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.”

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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.

When the Jews saw the man carrying his bed on a Sabbath day, they challenged him, but he responded that the person that healed him told him to carry his bed. He was further questioned by the Jews about the person who asked him to carry his bed on a Sabbath day, but the man gave no response because he didn’t know that Jesus was the one who healed him. At a point, Jesus found him in the temple and spoke of this healing but warned him not to commit sin again if he doesn’t want a greater illness to befall him. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus that healed him, and this angered the Jews and sought out ways to kill Jesus because of the things He did on Sabbath day not even acknowledging the fact that a major miracle had happened and glorifying God instead. The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda has a lot of lessons to emulate and in this article, some of the lessons will be mentioned.

1. NEVER LOSE HOPE IN GOD: Isaiah 40:31

The man was at the pool for 38years, he must have spent money, lost friends and family who had abandoned him at the poolside. He had even made the pool side his permanent home for 38years waiting for God to make him first to enter the pool. He never gives up on God or loses hope in the divine healing of the pool. That was why he stuck to the side of the pool even when the season of the angel would come to stir the pool in the unknown. The man’s story reflects a strong faith he had in God, he would have decided to go back home and resigned himself to fate, but he stood at the pool for 38years, hoping one day to be healed by it. This teaches us as believers that no matter what we think or might be going through, God is involved, and he will always give us victory at last if we don’t give up on Him or lose hope in the mightiness of His power to save and deliver.

2. GOD IS NEVER LATE: Joshua 21:15

God’s appointed time never fails or is late because God’s timing is different from human’s timing. The man’s story reflected that there is time for everything under the sun and God is a God of perfect timing for all humans. We are expected to wait for the timing of God in all situations and circumstances and not be in a worry to go outside God’s timing for our life. Imagine the man had left the pool to go back home, Jesus wouldn’t have sighted him and knew he had been long on that illness, he would have missed his miracle that day. We should endeavor as Christians to be at the right place at the right time in order not to miss the blessings and miracle God had in store for us that day. We should be steadfast in faith and God’s leading in all we do in order to have a great future in God.

3. GOD’S MIRACLE IS INDEPENDENT OF ANYBODY

When God wants to show mercy to an individual, He will work a way out without the help of friends and family. Family and friends must have abandoned the man at the pool of Bethesda because he complained to Jesus that he had nobody to carry him into the pool when the angel stirred the pool but when God wanted to favor a man and show him mercy with compassion, He will do it for his glory and no man will be able to share in that glory. As Christians, we should always remember God can decide to show compassion to anyone which will be independent of man, we should always pray to God that our lives shouldn’t always be scarce of His mercy and compassion.

4. SIN CAUSED SICKNESS: Psalms 38:3; 107:17

Jesus admonished the man after seeing him at the temple to desist from committing sin in order not to fall into greater sickness which also indicates that as believers, we are new creatures in Christ, and we are not supposed to have old habits. Sin is dangerous to a believer because it gives room for the devil to torment and causes the torment to lead to weakness both physically and spiritually. Sins affect believers to have a right standing with God and sin hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit which we need in order to overcome worldly pleasures.

CONCLUSION

Strong faith in God worked for the man at the pool of Bethesda, so as believers, we should never allow anything to take the strong faith we have in God. Remember that in all things we are more than a conqueror and the God who will serve is willing and ready to see us through it all. Don’t give up on God because of the temptations and trials you are facing but know that God is never too late, He is always right on time. Trust in His timing and process.