# 85 Keep Me In the Moment
Joh 5:8 Jesus said to
him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." 9 And immediately the man was
made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The
Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not
lawful for you to carry your bed." 11 He answered them, "He who made
me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" 12 Then they asked him,
"Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But
the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a
multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and
said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse
thing come upon you." 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was
Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and
sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But
Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have
been working." 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him,
because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father,
making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what
He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
There’s a lot going on
here over the healing of a “certain man” (verse 5) Jesus had been sent to the
pool of Bethesda on a mission. (verse 19)
He was not to heal
anyone else that day, just this “certain man” who had been lame for a long
time. Someone who would have to pick up his bed and walk, thereby deliberately
breaking a man-made law concerning the Sabbath.
This act would expose
the true condition of the hearts of the Pharisees, and at the same time give
Jesus the opportunity to state His claim of equality with the Father. (verse
17)
This was a key event in
the ministry of Jesus on earth, because it gave the Pharisees the ammo they
thought they needed to put Him to death. In the eyes of the Pharisees, He was
committing sacrilege with this “healing work” and actually commanding someone
to do the work of carrying their bed! Further he was committing blasphemy by
claiming to be equal with God!
All these things came
from this divine appointment at the pool of Bethesda! But before it unfolds, He
asks the lame man for permission. “Do you want to be healed?” Jesus takes the man’s response as a yes and
heals him! Mission accomplished! Jesus then melts into the crowd and simple
lets the events unfold. He knew where the hearts of the Pharisees would take
this incident!
What a day! You better
believe Jesus was prayed up before this
day began! God the Father had given Him very specific instructions, and He
obeyed them to a tee, and God’s will began to play out.
How about you? Have you
prayed up for your day today? Have you spent time conversing with God in His
Word? Are you prepared to respond to whatever He may be calling you to do
today? You may not heal a lame man, but in your obedience and trust in God, He
will use you for His eternal purposes! Check out this Jeremy Camp song and let
it be your prayer every day!
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