376 - The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda#
376 - The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival.
The topic of sharing is: The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda.
John 5:1-9:
1 After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 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.) 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 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.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You for preparing such a wonderful time to receive the truth together. Through the truth, may our hearts be filled with faith and strength. You are the God of healing, the God of provision. As we begin a new week, let us first receive mercy and love from You, and live with this strength. May we all gain something from this time, and we entrust the following time to the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The Greek meaning of Bethesda is "House of Mercy" or "House of Kindness." What a beautiful name, but is there really mercy and kindness in this house? Even if there is, how many people can receive it? There are many sick people here, lying inside are the blind, the lame, and many withered sick people, all wanting the miracles that come from God, which is healing. What is the method of healing here?
Verse 4 says: 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.
We do not know if this method of healing really exists, because some biblical manuscripts do not contain these words. However, this pool must have experienced miracles at some point. Perhaps a seriously ill person accidentally went in and was healed, which may have attracted many sick people to gather here. Later on, perhaps a few people were indeed healed. Even if it is true, how often does the angel stir the pool? Once a year? Once a month? Or once a day? The Bible does not specify, so it seems that to receive healing by this pool entirely depends on luck.
Some patients who seek medical help in vain, impoverished and unable to afford treatment, come here. In fact, they only find a kind of hope here, but when they can receive healing, no one has the answer. This is a true reflection of the people of Israel at that time. They longed for light, for healing, for release, yet they saw none. They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah to save them. A world without Jesus is like a black-and-white photo without color, monotonous and dull. But when Jesus comes among us, it is different; our lives, though still facing some hardships, have a lively hope! There is complete salvation and abundant life! If Christians understand the preciousness of Jesus, even when facing difficulties, they can overcome all through the grace given by God! Hallelujah!
The first point of sharing: The Healer has come.
John 5:5-6:
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The purpose of Jesus asking this question is to stir up his strong desire within, to rekindle his faith in healing, because faith is very important to a person! We often say that there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. If a person's heart is dead, how can there still be faith? Imagine a person who has been sick for a long time; perhaps he has wanted to go down many times but has missed the opportunity each time. After many years, how much faith can he still have? His desire for health may not be very strong anymore. This is what we often say: a long-term sick person will lose faith in health; a student who has repeatedly failed the college entrance examination will lose the courage to retake; a businessman who has repeatedly failed in business will truly lose the spirit to strive again.
Consider a person who has been sick for thirty-eight years; he has never had faith that he could be healed immediately because long-term hardships and disappointing realities can completely rob a person of hope! Perhaps he is just waiting to die there. Many people in the world have lost faith, and some have chosen the path of suicide. Let us look at this man's situation.
John 5:7: The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
He has many problems in his heart, but the Bible refers to him as the sick man, which is very peculiar. Many people came to seek Jesus, and although they were sick, Jesus did not call them sick; He simply referred to them as those who were sick seeking Jesus. But here, a specific term is used: sick man. Why not say this person answered? In fact, this person is not only physically sick but also needs healing in his heart! He has lost faith. There is a spiritual meaning here; these thirty-eight years represent the thirty-eight years of the Israelites' wandering. The Israelites should not have wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years, which also represents the thirty-eight years of disbelief, a sickly faith life.
In Deuteronomy 2:14, it says: "And the time it took for us to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord swore to them."
If it were not for their disbelief and testing of God, these years should not have existed. However, the Israelites did not believe in God; when faced with problems, they complained and tested God, resulting in their wandering in the wilderness for thirty-eight years, ultimately perishing there! What we see is that there is actually another hope: the end of these thirty-eight years represents a new beginning. That generation died in the wilderness, and Joshua arose to lead the Israelites into Canaan! As the second generation of Israelites, they must let go of previous mindsets and believe Joshua's words to see prosperity come, and it will not be far off!
Returning to the text, why did the Lord Jesus ask such a strange question? In fact, it is not strange; many people find it strange because they think a sick person would surely want to be healed. Why does Jesus need to ask? Let us think again; the grace given by God should be something everyone eagerly anticipates and needs, yet many still reject Jesus' grace. This is also a fact. Jesus is willing to heal, but not everyone believes in Jesus' healing. Therefore, we must confirm one thing: God's grace is willing to be given to everyone, but not everyone is willing to accept it.
