying reading John quite differentfrom ther gospels. Seeems john is showing us that Jesus is the messiah.. I remember God saying to Moses I AM. Jesus also says I AM yhe way the truth and the light.
Hope there aren't too many typos as i reallcan't see much that I am typing Have a great weekend all It sure has been a beautiful week.
Clara,
DeleteI will pray for you that your vision improves and the dryness goes away. I have had issues with dry eyes, too. Now, I am seeing double. I am getting my eyelids raised to help with (I hope) this condition.
Jack and Clara, you are both in my prayers! Clara, if you need, I can go to the library and get the Bible on a CD so you can hear it if your eyesight still bothers you.
DeleteYikes! Both of you get well and keep me/us updated. Vision is important!
DeleteThat looks like a nice place to hike. Did you see any bears?
ReplyDeleteThis is another chapter with miracles we have not seen in the synaptic gospels. There was a man by the Bethesda pool in Jerusalem who has been an invalid for 38 years, which must be nearly a lifetime in those days. Jesus cures him, but he gets in trouble since it is the Sabbath, and this is considered to be work. When the Jewish leaders started to persecute him, he comments that … “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” This comment they took as blasphemy.
Jesus tries to convince them that He is the Messiah but fails, even when writings of Moses enter into the picture. It seems that they (the Jewish leaders) have rejected the writings of Moses, so Jesus seems to be out of ideas of how to convince them that He is the Messiah. They seem to have it in for Jesus. I am sure Jesus knew that he was going to be crucified and so this persecution was only the beginning of his problems.
I've read this story about the man laying by the pool who had been an invalid for 38 years. Actually, it says that a great number of disabled people lay by that pool. The man kept trying to get into the pool but someone always got ahead of him. Luckily for this one man, Jesus decides to heal him. I wonder if there were others laying there too watching this go on but were not chosen.
ReplyDeleteThis made me think of the news stories that we see every once in a while where someone is incarcerated for many years and then someone proves that the person didn't do the crime after all. What would that be like? How angry would I be if I had to endure prison for something that I hadn't done? Would I be able to maintain hope? What if I was released as an older person who had lost all those years of living?
In a lesser way, we all have to live with things that keep us from living our best life. Sometimes it's ones own fault, sometimes it's maybe a disease or condition that was no one's fault.
We can all hope that things will be better, no matter what our affliction or situation. We can pray for the guidance and wisdom to change things that we can change. I think about this a lot.
The legend says the first person in the pool after the angel visits will be healed. I wonder if Jesus did other healings that day at the pool or if the others were left behind?
DeleteThe man's faith (in the angel) was great as he stayed there day after day.
Good analogy about the things in our life that keep us living our best life!
Good comments!
What a beautiful hiking spot. I hope you enjoyed your overnight with Joseph!
ReplyDeleteClara prayers that you can get your eye struggles corrected.
I read chapters 4 and 5. Four is very familiar and I do marvel at the women at the well faith.
In Chapter 5 to be the chosen one must have been like winning the lottery. It's hard to imagine being sick for 38 years. If you are a witness to this miracle do you believe it or think he was planted there? I hate to sound like a skeptic but I have always wondered how I would react if Jesus were to appear to me. I can understand both the frustration of Jesus and the skepticism of some.
Cathy when I see these stories of those wrongly accused it is just hard to imagine how you would react. Imagine if we were accused of something we didn't do. Someone my husband worked with was arrested a few years ago for dealing drugs from his car. It's kind of a long story but the bottom line was where he took his car to be serviced an employee used his care a few times for the deals. Needless to say it was very frightening for him.
I hope everyone has had a good weekend. We were able to get together with some cousins that We haven't seen since pre covid it was wonderful.
We had fun and he did well considering Mom wasn't here!
DeleteI think we would all be somewhat skeptical if Jesus came to us! What does that say about faith?
Thanks for sharing Cindy
Another great chapter in the book of John. I have seen the pool of Bethesda - it (and all the structures surrounding it) is very impressive. My translation does not say that Jesus told the man to go into the pool but to get up and walk, which he did.???? You mention that the story about the angel was a "legend" - but in my translation John says "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool..." - no indication that it was anything except the exact truth! And I am thinking that if God gave his son "made flesh" and the devil can walk amongst us waiting to devour us when we go astray, then there are certainly angels amongst us doing wonderful things. I love the conversation Jesus had with the Jews. It raises some great points - for instance, if God works on sabbath, of course His Son would! But most interesting to me is that Jesus states that he does not witness of Himself but that John the Baptist did. More is said about John the Baptist in the Book of John then anywhere else, it seems!
ReplyDeleteI am writing this Sunday night so I am thinking that your daughter and Joseph already left. Hope you thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and are not too lonely!
Not saying that there aren't angels- and those angles could visit the pool at certain times.
ReplyDeleteThe working on the Sabbath rule has gotten Jesus into trouble so many times! It would be good if we could practice that once again...taking a day a week to just relax and do "nothing"!
John the Baptist is the central "character" in the gospel for the first several chapters! His role was to announce the coming Messiah and John's Gospel is about the messianic Jesus (when compared to the synoptics) so that is probably why John the Baptist comes up more here than in the first three.
Lauren and Joseph left about 2PM. I did get to spend some time with them today (about half an hour) but it was a busy work day for me between LM and then Good Shepherd Endwell. We had the whole day Saturday though!
Thanks Donna