John 5: 1-18

(John 5: 1-18) 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.  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.  He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?  And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.  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.  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

 

The Bible says in Romans (2: 28-29).『 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. 』

To God, Israel means all peoples. The Jews who live in some parts of the world are superficial Israel, but the one who is reborn in the spirit body is true Israel. This is the inner Israel, the Apostle Paul explained.

Jewish holidays include Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot. The holiday is related to Exodus. But on the feast, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. The Sabbath of the Jews means: Human beings who had left God, to realize that they had left God, to find Christ through the law. By keeping the Sabbath they are looking to Christ. The land of Canaan symbolizes Christ. But the exodus did not enter Canaan except Joshua, Caleb, and the children born in the wilderness.

God let them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. And though God showed them many miracles, they tempted God. The Bible says in Hebrews (3: 7-11).

『Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)』 The Bible says in Amos (5: 25-27).

『Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts. 』Israel failed to obey God's word in the wilderness and served idols.

The Jewish people keep the feast for the following reasons: At the time of Israel's exodus, they did not believe in God's promises and were destroyed in the wilderness. So, in order not to repeat these mistakes, they keep the holiday. The Bible says in Hebrews (3: 16-19).

『For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.』

The purpose of Jesus' going to Jerusalem during the feast was to show the condition of Israel. Jesus went to a pond named Bethesda by the gate of Jerusalem. [waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.]

This is how serious the superstition was. This is what Israel is like. Jesus says: Israel is a Jew who has been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The 38-year-old sick refers to the period spoken in Deuteronomy (2:14).

『And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.』

The 38-year-old sick represents Israel at the entrance of Canaan, who has forsaken God's promises. All soldiers wandered in the wilderness for 38 years and died. Since Israel took about two years from the exodus to Kadesh Barnea, it is said that they were forty years from the time of exodus and entering Canaan.

Jesus tells Israel that you are 38 years old sick. Just as Israel made the golden calf in front of Mount Sinai, they now believe in idols and superstitions. Jesus said, "Do you want to be healed?" The word "heal" means "Haya" in Hebrew, "living." So, it means, "Do you want to live?" That tells them that you are dead. Without saying to the sick, the sick said: “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” Israel does not know the Messiah who came to save them, but shows his dependence on superstition. Their superstition is to believe in the Messiah they think.

Jesus said, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. "Your bed (sitting for 38 years) represents Israel.

The Bible says in Amos (3:12).『Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. 』 The prophet Amos speaks of Israel: Israel will be scattered into the nations, but Israel will be restored in the future by Christ. Thus, your bed is Israel expressed by the prophet Amos. Amos tells them that Jesus Christ will save Israel in trouble In the future,. (Israel's Restoration at the Second Coming of Jesus) In the meantime, it means that Israel is destroyed and scattered. The 38-year-old was healed on the Sabbath.

Sabbath is not a concept of rest, but of entering into Christ. Jesus will give the Sabbath to the 38-year-old sick. Sabbath is to give to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Those who are not united with Jesus do not enter the Sabbath. The Bible says in Mark (1:15).『 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 』 What is the time? It is time for the Sabbath. The death of Jesus on the cross fulfills the requirements of the law, giving the Sabbath to those who repent and come into Christ. The 38-year-old sick represents Israel, but refers to all who are outside of Christ.

The Jews said to the sick:『 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 』(John 5:10) The 38-year-old was replied.『 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.』(John 5:13)

The sick have been healed, but Jews and Gentiles still do not know the meaning of the Sabbath. Jesus met the sick two days later. And Jesus told him to "do not sin again." A 38-year-old sick met Jesus in the temple. Jesus represents the temple. All who enter in Christ become partakers of the Sabbath.