If everyone were willing, God would have given it directly. The problem is not like that. Our God never forces anyone to make a choice, so Jesus asked him: "Do you want to be made well?" God gives him an opportunity, wanting to bestow His grace freely upon this person. Although it is a great grace, He still respects this person's choice. When this person is willing to accept, he will receive.
For example, when some people are sick, we ask, "Would you like us to pray for you?" Some say no, do not pray for me! There are indeed such people. Some say: "Okay, then pray for me!" If he is willing, it represents a willingness to receive the grace from God, which is healing. Then we can pray for him effectively! Otherwise, if he rejects it, what can Jesus do?
Do you remember when Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth? The people there did not receive Jesus or believe in Him, so He could not do any miracles there. What prevented healing from flowing in that place? In fact, it was the rejection and disbelief of those people! Today, when Jesus stands before this man and asks: "Do you want to be made well?" it is giving him an opportunity. No matter how I heal you, I ask you, do you want to be healed? As long as your desire is strong enough, that becomes your faith. Hallelujah! God does not force anyone, nor does He make choices for anyone.
Matthew 20:29-34:
29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
This passage is somewhat different from the scripture we are discussing today. After Jesus left Jericho, a great multitude followed Him, and these two men sitting by the road were particularly eager to receive healing. They also believed that Jesus had this ability; they had heard about Jesus, so when He passed by, they loudly proclaimed the promise given to them by God: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” This is the promise God gave to the people of Israel! Only if you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, can you believe that He can and is willing to heal you! At that time, the crowd rebuked them, perhaps thinking they were not qualified to shout like that, or maybe they were too noisy and did not allow them to speak. But they did not care about all that; they cried out even more: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
At this moment, Jesus stood still. It was not because these two men shouted loudly, but because they proclaimed God's promise, Jesus stood still. I also want to tell you, believe in God's promises, seize God's promises, and declare the promises you hold. Even if Jesus is walking, He will stop for it! Amen! After Jesus stood still, He called them and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
In verse 33, they said, these two men also had physical ailments, but the Bible does not say that these two sick men said, they said: “Lord, that our eyes may be opened!” Now a very interesting thing happens. These two men already had faith; they had heard about Jesus and believed that Jesus could heal them. There was no need to repeat the earlier part; Jesus did not need to ask them if they wanted to be healed because their purpose was very clear. Jesus simply asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
Brothers and sisters, if you also have that faith in Jesus, at this moment, Jesus asks you this question: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Think about it, and we can answer. What can Jesus do for us? Or if you are uncertain about what Jesus can do for you, you need to reflect on what Jesus has already done for you. He died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead three days later, and restored our relationship with the Father! He took all our sins upon Himself and placed His righteousness upon us. From then on, God no longer calls us sinners but calls us righteous. Our hometown is above; we no longer live for ourselves but for the Christ who died and rose again.
We believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth! He has the power to heal because God has given us promises in this regard: by His stripes we are healed, and by His punishment we have peace. Once we understand these, we can believe that Jesus can do all things for you! As long as it is within the scope of His promises, if you ask Him, He can give it to you!
And these two men believed that Jesus could certainly heal their eyes, so they said to Jesus, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened!” Because what they asked for was within the scope of the promise, Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. Immediately they received sight and followed Jesus, Hallelujah! When we hold onto God's words and live by them, God will immediately fulfill His promises in your life. When you see these, you will be filled with faith and willing to follow Jesus.
Let us look at another passage: Ezekiel 34:11-15:
11 “For thus says the Lord God: Indeed, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God.
Ezekiel is also part of the prophetic books. All prophetic books have a characteristic: the people of Israel have strayed from God, and God sends prophets to tell them they are on the wrong path, but the people of Israel are unwilling to turn back and continue to act recklessly! Eventually, when disaster came, they were captured or faced various problems. In the midst of these problems, God sent prophets to give them hope, promising that He would surely save them! The book of Ezekiel is also a hope for the people of Israel!
The Lord God says: “Indeed, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” At this time, the people of Israel had already been scattered and displaced, and God promised them that one day He would surely bring them back! This is something God Himself will do. Logically, these results were caused by the Israelites themselves, and they should return on their own, or when they had suffered enough, God would reach out to let them return. No, our Lord is a loving Lord; He is willing to go out and seek the scattered sheep. God says, “I will search for My sheep!”
