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Healing School #20 | The Pool Of Bethesda | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message.
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Welcome to today's broadcast of Jesus the Healer. We are so glad you've joined us. And I tell you, as you're watching today, release your faith. As you're watching today, don't just be an observant, be a participator. Don't just be an observer that says, oh, that's a good sermon, or, oh, I like that. No, receive what is being taught to you today. We've been studying on the healing miracles of Jesus through his earthly ministry. And so we're calling it Healing School. So that means turn yourself into a student right now. Get your Bible, get some paper, get a pen or pencil, follow along with us. But more than anything, bring your faith. Faith is what you choose to do, and faith is that we choose to believe. We're not just waiting for feelings of faith, but we're choosing to believe. So I want us to start today in John 5. 1. We're going to read through about 19 verses, but I'll just read a verse or two and then I'll give some instruction or some teaching in line with those verses. So John chapter 5 and verse 1 and verse 2 says, after this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. So we see this, that this pool of water was by the sheep gate. A more accurate name is not market, but gate. And so this was a gate that was used to bring the sheep into the temple for sacrifice. And so this is where the people were gathered. There was a pool of water right by that gate where the sheep were brought in. How significant it is that Jesus comes by this gate. This is where the people are gathered. This is where the pool of water is, because he is the great sacrifice. He is that sheep that is gonna be sacrificed, the Lamb of God that will be slain as a sacrifice. So this location is very symbolic for who he is. And so at verse three, it says that there's these. As we said that there are these five porches full of sick people. So verse three says, in these five porches lay a great multitude of impotent folk. They're blind, they're halt. That means they can't walk. That means that you don't know if a body part is missing, a leg is missing, a. A foot is missing. They are not mobile. They cannot Walk. The Bible says that Jesus healed the maimed. This would be a description of the people that were maimed. Number one, they were impotent folk. They were unable to take care of themselves. They were blind. They were. Halt. Withered. The next word here is withered. So we see this, that there are limbs that are withered. Have you ever seen someone that has a withered limb to where there's no muscle tone, there's no width to that limb because it's withered up. This is what is in a great multitude of these. And what are they doing? It says they're waiting for the moving of the water. So we see this in verse three, that only those with critical and impossible physical conditions are listed. They're crippled, they're blind, they're unable to walk, they're withered. No doubt some may be born with deformities, some were maybe injured through life and became maimed just through the course of life. But they're all doing one thing together, that is they're waiting for the moving of the water. So there's no timeframe given as to how often there was a stirring of the water. This is why they lived there. If there would be an appointed time, like every Sabbath the water would move, then they would have come only on the Sabbath. But this gives us, since they were living there in those porches, it lets us know that there is no appointed time and it's only for those who are interested enough to stay and watch for the moving of the water. So it was as though no timeframe is given. If it was very frequent, even those with minor cases would have gathered. But these are not minor cases listed. These are very critical, impossible cases. They were willing to wait a long time. So we go on down and it says in verse four, for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water or stirred the water. So you say, well, what is this? Well, an angel would come at a certain season, stir the water, and whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. So the angel is not a healer, Jesus is the healer. But the angel cooperated with healing power. So what was this angel doing? This angel was taking and depositing healing power, a measure of healing power into the water. Now, how do we know that? Because people got healed once they got in the water. But notice it was only for whoever stepped into the first who stepped into the water first. So there was not an unlimited measure of healing power. So we see this Then measure healing power is measurable. That there was just enough for one to be healed. That was the only measure of power. As we said, angels are not healers, but they cooperate. They cooperate with healing power. Angels will. If I could say this, they cooperate with God in such a way that they will transfer. They will bring body parts. Somebody needs an arm, they'll bring an arm. Heaven has more parts. Amen. If you need a part, heaven has parts. Why? Because heaven made you to begin with. And heaven has extra parts. Why? Because heaven knows that people mess up their parts. And so heaven will