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May 08, 2022

John - Do You. Want To. Be Healed

Passage: John 5:1-18

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: John: Come and See

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: faith, hope, repentance, healing

“Do you want to be healed?” At first glance this seems like a ridiculous, almost insulting question Jesus asks this man who had been broken and in despair for 38 years. But, in typical Jesus-fashion, there was a great depth to the question, that leaps across 2000 years all the way to us. We, like this man, pursue innumerable tonics and potions to heal what is broken. “If I just did this, had this, stopped this…I would finally be ok.” Jesus invites us into healing that is utterly free, but the cost is for us to admit the unhealable depth of our brokenness, confess our addiction to spiritual pain-killers in the hopes that they would heal, and have the faith and courage, by the Grace of God, to pick up our mats and walk.

“Do you want to be healed?” At first glance this seems like a ridiculous, almost insulting question Jesus asks this man who had been broken and in despair for 38 years. But, in typical Jesus-fashion, there was a great depth to the question, that leaps across 2000 years all the way to us. We, like this man, pursue innumerable tonics and potions to heal what is broken. “If I just did this, had this, stopped this…I would finally be ok.” Jesus invites us into healing that is utterly free, but the cost is for us to admit the unhealable depth of our brokenness, confess our addiction to spiritual pain-killers in the hopes that they would heal, and have the faith and courage, by the Grace of God, to pick up our mats and walk.

 

QUESTIONS:

  1. The word "invalid" is pretty all-encompassing for those who are extremely weak and needy, in desperate  need of healing and unable to do anything about it. Think of ways you have been like that (or felt like that). Not just physically, but emotionally, relationally, spiritually, morally.
  2. This "invalid" had been disabled for 38 years and anxiously waiting on this mysterious (superstitious) healing from the pool of Bethesda. Why would Jesus ask this man if he wanted to be healed?
  3. What are ways we try to get healing (they could be good ways, even helpful ways...or they could be snake-oil ways)?
  4. The religious leaders used the Law (we talked about the "ERUV" that surrounded communities to give them a loophole to walk around to someone else's house on the sabbath) in order to "get healing." (Look at Romans 8:3-4 for the "weakness" (this is the same word used for "invalid" in our passage) of the law).
  5. In order to be healed, this man had to let go of any pride he had and the other ways he's been looking for healing, and just take Jesus at his word. What might we have to let go of in order to get healing from Jesus? Think about giving up our victimhood, pride, keeping-score, feeling better than others, despair....
  6. The hope and power of healing all comes down to Jesus being an "invalid" on our behalf on the cross...read through this passage and talk about it: 2 Corinthians 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness (“invalid”), but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak (“invalid”) in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power (“dynamite”) of God.
  7. Talk about the 3 commands Jesus gave this guy and how they might apply to us in our weakness:
    1. Get up
    2. Take up your mat/bed
    3. Walk