Think about today’s text; did our Jesus come to seek the sheep? When Jesus came, He saw the people of Israel as sheep without a shepherd, scattered and lost. Now Jesus has personally come to the side of the Pool of Bethesda. He sees many sick people lying here, all kinds of people in need of healing, and Jesus sees these people as sheep without anyone to care for them. Jesus has come to seek these sheep. Hallelujah!
The Bible promises us in the four Gospels that those who seek will find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened. This means that if someone is guided and seeks the Lord, the Lord will surely let them find Him. If they knock, God will open the door for them to come in! However, there are still some people who lack this faith and do not know who they should seek. God has not forgotten them.
Some people ask, how can those on a remote island, cut off from the world and without the gospel, be saved? This passage gives you the answer: “I will search for My sheep and seek them out.” God Himself will take action, so do not worry. Perhaps a missionary is on a boat, and the boat has an accident, drifting to this small island, and the gospel will go there. Do not worry about these things; God will not abandon any sheep!
Just as God will not abandon the people of Israel at that time, although they sinned and were scattered all over the world, God still personally went to seek them. “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep.” A shepherd who cares for his sheep understands that if one sheep goes missing, he will leave the others or settle them down to find that one sheep, and he will not rest until he finds it. The shepherd is more anxious than the sheep! At this moment, Jesus particularly hopes that those people by the Pool of Bethesda can receive healing.
Jesus is also very anxious, so He came to seek this group of sheep. The true healer has arrived. No longer is there uncertain faith; now those people by the Pool of Bethesda do not know when the water will be stirred, nor do they know if they will be the first to go in. Because once the water is stirred, everyone jumps in, but who will be the first? No one can say for sure, so the healing in that place is very uncertain.
When we are sick, we can go to the hospital, but it does not necessarily mean all diseases can be healed, just like those people by the Pool of Bethesda. But Jesus is different. When we seek Jesus, we no longer need to wait for a miracle to appear one day; as long as we hold tightly to Jesus' words and believe in His words, we will see immediately, Amen. Because Jesus comes to seek us, to bring us back, to save us; this is His mission.
Just as He came to seek the people of Israel, God says, “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.” Now Jesus is still doing this. Even if some are scattered, our God will find them one by one, and what will He ultimately do? He will let them be fed by the streams of water and in all the inhabited places of the land. This is God's intention. Believing in Jesus should not be a burden that becomes heavier; it will not be.
In the past, there were burdens, but following Jesus, He will lead you to the waters of rest, guide you to places where you can dwell, and shepherd you, providing for you! God also has promises for us; this promise is also for us: “I will feed them in good pasture.” Brothers and sisters, this is what God has prepared for us. Do not look at the current environment around you. When Jesus comes to seek you, hold tightly to His words and do not worry about what will happen to those around you.
Imagine that those people by the Pool of Bethesda are all sick. If you look at those around you for too long, your faith will diminish. Unless you look up to Jesus' words and begin to hold onto God's words and live by them, no matter how the environment around you changes, I still encourage you to read the Bible every day, even a little, to let this truth enter your heart and guide your daily life.
Our God guides us with His words, just as the Lord God says in Ezekiel 34:15: “I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down.”
God personally comes to guide you so that you can lie down in peace, Hallelujah! This is the promise the Lord gives us. How does God guide us? Do not ask the Lord to shine a white light to guide your path; do not say, “Lord, let me dream of You in a vision!” God has already given you the Word; just believe in this Word and live by it. This is more practical. You do not need to search every day; you may not find it. If you focus on visions and vague words, praying for the Lord to say a word to you, what if you pray all day and God does not speak? Wouldn't that be a pity? But if you open the Bible, you will surely receive God's words, Hallelujah!
The second point of sharing: Believe and you will see miracles.
In verse 7 of this text, the sick man answered, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
It can be seen that the information in this place is relatively closed. Jesus' reputation was already quite large, and many people outside actively sought Jesus. However, the people in this circle were still focused on the pool, and their mindset had not been renewed. Therefore, they did not know who Jesus was. He said: “Sir.” This shows that in his eyes, he sees Jesus as a man. But it is very strange that people usually come to the Pool of Bethesda because they are sick, yet today a seemingly healthy person comes in and asks him a question: “Do you want to be made well?”
