# 86 Who Was That Masked Man?

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Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.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."

Some of you folks from my generation will remember the TV show “The Lone Ranger.” He was a masked man who had an Indian sidekick named Tonto. They  always showed up at the right time and place to save people from the bad guys. At the end of the show they would ride off and the people who were helped would say, “Who was that masked man?” And someone would reply, “That was the Lone Ranger!”

I feel like that’s a lot like what took place here. Jesus, is God, donning the mask of human flesh, showing up at just the right time and place with His sidekick the Holy Spirit. (Not exactly a perfect illustration, but I think you get my point.)   He saves this man who had been held prisoner by the bad guys (the devil and his demons) for 38 years, by doing two things only God can do! Heal and forgive.

He healed the man and immediately the man did what Jesus told him to do. He picked up his bed and walked out of there! And now the plot thickens! The self-proclaimed Sabbath police (the Pharisees) pull him over and said, “we’re going to have to give you a ticket for carrying a bed on the Sabbath.”

“But officer, I’m just doing what the guy who healed me told me what to do.”

Pharisees: “What was this man’s name?

Healed man: “I don’t know, He didn’t stick around long enough for me to get it.”

In hindsight, we see that Jesus left the scene because of the size of the crowd at the pool. Imagine the bedlam that would’ve taken place had He stayed!

But, He doesn’t heal that man and leave him be. There was important follow up to be done. He finds the man in the temple, (A good place to go in thankfulness to God for blessing received!)  and makes His identity known to the man. He is Jesus. He is the one who heals and forgives. “and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21)

You and I haven’t been healed, forgiven, and forgotten either. Jesus has more business with all of His children. And we will discover that business as we “work out our salvation.”

Jesus’ final admonition to this man can be summed up in Paul’s admonition to the church at Philippi?  Php 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Let us, in thankfulness and reverence to God, do likewise!