Wilt Thou Be Made Whole

“Wilt Thou Be Made Whole”

Questions OfThe Bible

John 5:1-9, 14

I.THE MAN WHO IS CRIPPLED (1-5) A. Notice his helpless condition. 1. He is a disabled man. 2. He is a desperate man. B. Notice his hopeless condition 1. The expectancy with which he first sought 2 The despondency with which he finally succumbed (7) a. He resolved that present was going to be like the past b. He regarded the problems and not the possibilities.

II. THE MASTER WHO IS COMPASSIONATE A. The tragedy the Lord saw in him B. The truth the Lord sought from him 1. Was this man ready for a change? 2. Would this man respond to a command?

III. THE MIRACLE WHICH IS CONVICNCING Jesus saves us A. So that we will praise God B. So that we will practice godliness

______

Without a doubt, the star of the Olympics in Beijing was the 23 year-old swimming phenomenon, Michael Phelps, the apparent son of Aqua-man. Phelps has a total of 16 Olympic medals, 14 of which are gold, 8 of those being won this summer, setting a new record for a single Olympics.

Along with being naturally gifted, Phelps’ training regimen is astounding, practicing 11 to 12 times a week, swimming about 50 miles a day. When he is training, Phelps seems to spend more time in the pool than he does on his feet.

In John 5, we are introduced to a man who spent a lot of time by the pool, though he was not physically able to get into the pool. We aren’t given his name, and John simply calls him “the impotent man.”

I. THE MAN WHO ISCRIPPLED(1-5)

Here was a sick man who was confined by his condition. He was limited and hindered by his condition.

A. Notice his helplesscondition.

1.He is a disabled man.

According to the Scriptures, this man had bound by his infirmity for 38 years. He had been sick longer than Jesus had been on the earth! His "infirmity" had prevented him from walking about asother men.

2.He is a desperate man.

The very fact that he is here at this pool in his condition is proof enough that this man is desperate for healing. Imagine him dragging his crippled body toward that pool.

He is a man without strength.The same word that is translated “impotent” in John 5:3, is found again later in Romans 5:6. There it says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

B.Notice hishopeless condition

The fact the man had no friends shows us he was helpless; the fact he had been in this condition for 38 years suggest he was hopeless.

After a while he became a disappointed man. He informs s Jesus that every time he is about to get into the water, someone else beats him there. Year after year, he has seen his hopes and dream shattered as another person beats him into the healing waters.

1.The expectancywith which he first sought

2.The despondency with which he finally succumbed(7)

a.He resolved that present was going to be like the past

b.He regarded the problems and not the possibilities.

II. THE MASTER WHO ISCOMPASSIONATE

Jesus is pictured here as the compassionate Savior.

Notice verse 6 -“And saith unto him.” It was not the man who spoke first, but Christ. The Lord always takes the initiative and invites Himself.

A. The tragedy the Lord saw in him

He saw this man without help and without hope.

Now Jesus could have gone to any person in that place, yet for His own reasons, He went to this man.

Jesus knew everything there was to know about this man! He knew that he was crippled; Jesus knew how long he had been in this condition.

Jesus knew the long and painful story that had been this man’s life.

B. The truth the Lord sought from him

“Wilt thou be made whole” - At first glance this seems like a stupid question. What sick person doesn’t want to be well? However, as we meditate on this question, we realize this is actually a very good question.

1. Was this man ready for a change?

Though it would seem obvious that this man would be eager to be healed, in reality, not everyone is ready for a change.

Some, after years of battling their condition will give up, and will grow accustomed to their handicaps and hindrances.

Christ cannot help everybody because not everybody is ready for the change Christ will bring.

You cannot help a person who doesn’t want your help. You cannot help a man until he comes to the end of himself.

Jesus will not force Himself or His help on anyone. If you are not ready to change, He will not help you.

Whatever you may or may not say about the sovereignty of God in human salvation, one thing is sure. The human will plays a apart. God will not violate the human will when it comes to salvation!

