If you recall last week’s blog, we saw that Jesus entered Jerusalem to attend one of the festivals of the Jews, and upon seeing a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus began a conversation with him (John 5:1-18). The lame man was lying there alone, and had no friends to help him into the pool when the water became agitated. There was no need for the pool that he thought would heal him, so Jesus told him plainly: 

“Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk” (John 5:8). 

Remember, it was the order of Jesus’ command that is important for all of us. “Stand up” (you can do this); “pick up your mat” (you will not be needing it any longer); and “walk” (because you have been healed). Pick up your mat first (Jesus said) because you will not be needing it to fall back on when you begin to walk. For the lame man, this was a lesson in faith. He obeyed, and was healed. And it is for us too. Faith is leaving the past behind, and stepping out in confident assurance toward the calling that God has for us.

But what I didn’t mention last week is that Jesus performed this “sign” on the Sabbath, and on the Sabbath, no one is supposed to do any “work” or extend any effort of any kind. And there were so many rules about working  on the Sabbath that it would make most of our heads spin! Well, as you might have guessed, carrying a mat was absolutely forbidden, and I love the way John recorded it,

“Now it was the Sabbath on that day” (John 5:9b).

Forget the fact that the man was completely healed, it was carrying the mat on the Sabbath that drew the ire of the religious police (the scribes and Pharisees). Have you ever thought that Jesus did this intentionally because He wanted to teach the religious leaders some biblical truths that they needed to hear. The “police” reminded the man that it was the Sabbath and that he should not be carrying his mat. He blamed Jesus for His healing, saying that “He told me to carry my mat.” And then, of course, they wanted to know who it was that told him to  carry his mat, even though it was the Sabbath. He didn’t catch His name at the time he was healed, but later, he found out it was Jesus who had healed him.

Then it was time for confrontation, as the scribes and Pharisees began to question why He was healing on the Sabbath. Jesus responded by saying,

“My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17).

Notice that Jesus said, “My Father.” At this point, the Jews were trying even harder to kill Him because, 

“…He was not only breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

The religious police were so bent on condemning Jesus for healing on the Sabbath that they missed not only the healing of the lame man, but also the fact that God is always at work, whether it was on the Sabbath or any other day of the week. Furthermore, they also missed the real reason for the “sign,” and that was the fact that this Jesus, the One who healed on the Sabbath, was their Messiah, the One who came to redeem them. And, as John would say at the end of his gospel, this Jesus was not only the Messiah, but also the Son of the living God (John 20: 30-31).

And for each of us, let’s not allow our “religious obligations” get in the way of our relationship with Jesus. It’s easy to do – obligations over relationships, both with God and with other people. The religious police totally missed the opportunity of a lifetime, and that was to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and fall down and worship Him. Let’s not miss our own opportunity to know and to worship the King of kings, and to build meaningful relationships with others.

Jesus has more to say in this 5^th chapter of John, but that will have to wait until next week. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.