have. Heaven has extra parts. And one way that he can cause a someone to be restored is an angel will bring that. I remember the testimony. Dad. Well, we call him Kenneth Hagin, but we call him dad. Hagin was our spiritual father. His wife tells of a testimony that happened in her own physical condition. Mom Hagin was diagnosed with a very critical heart condition. So when she received that diagnosis, she would listen every day when she's getting ready in the morning, when she's going to sleep at night, when she was driving in her car, she would listen to dad Hagin's recording where he recorded just healing scriptures. And he would just read one healing scripture after another. And she would listen to those all throughout the day, keeping her faith fed on the subject of healing. After about a year, she testified that her and dad Hagin were sitting together one night in their main room at home, and they were watching something on television. And she saw an angel walk in to the room where she was at. He's carrying something. And so she saw that angel reach in and put in what he was carrying was a new heart. He took out the old heart, put it on the table by her and left it. Why? Heaven doesn't need the old one. Just leave it on the earth. You say physically. Did she see that? No, in the spirit realm, she saw that. That week she went back to the doctor, and the doctor said, this is the first bona fide miracle I've ever seen. This is not the same. Amen. He said, this isn't just a heart that got better. This is a completely different heart. Well, that's what she saw. No, angels aren't healers, but they cooperate with. Jesus is the healer. Jesus paid the price for our healing, but they are servants. They're ministering spirits, as Hebrews said. They're ministering spirits sent forth to minister for us who are heirs of salvation. And this is one way that that angel ministered for Mom Hagin is he brought that new heart for her. Well, here you see scriptures that an angel was involved in the healing process here. And I so love this, the way this reads that whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. It didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter if they were missing a body part. It didn't matter if an organ was. It did not matter if they needed new eyes because there were blind people there. It did not matter to God. See, just we think because things are impossible for men that it's hard for God. It didn't matter to God whatsoever that power did, whatsoever it met, whatsoever need. Amen. Whatsoever disease was there, that power was enough. Amen. So it didn't matter how severe, it didn't matter whether they'd ever walked, it didn't matter if the limb was withered, it didn't matter. Once that power, once they got in and came in contact with that healing power, their bodies were not the same and it didn't matter what the condition was. Amen. But once that that first person got in, the measure of power was spent. There was not another. The second person couldn't get in and get the same thing. Now, was God trying to get the people to just put their hope and expectation in the water? No. Why would God deposit enough healing power just for one? Doesn't that almost seem like a cruel joke to the people who are left that could not get into the water in time? Is it almost just like a taunting to them of hope you make it? That's not it at all. God was trying to stir faith in all those people in the porch. He was giving them an example of what he would do. The first one was just to be an example of what God would do for anyone who would believe. That's why there was just enough for one. Even if they didn't have faith on their own, if they had enough faith in the water to get in the water. Amen. So God was not trying to get the eyes of those people, that great multitude of sick folk that were gathered. He was not trying to get their eyes on the water. He was trying to get them to see, oh, if God did that for that one, God can do it for me. Amen. And this is where people miss it. They think, oh, God healed a person that way, so they want it healed that way. Listen, God, God just wants you to get your eyes on him and not on the method that's used. Amen. So in verse 5, John chapter 5 and verse 5 let's pick up reading. And it says, a certain man was there which had an infirmity. 30 and 8 years. 38 years. It gives us the idea that he could have been born that way or something happened early on in his life that left him for 38 years in this condition. And in verse six, when Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been a long time in that case. How did Jesus know he had been a long time in that case? By a word of knowledge, a gift of the spirit. The Spirit of God is letting him know a word of knowledge. Is God giving you insight of or supernaturally you know something that is present, that is currently happening? That's a word of knowledge. So he knows presently this man has been in that condition for 38 years. He didn't interview him. He just knew this by the Spirit of God. And then Jesus asks this man a question. Wilt thou be made whole or do you want to be whole? This is what he asks him. And you say, well, if Jesus knew he had been for 38 years in that condition, why would he ask him, do you want to be whole? Because sometimes people can be at the right