His answer is that when the water is stirred, no one puts him into the pool; while he is coming, another steps down before him. This situation may not have happened just once or twice; it has become a heavy burden in his heart. Therefore, regardless of whether he knows this young man or not, when Jesus asks him, he pours out all his worries to Jesus. In fact, Jesus did not ask him to describe why he was still lying there without healing; Jesus simply asked him, “Do you want to be made well?” It is a very simple question, right? He only needs to answer, “I want to be made well” or “I do not want to be made well,” just two options. Jesus did not ask him why he had not been healed yet. However, this man's answer precisely reflects the problems many people face!
When we tell others that if they believe, they will surely see God's promises fulfilled in their lives and witness miracles, they often respond, “I have prayed for so long, declared for so long!” Have you noticed how similar this is to what this man said? Jesus did not ask him how long he had declared; He simply said, “Do you want to be made well?” If you believe, seize this promise, you will not have these complaints. Those who complain have already made these complaints their primary method.
What does this man think is the method to be healed? He believes he must go into the pool. If he is not the first to enter the pool when the water is stirred, he cannot be healed. I call this a legalistic mindset! Many people say, “I have declared too; maybe if I declare a thousand times, I will be healed. I have fasted and prayed before the Lord; maybe after fasting, I will be healed.” You treat all these as methods. If there is a slight mistake in the process, you will become discouraged, just like this man. The water may have stirred before, but he did not go in first and missed the opportunity!
Many people say they have not been healed, perhaps because they did not fast, so they start fasting. If they eat a small piece of something in the middle, they say, “This is it; all my previous efforts are in vain!” They treat all these as methods. Too many people understand the reasons for not being healed and the terrible reality, but Jesus does not look at these; He does not ask you these things. He only asks you: “Do you want to be made well?” To put it simply: “Lord, I want to be made well; can You help me?” That is all! What a pleasant conversation!
However, this man keeps talking about his problems, complaining about the issues with those around him because he feels that someone else stepped down before him. He has been lying there for so long, and his focus is only on that pool. The true healing Lord is standing right in front of him, yet he does not recognize Him! How many people, after hearing someone else's testimony, say, “You give me that person's method; I must find that person and talk to him to see how he was healed.” Brothers and sisters, it is really not about the method; what you should seek is the Jesus who can heal, not how that person was healed. Amen! Even if you imitate his method, it does not guarantee you will achieve the same result.
In the past, there was a real story about a brother who particularly wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He prayed for many years without receiving it. One day, he curled up in a corner of their church and prayed, and as a result, he received it. After returning home, he could not speak. The next day, he found another opportunity to curl up in that corner again and could speak. After returning home, he could not speak again! He then concluded that the Holy Spirit was in that corner! He even testified to many people, saying, “If you have not received the filling of the Holy Spirit or cannot speak in tongues, just go to that corner of the church, curl up there, and you will receive it!”
Brothers and sisters, do you think this is feasible? If it were so, would we all have to go to the Upper Room to receive it, just like the disciples did? It is really not about the place; it is about the mindset that needs to be changed. Hallelujah! If the mindset does not change, one will keep searching for methods. In fact, there are many methods; as long as you believe in Jesus, countless methods will emerge!
Let me read you a testimony from a sister this morning: She said that since last year, her stomach has been uncomfortable, and she has been taking medicine without daring to stop. Later, it got worse, and she started to have severe bloating. After buying medicine for bloating, along with taking medicine and praying, the bloating stopped, but the pain became unbearable, to the point where she would sweat from the pain. So she bought pain relief medicine, and then the pain stopped, but she started to vomit sour water. She said that the night before last, after taking pain relief medicine, she woke up from the pain of vomiting sour water. So she prayed to the Lord, saying: “Lord, You said to lay hands on the sick, and they will be healed. I now lay hands on myself in the name of Lord Jesus; the rest is Your work. If I am not healed, Your words are false, but I know You do not lie. My stomach is healthy; I am not taking medicine; my stomach is not a container for medicine.” After praying, she quietly slept until dawn.
In the morning, she kept meditating on this word. We can imagine that she might have been dreaming about this word all night! She kept thinking about this word: “Lay hands on the sick, and they will be healed!” When she woke up, she said: “I am really healed!” Is this not a wonderful testimony? The conclusion she reached was even better; she said she was pleasantly surprised to find that from unbearable pain to complete health only took a change of mindset and prayer. She said she found the secret of God; the method is that simple and quick. In her view, prayer is not about obeying God to heal us, but about persuading ourselves to believe in God's words because God has accomplished everything for us; we just need to adjust our mindset to God's channel to see miracles!
