LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Paralytic from Bethesda
In chapter 5 of the Gospel of John, from verse 1 to 15, the Word teaches us about a paralytic who for 38 years had been waiting for someone to help him get into a pool in Bethesda, where an angel stirred up the waters and the one who descended first was healed.
Verse 2 tells us that this pool had five porticoes. Why did the Holy Spirit want this detail to be exposed? Is it something not to be considered? Of course not! Everything that was written is for our teaching.
Bethesda, in Hebrew, means "house of mercy", and we see that this house, which is the Lord Jesus himself, covers five areas of need in our life. The first of them, which is in verses 3 and 4, shows us that, when we were in our misery, we did not perceive it. How many of us thought we were good! But the Lord saw our misery, and he came to us.
The second thing that the Lord came to cover with his mercy in our lives is in verse 5. The Lord, seeing our misery, knew that we couldn't and didn't want to go to him; but he himself came and approached us. The third portico is in verses 6 and 7. The Lord knows that there is no one who can do anything for us, but only him. And he came to heal us and to save us.
The fourth thing that this mercy covers is in verses 8 and 9. The Lord knows our structure, and knows that we are dust; that we can do nothing by ourselves, but that all power belongs to him, and only he has power to deliver us from such a great perdition.
The fifth and last thing that the Lord of mercy came to cover is in verse 14. After the Lord has done it all, he himself needs to reveal himself to us. He is the one who announced, who saved us and makes us hear, the Almighty.
We are like this paralytic from Bethesda. In our need of someone who could deliver us, the Lord took pity and came to us. With his power he delivered us from all our enemies, he healed us, and now he has revealed himself to us. Blessed is our Lord Jesus!