Stop Doing The Things That Are Causing Your Setbacks
The suffering of the lame man due to sinning nor my nosebleeds due to ignorance is unique. Many people continue to suffer in various ways due to actions they may not be aware of. Youve probably heard quoted from The Bible My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge .
So note this lesson from the healing of the lame mans story. Whenever you experience setbacks, investigate whether those setbacks are a result of your own actions. If they turn on to be, make the necessary changes so that your life improves. If you dont, as Jesus told the man at the pool of Bethesda, something even worse may happen to you .
Honor The Father And The Son
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.20 Forthe Father loves the Son, andshows Him all things that He Himself does and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them,even so the Son gives life to whom He will.22 For the Father judges no one, buthas committed all judgment to the Son,23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Not Everyone Wants To Get Better
However, not everyone experiencing difficulties want to get better. If I remember correctly, there is a story of a lady in a wheelchair that went up to an altar for healing. When she got there, the minister asked her what she came up for. Please pray for this headache to go away, the woman answered. Sure, the minister answered. He then asked, do you want me to pray for your ability to walk also? No!, she said. If I am able to walk, I will stop receiving disability benefits.
Having a desire to get better is crucial to actually get better. The lame man at the pool of Bethesda wasnt the first person Jesus asked that type of question to. By asking it Jesus shows us that just seeming to want or need better doesnt mean its the reality.
On the other hand, the lame mans response reminds us that our actions are a more accurate reflection of what we desire.
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What Does Bethsaida Mean Spiritually
The name Bethsaida means house of the hunt in Hebrew. Identification of Et-Tel with the site mentioned in the New Testament was proposed as early as 1838 by Robinson, but was not accepted by most contemporary researchers yet excavations conducted since 1987 have confirmed the identification. Biblical Period.
What Is The Name Of The Blind Man That Jesus Healed
Jesus was leaving Jericho, followed by a large crowd, on his way to Jerusalem when he came across a blind beggar called Bartimaeus. The crowd was probably on their way to Jerusalem for Passover . This event took place a week before Jesus death, so it is the last miracle that Mark records in his gospel.
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The Bethesda Pool Site Of One Of Jesus Miracles
Where Jesus heals the paralytic
Among the most famous of Jesus miracles is recounted in the Gospel of John, where Jesus heals the paralytic at the Bethesda Pool . It is not the only one of Jesus miracles of healing to take place at a pool in Jerusalem, however. In addition to the Bethesda Pool, the Gospel of John also says that Jesus healed the blind man at the Siloam Pool. The Siloam Pool was discovered in 2005 and was quickly identified with the pool mentioned in John. The Bethesda Pool, on the other hand, was excavated in the late 19th century, but it has taken more than 100 years for archaeologists to accurately identify and interpret the site. The Siloam Pool has been identified as a mikveh. Is it possible that the Bethesda Pool was also a mikveh, meaning that both of Jesus miracles were performed at Jewish ritual baths? This is what author Urban C. von Wahlde proposes in The Puzzling Pool of Bethesda.
The Bethesda Pool, where Jesus heals the paralytic man in the Gospel of John, is a complex site. It appears to have been a mikveh, or ritual bath. As the spot of one of Jesus miracles, the Bethesda Pool was built over in subsequent periods with chapels and churches that are still visible today.
What Is Significant About Bethsaida In The Bible
Bethsaida near the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Hometown of the Apostles Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, and Philip, the city appears prominently in the Gospel accounts. are shown. According to the Gospels, Bethsaida was the home of the earliest apostles, as well as the place where Jesus reportedly cured a blind man.
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What Was Jesuss Religion
Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues.
Bethesda. / / noun. New Testament a pool in Jerusalem reputed to have healing powers, where a paralysed man was healed by Jesus a chapel of any of certain Nonconformist Christian sects.
What Can We Learn From The Pool Of Bethesda Story
On the last day of the Jewish festival that had first brought Him to Jerusalem, Jesus participated in the feast of Tabernacles. There He would have witnessed the priests filling sacred vessels at the Pool of Bethesda to use in a ceremony that had become defiled with pagan ritual.
Unable to watch Gods people settle for contaminated water any longer, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified .
Jesuss invitation to the masses echoed the healing He had provided to the paralytic man. The man had found his helper at the Pool of Bethesdathe only One who could provide living water, the source of all wholeness and life. And Jesuss invitation is still available to the masses today. If you or someone you love is suffering from prolonged hopelessness, check out this article to find out more about the living water offered to all through Jesus.
Special thanks to Stephanie Pavlantos, for her help with research on the Jewish traditions exercised in Jesuss day. Stephanie is an ordained minister who works for Besorah Institute for Judeo-Christian studies.
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Life And Judgment Are Through The Son
24 Most assuredly, I say to you,he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment,but has passed from death into life.25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, whenthe dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.26 Foras the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to havelife in Himself,27 andhas given Him authority to execute judgment also,because He is the Son of Man.28 Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves willhear His voice29 and come forththose who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge and My judgment is righteous, becauseI do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
What Was The Meaning Of Bethesda In John 5
Do you want to be healed?John 5:6b
How long do we live with trouble before were on our knees, asking God for healing of any sortphysical, emotional, or spiritual? Jesus walked over to a man who couldnt walk and healed him on one of the porches of the Pool of Bethesda. There was a crowd of people at the Pool of Bethesda, but this lame man was the only person healed by Jesus that day, according to the Gospel of John. Maybe this mans healing was an example. Maybe more people were healed that day by their own faith in God. The Gospel of John doesnt tell us what happened next.