I hope this testimony can help everyone. She had used many methods, human methods, and God's methods, until one day she meditated on God's promise: “Lay hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Applying this word to herself, she prayed for herself by laying hands, and with just a simple prayer, the change in mindset resulted in her healing! It happened so quickly, so do not try to imitate her method; even if you do, it will not work. The key is to believe in your heart! Cultivating the habit of listening to the Word, reading the Bible, and meditating will allow you to find the promises when problems arise, and the results will naturally appear. Hallelujah!
There are indeed too many methods in the world! Have you noticed this sister's problem? At first, her stomach was uncomfortable, then after taking medicine, it started to bloat. After bloating, she started to have pain, and then she bought pain relief medicine. Later, she vomited sour water. When will this end? Problems keep arising; what should she do? Instead of worrying about what the problem is, she should turn to God in prayer!
If you still want to take medicine, that is fine; pray for that medicine, bless it, and let God bless the prayer so that the medicine can work! The key is that you must believe that God heals you through these means. Hallelujah! The key is our inner belief in God! If you believe, you will see miracles.
Matthew 21:20-22:
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Is this not a promise God gives us? The disciples were amazed; Jesus said a word, and the fig tree withered. What great power! But what did Jesus say? If you have faith, what is this faith? It is actually adjusting our way of thinking to align with God's words. If God's words differ from what we think, we need to adjust ourselves, set aside our thoughts, and solely look to God's words, believing in His promises without doubt. This faith will be yours!
You will not only do what was done to the fig tree but also be able to command the mountains in your life in the name of the Lord! God will surely accomplish it for you. Some may say, “But I have prayed like this; why has it not been accomplished?” At this point, if you can ask this question, it indicates that there is already doubt, and we need to adjust our doubts to align with God's words. Once there is doubt, believing in God's words means continuously listening to the Word, reading the Bible, and meditating to remove the parts of us that doubt, fully believing in God's words; that is enough.
Perhaps what others say is correct; a certain expert tells you that this disease will be like this and that. Yes, I acknowledge that is a fact, but we also need to acknowledge another truth: Jesus has the power to heal my body! You pray, and whatever you ask, as long as you believe, you will receive. Hallelujah! This is the faith and result that Jesus wants to give to the person by the Pool of Bethesda today.
John 6:30-33:
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
The bread of life that Jesus speaks of refers to Himself. Our Heavenly Father has given us His Son. What is the purpose? To let us receive His life. Hallelujah! If you want to receive this life, just believe in Jesus' words! How simple and good it is! Just as Jesus said to the man by the Pool of Bethesda, although he had been lying there for thirty-eight years, Jesus said, “Take up your bed and walk!”
No matter how many people are still lying there around you, no matter how many years you have been lying there, and no matter how many people have jumped into the pool before you, none of this matters. Ignore all the words and voices around you; you must solely capture the words Jesus said: “Rise, take up your bed and walk!” Amen! The situation you describe is not important; how those around you describe it or what will happen to you is not important. What matters is that the Healer is standing right in front of you, and you must take His words to heart!
Rise! Jesus said to rise! You cannot say, “I cannot get up; if I could get up, I would not need to lie here.” Do not find excuses; Jesus said to rise, so believe it. Because Jesus said it, I will rise! Take up your bed and walk! This is the command given to him by God, it is authority, not something for him to consider or doubt. Jesus said so; you just believe it, and you will see the results. Hallelujah!
Many people like to take a roundabout way, asking, “What sign will You perform, that we may see it and believe You?” What we fear most is explaining to others what we have done. If this person said to Jesus, “If You let me rise, I can get up! If You say I can get up, I can get up! Just look at how long I have been lying here; how can I get up?”
If Jesus said, “Do you not know? Have you not inquired how many miracles I have performed and how many sick people I have healed?” This person lying there might say, “You let those people come to me; I want to see them and hear how they were healed.” When will this conversation end? Even if someone who has been healed is really called over to tell him, he might say, “I do not believe you were ever sick because you look too healthy! Are you two in cahoots? Are you trying to trick me?” What will you do then? Therefore, we should not try to prove this; it is truly impossible to prove.
Some people have said, “Are those testimonies you shared true? Why have I never seen them? So I do not believe!” It is not that you believe because you see; it is because Jesus' words say so. If you can believe, you will see! Amen. When Jesus preached to those Israelites, some of them doubted and said, “What sign will You perform that we may see and believe You?” It is truly not about performing signs to believe; if you really believe, just a word from Him will make you believe. Hallelujah!
Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” Jesus later made it very clear: “I am that true bread; if anyone eats of Me, he will have life.” They did not accept it; they kept wanting Jesus to perform signs for them to see and believe. Did Jesus not perform miracles? Therefore, do not focus on these methods. The miracles that happen by the Pool of Bethesda are actually very simple; Jesus said so, and this person believed so, and then the results appeared.
Sharing the truth with people is actually very simple for Jesus because He knows this is the truth. He gives you two choices: either believe or not believe. Those who believe will receive; those who do not believe will not receive, even if they follow Jesus. Therefore, brothers and sisters, remember that the appearance of miracles is because they believed in Jesus. Hallelujah!
Finally, let us look at a passage: Mark 16:17-20:
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Signs will follow those who believe; it does not say those who have experiences, those who are famous, or those who have believed for a long time. Just like Jesus faced the man by the Pool of Bethesda, this man had been sick for thirty-eight years. He was particularly eager to be healed, but as time passed, his faith weakened. He saw that the people around him had not received healing because those lying in that place would not bring him good testimonies. However, after Jesus appeared, he believed in Jesus' words, and as a result, miracles happened.
Therefore, I want to tell everyone: do not look at how those around you believe; let the words of the Bible be your standard. Do not look at whether miracles happen around you; even if they do not, if you receive God's words as food, you will become the first to see many testimonies emerge from others. But more importantly, you must believe in this God who gives power, our Jesus. If you believe in this Jesus, you will also see wonderful miracles happen. After believing and experiencing this God, you will know how good He is!
God gives every believer this authority: to cast out demons in My name; to speak with new tongues; this is the use of authority! If they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them. If someone wants to harm you or maliciously deceive you, you have God's words and the truth; you will not fall for these tricks. Some may ask: “Why are there so many Christians who are deceived?” You need to ask if they truly have the truth. This is a fact! Brothers and sisters, meditate on God's words every day; you will not be deceived! Because God will give you discernment. Amen!
Laying hands on the sick, and they will recover; this is the use of truth. Regularly listening to the Word, reading the Bible, and meditating is the process of accumulation. When these problems really arise and someone needs your help, what seems like a very easy and simple prayer is because those truths have already existed in your heart. You are just skillfully using them. It is very difficult to sharpen your skills at the last minute in God's words. Why? Because you do not usually read God's words and do not have time to meditate on them. When problems arise, shouting out will not convince everyone. Many people shout and still have doubts afterward!
Because the devil does not want people to receive these good results. After people finish speaking, if there is no strong truth to give them faith, they will start to think, “Is this possible?” Soon, more negative information will arise, saying, “It is impossible; how can it be so easy?” This will cause them to focus on methods again. But God does not want us to be like this. If we are filled with truth in our hearts, when problems come, we will still have hope! Amen.
Thank You and praise You, Lord. Jesus gave this word to the disciples at that time, and today He gives it to us! Jesus has returned, sitting at the right hand of God, representing that He has already won and accomplished everything we need! You only need to hold onto these promises and live by them! After the disciples received this power, what did they do? They went out and preached the gospel everywhere. Therefore, miracles are not received while waiting at home; they happen when you go out to work for the Lord. The Lord worked with them, confirming the word with accompanying signs. Hallelujah! So, regularly use this authority, whether on yourself or on your family and friends. Cultivating the habit of using truth regularly will lead to many miracles happening. The miracle by the Pool of Bethesda is just the beginning. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You for giving us such words. Jesus came to seek the lost sheep, to seek the lost people. He will not abandon us; the Father has not abandoned us. He sends servants to seek Your sheep. Even if some people have lost faith, You will send people to comfort them, using these preachers and the truth to restore their strength! Father, thank You for loving us so much, allowing us to hear such words and such truths!
The change in the person by the Pool of Bethesda happened because he believed in Jesus' words, simply believing in Jesus' words, and received healing. As we begin a new week, I also wish to solely look to Your words. I will not pay attention to the negative words spoken by those around me, nor will I focus on how unfavorable the environment is. I believe You have already overcome this world; You stand above the environment, above the storms, and You can give me strength and ability to overcome all problems! In this new week, I expect good things to happen to me, and You will be with me. I will surely experience Your great power in my life. Thank You and praise You; all glory belongs to You. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!