location, but not believing anything, not expecting anything. Amen. He's wanting to find out, what do you believe? And he says, will you be made whole? Do you want to be made whole? Verse 7, the impotent man answered and said, sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another steps down before me. Notice his answer. He did not even answer the question. Jesus said, do you want to be whole? And the man starts talking about the water. He start. He does not even answer the question, what's he showing? He is so absorbed with the water. God did not send that angel to stir the water so people could be absorbed with the water. He was trying to get them to direct toward God. He was giving them something visible that they knew. No man did that. There's a God that did that, that God is behind this action. So he did something quite spectacular in the natural arena to get their eyes on him. But this man just started talking about the pool. He says, I try to get in, but somebody steps down in front of me. So this was a yes or no question. But Jesus didn't get a yes or no answer, did he? And so Jesus was trying to locate the man's faith. So the man's focus, as I said, was on someone else helping him to get into the water because no one would help him. So by using this Very unique setting and situation. As I said, he was trying to get people to say, if God can do it for the one that stepped in, God can do it for me. Amen. Now, this gate was located, as we said, just by the temple, right? It's the sheep gate that's located at the temple. But there's no revelation and faith for healing happening in the temple. They've been out there, they've been out there for a long time under these porches. If there was healings happening in the temple, why have a porches set up with all the people gathered? This is showing the people should be getting their help. They should be getting their help. People ought to be able to come to our churches and receive healing. Healing. Amen. We need to, we need to become skillful with the healing power of God so that people don't come to the church and basically are left outside of their, of their answer. These, these people were camped outside the temple. They should be getting their answer in the temple or in the church. So we need to always make sure that we're learning about these, this flow of healing because we need to be developing our skill in cooperating with God. Amen. Because there's going to come people to us and they're going to need help, and we need to be ready with help for them. Amen. So in verse 8, Jesus said unto the man, rise, take up thy bed and walk. So Jesus gave the man something to obey, didn't he? The man didn't show that he had faith, so to speak, in God. He had faith in the water he had bypassed, that there was a God behind this. So Jesus gave him something to obey, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, took up his bed and walked. And on the same day was the sabbath. So verse 10 said the Jews therefore said unto him, that was cured. It's the Sabbath. It's not lawful for you to carry your bed. This man has been unable for 38 years to walk. Bless God, I'm carrying my bed, right? You would delight, after not being able to walk for 38 years, you would delight at being able to pick up your, your mat, your blankets, whatever you were laying on and carrying, it would be a thrill and a pleasure to you. But yet the legalism, the legalism of what could, could or could not happen on the Sabbath day under their terms was that you got no business carrying your bed. When really if they would have had their minds thinking right, they would have rejoiced that you're carrying your Bed today, right? Hallelujah. So verse 11. Well, what we see is they're saying healing shouldn't be happening on the Sabbath. But Jesus did this on purpose on the Sabbath to show that healing is a holy act of God that is worthy of the Sabbath. Verse 11 it says, and he answered them, he that made me whole. Cause he asked him, it's not lawful for you to carry your bed. And he answered, he that made me whole. The same said unto me, take up thy bed and walk. In other words, I'm doing what he told me to do. That's who receives the ones who do what Jesus told them to do. And so he said to me, take up my bed and walk. Then asked they him, what man is it? That that which said unto thee, take up thy bed and walk. And he said that he and he that was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away. Notice this. Evidently he's never heard of Jesus. Look at the mercy of God. Look at how much God wants to heal people. Those who haven't even heard of him. Jesus was able to bring this man into a faith enough as you'll just obey. Just pick up your bed and walk. And he did. And so in verse four, he didn't know who he was. And it says, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Then verse 14 says this. Behold, thou art. Excuse me. Afterward Jesus found the man in the temple. Ah, right. Is it no wonder that this man was singled out by the spirit of God? That there's something in him, that when he gets raised up, he goes immediately to the right place. Some would have taken their healing and gone home. Gone to the local dance joint, gone to the local drinking joint, you know, gone to some place of the world. This man went right into the church. So in verse 14, afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said unto him, behold, thou art made whole. Now listen to this. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. So we see this, that Jesus is not just concerned in the man being healed. He's interested in him holding fast or living a healed life. And he tells him how to keep his healing, how to not lose his healing. And people will say, well, if God heals, aren't you always healed? Well, the Bible says this. In Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 27, Paul gives us a warning. He says, neither give place to the devil. So notice this, we can receive something from God. And if we give place to the devil, the devil will steal what we've received from God. You Say, well, once you've received it, you'll always receive it if God does it. Well, let me say this, let me bring this to you. What about when the disciples were in the boat? There was a storm, and they saw Jesus come walking on the water. And Peter said, jesus, if that's you, bid me come. And Jesus said, come. So Peter gets out of the boat, and the wonderful thing of it, he walks on the water. Because he did what Jesus said, come. He walks on the water. But when he's out walking on the water, all of a sudden, storm. It's been there a long. But Peter notices it. He takes his attention off of the walking, that Jesus. He takes his attention off what Jesus said to do. Jesus just said, walk. He didn't say, look at the storm, he said, walk. So he started walking, but then he shifted his attention from walking to looking at the storm. And it says, and when he did, he began to sink. So notice this. He received a miracle and he lost a miracle. And that's what I wanted to point out. You can receive something from God, but if you don't continue in faith, you can lose it. This is what Jesus was telling the man. He wanted him to not only receive a miracle, he didn't want him to lose it. Then he tells him how to keep from losing what he's received. He said, behold, thou art made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. So notice this when you have been delivered from the enemy. And then you go back into a lifestyle of sin. And now, see, people miss it. They sin. But you can confess your sins. God will forgive you, cleanse you. But he's talking about here, sin no more. Don't go back to a lifestyle of sin. Don't set aside the pleasing God. Don't set aside obeying God and go back to a lifestyle of sin. Because notice what he said. He said, not only will what you have come back on you, it'll be worse. It'll be worse. This is something that Jesus told about the devil. He said, when the devil is cast out of a man, he said that spirit goes to dry places seeking rest, and he can't find any. So he says. He says, I'll go back to my house. Well, he's lying about it's not his house. He says, I'll go back to my house. And he finds it empty, swept and garnished. You go, well, what's wrong with that? You can't be empty. You got to be full of the word. You got. You need to be full of the power of God. Don't be empty. And it says that the evil spirit comes back and he sees that man empty, swept and garnished, and he gets back in and he brings seven more wicked than himself with him. Amen. So it matters when we've been set free, when we've been healed. It matters how we live. Not because we're earning something. We're protecting what we've received. We're safeguarding by our obedience what we have received from God. So Jesus doesn't want the man to lose what he's received. He's telling him, don't go back to a lifestyle of sin. Because if you think that you can receive something from God and then be careless with it and go back to an old way of living, then not only will you lose it, but you'll end up in worse condition than you were before. Hallelujah. So verse 15, it says, the man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. Notice, not everyone is thrilled with this man's healing. Not everyone is congratulating this man. Healing. Just know this. When you go to believe God, the devil's not going to congratulate you and make it easy. He's going to oppose you. You just keep obeying God. You keep releasing your faith. Don't worry about the opposition. Amen. And in verse 17 it says, but Jesus answered them. Who? These Jews that were persecuting him over the healing. Jesus answered them, said, my Father worketh hitherto and I work. So Jesus called healing the Father's work. Jesus did not work independent of His Father. Amen. He was dependent upon His Father in carrying out the Father's business. In verse 18 and 19, it says, Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Jesus because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do. For what things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. So he's basically saying, that wasn't just me out there acting on my own, ministering to that man. I saw the Father do it. And when I saw the Father, I knew what I was to do. Amen. Hallelujah. So Jesus was only carrying out what he saw in His Father's presence. Healing is the Father's flow. And healing is the flow of love. It belongs to you. I said it belongs to you. Healing belongs to us. And it pleases the Father and it pleases Jesus when we live our lives healed and whole. Amen. Hallelujah.
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