Perhaps many of us who need healing sit at the side of the pool, but dont jump in. We remain high and dry to the side of the healing waters of our spiritual journey. We come up with reasons for not seeking healing with our whole hearts. The healed, lame man in this story told his arsenal of excuses to Jesus. The miracle of this story is that even though the lame man thought and behaved in a typical, self-defeating way, Jesus noticed him and healed him.
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The Story Of The Man At The Pool Of Bethesda And Lessons
The Story Of The Man At The Pool Of Bethesda And Lessons
KEY SCRIPTURES: Isaiah 40:31 Psalms 27:14 Habakkuk 2:3
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run, and not be weary and they shall walk, and not faint.
INTRODUCTION
The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda was recorded in John 5:1-15 which told of how there was a feast of the Jews in Jerusalem and Jesus went for it. There was a pool at the sheep market called Bethesda having five porches. This pool is very popular because there is usually a divine healing that normally takes place at some certain seasons after an angel has stirred up the water and this has attracted a lot of sick people to it. There was a lame man who had been there for thirty-eight years and when Jesus saw him, He had compassion on the man. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed but not knowing who asked him the question, he began to narrate to Jesus how he had nobody to carry him into the pool when the angel stirred the pool and before he would get to the pool, another person had stepped in. After explaining to Jesus, Jesus told him to carry his bed and walk and immediately the man was made whole, and this healing of the man was done on a Sabbath day.
Lesson Guide The Pool Of Bethesda
Talk to your child about a time that they were sick. How did they feel when they were sick and after they got well? Explain that this man had been very sick for many, many years. At this pool, an angel would sometimes touch the water and whomever stepped in first would be healed.
Lay out a blanket on the floor. This will be the pool. Now put your child on the other side of the room. You can give them ankle weights or burrito-wrap them in a blanket. You stand right by the pool. Now shout, The water is moving. Step immediately into the water and say, Ive been healed. You may do this game a few times.
Now ask the child how the game made them feel. Were they frustrated because they couldnt move fast, and you could? Talk about how this man had been there times more than they have been alive. Every time the angel came, the other people were much faster than the man.
Jesus commanded the man to pick up his bed and walk. The man did so. What are the commands that Jesus has given us to follow? Are some commands from Jesus easier than others?
Jesus is powerful. He was able to tell the man to walk and he was able to walk. Name some other times that Jesus showed His power . You may need to give the child some hints, but point out how powerful Jesus is.
Talk about how it is more important to obey God than man. Mention times that we must choose God over man. Jesus commanded us to love others, but the religious leaders were more worried about rules than loving other people.
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The Healing At The Pool Of Bethesda: 3 Life
While on his way to a festival, Jesus met a man that was lame for 38 years. The man was at the pool of Bethesda along with other people that were blind, lame, or paralyzed. It is said that when the water of the pool bubbled up, the first sick person to enter the pool would be healed!
Unfortunately for the lame man, he could never quite make it to the pool. With no one to help him, someone would always beat him to it. But the day Jesus met him was different. His healing would come in an unexpected way. A simple command by the king of kings to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk triggered the start of his new life.
The story of the healing at the pool of Bethesda has 3 life lessons that can help change your life for the better. The lessons are:
- Have A Desire To Get Better
- Put Yourself In A Position To Get Better
- Make Sure Youre Not The Cause of Your Setbacks
Lets look at each of these lessons in more detail.
The Lame Man At The Pool Wanted To Get Better
Jesus had this in mind when he met the man at the pool. Instead of assuming he wanted to get better, Jesus asked him, Would you like to get well? . Likewise, if you want to change your life for the better, you must ask yourself the same question. But you must go beyond the surface and ask yourself if it is truly what you want.
Learning from the lame mans response to Jesus question, a persons true desire to get better doesnt necessarily come by simply saying yes, but rather by the actions they take.
The man told Jesus:
I cant, sir, the sick man said, for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.
John 5:7 NLT
The man didnt have to say yes, his attempts to enter the pool showed that he wanted to.
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The Pools Of Bethesda And Siloam
Jerusalem was the stage for many significant episodes in the ministry of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament Bible. Two of His most memorable miracles occurred at pools in the neighbourhoods of Bethesda and Siloam. According to the Gospel of John, at the Pool of Bethesda Jesus healed a lame man, while at Siloam He healed a blind man. And visitors to Jerusalem seeking its genuine religious sites are interested to know if what is purported to be the pools, are in fact the historical locations. So what is the archaeological and historical evidence that these places mentioned in the Gospels were real.
Make Sure Youre Not The Cause Of Your Setbacks
Near the end of the story, Jesus who had slipped away after healing the man got back in touch with him and made an eye-opening statement. He told the man, Now you are well so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you. .
Although it is not always the case for people that are sick, the lame mans suffering turned out to be because of his own actions. Can you imagine that? For 38 years he was in his condition and it was his fault!
Similarly, although it may not be because of sin, your setbacks in life could be because of something youre doing that you might not be aware of.
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What Was The Pool Of Bethesda
John 5:1-5 explains that the pool of Bethesda was by one of Jerusalems gates, known as the sheep gate, and was surrounded on five sides by colonnades . To us, this setup would look a lot like a modern-day public swimming poolan area of water in the center with structures around it to provide shade.
Various archeologists have suggested sites that may be the remains of the pool, which might have been attached to a dam or be two pools built next to each other over time. There is also debate on whether Jewish people used the pool for ritual bathing , or whether it was a healing pool that the Romans built by one of their pagan temples. Either option would make it a healing site that people visited frequently.
