Where Did Jesus Find Him?

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

Joh 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

 

This was amazing, frantic urgent care in Jerusalem and I imagine once the whirlpool was turned on, an observer would note the depravity of man in the race to be the first one in the pool.  Pushing, shoving, punching, gouging,  and whatever else it would take to be the first one in! I picture this as about the same frenzy on display on the Black Friday sales after Thanksgiving!

 

Jesus arrives on this scene in the midst of all the mayhem and spots this man who had an infirmity for 38 years. We aren’t told what his infirmity was, but it hindered him from getting to the pool. Long story short, Jesus heals him with these words, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  And he did! But what I want you to catch here is this, where did he walk to? We’re told that he walked to the temple. It was the Sabbath, and he walked to church! Joh 5:14 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."

He didn’t walk to the golf course, or drive up to the cottage, or attend his child’s soccer match. He went to church. And not just any church! A church loaded with hypocrites. He didn’t let the “holier than thou’s” keep him from worship, and neither should you or I. We have been delivered and healed from a far worse situation that a physical infirmity. We have been delivered from the crippling effects of sin, so let us be like this man at the pool of Bethesda! May our Deliverer (Jesus) find us in church on a regular basis, thanking Him and praising His name!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.