A woman was drowning, and a man jumped into the river to rescue her. He grabbed her by the leg, but it was a peg leg. He took hold of her by the hair, but it was a wig. In despair he cried, "Lady, if you want to be saved…., you gotta’ cooperate!!!"

God has already willed for your salvation, now it is up to your will. YOUR DAMNATION IS YOUR ELECTION AND NOT GODS.

2. Would this manrespond to a command?

When Jesus asked the man, “Wilt thou be made whole,” He was not only questioning the man’s readiness to change, but his willingness to respond as well.

What about you? Are you willing to obey Christ’s command in order to be made whole? Will you do what He tells you to in order to be able to overcome what is holding you back?

“Wilt thou be made whole?” His question was a challenge to the man by the pool and to us aswell. How will you respond to the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?

III.THE MIRACLE WHICH IS CONVINCING

There is one more thing I want us to observe from our text.

Jesus tells the man to get up and walk. Jesus just told this man to do something that he hasn't been able to do in 38 years. To me, this is a pretty incredible command! However, all that was required on the part of this man is simple, child like faith and obedience to the call of Jesus.

When the call comes to the sinner lost in his sins, the only necessary response is faith! Men refuse because it sounds too simple. Well, it is simple!

There was nothing this man could do toward his salvation except believe, but that was sufficient!

Notice verse 9. It says, “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.”IMPOTENCE BECAME THE STAGE FOR THE DISPLAY OF OMNIPOTENCE!

He came with his BACK ON A BED, he leaves with the BED ON HIS BACK!

Before we leave this story, I want us to consider why Jesus healed this man. Why does the Lord work in the lives of people? Why does seek to make men whole? If He were to help you today, for what reason would He do it?

I believe this text shines much light on why our Lord works in our lives.

Jesus saves us

A. So that we will praise God

Notice verse 14. “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple…” The man had been spending his days lying by the pool, hoping for a miracle. Now, he has left the side of the pool and has made his way into the Temple. Can you understand why the man would want to go to the Temple?

He went up to the temple to return thanks to God for his recovery The man wanted to give God thanks, and glorify Him for the miracle that had occurred in his life. Christ had healed him, and he wanted to give praise to God.

We are saved to the “to praise of his glory,” and “unto the praise of his glory.”

B. So that we will practice godliness

Once Jesus found this man in the Temple, notice in verse 14 the instructions He gave. Jesus said, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”There is some unrevealed connection here between this man sin and his sickness.The Lord had healing for one and forgiveness for the other.

Jesus healed this man to change not just his physical life, but his spiritual life as well. He worked in Him so that he might begin to live for God.

Too many Christians today want a Christianity that demands nothing from them, and allows them to live in any manner they please. He saves us from our sin and not in our sin. He came to deliver us from sin and not to comfort us in our sin!

I have discovered that people want to be saved from the consequences of their sin, but not from their sins. They want to be saved IN their sins, but not FROM their sins.

The Lord Jesus does not save us just so that we will continue in the path we have been traveling. He saves us to change the practice of our lives.

The old, fiery evangelist from western North Carolina, Vance Havner, once said, “God saved us to make us holy, not happy.”

Salvation is more than eternal fire insurance. Jesus did not die just to save us from hell. Matthew 1:21 says, "...thou shalt shall call His name Jesus: for He will save his people from their sins."

See Titus 2:11-14.

Not going to hell is the by-product of being saved fromyour sins. Jesus does not save us in our sins but from our sins. This truth stands in direct opposition to the manyclaims of false believers. They claim to be "saved" yet there is no difference in their lives in terms of personal holiness. Many false believers have never seriously considered their sin problem.

Conclusion

Jesus met this man at the very point of his need. It happened to be beside a pool. If Jesus could make a man whole beside a pool, is it not completely possible that He could do the same for you right here in His house today?

What is it that you need Him to do for you? If He does it, are you willing to give God praise and live for Him?

1 | Page