Grace and peace, I pray God is with us as we read and add to His words. That we may be humbled and He may show us the restraining grace to seek Him and His words for salvation.
Jhn 5:14 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.
Jhn 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
Jhn 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
- What worse thing could happen from this man’s sin?
- What was the motivation for this man telling the Jews the name of how healed him?
- Why did they want to slay Jesus for healing on the Sabbath?
This man crippled for 38 years was made whole and as soon as he learned the name of his healer he desired to tell everyone who his savior was. Seeing this miracle for themselves, unable to refute this cure, they trembled on the witness of a Devine presence. They immediately sought out this holy one who can do such wonderfully things. They, recognizing a king, worshiped His name. They sang praises and said thanks to the Lord for they knew, because of the things He said and did, that He must be the sent messiah. They knew that they must find Him so they to would be healed and made whole and saved unto eternal life. Unfortunately how terrible and real the truth is instead. How this demonstrates the depravity of man. How it truly shows man’s enmity towards God. How in contrast it seems ridiculous to say or hear that everyone is seeking Christ for salvation when their desire is to persecute the God of the Bible. In chapter 1 we saw the ignorance (1:19). In chapter 2 we saw a lack of faith in demanding a sign (2:18). Chapter 3 they focus on nothing else and argue about purifying (3:25). Chapter 4 we saw the calling being indifferent towards others (4:9). Then now in chapter 5 during a religious feast of the Jews the hatered of their being is revealed. With that we have a complete demonstration of the carnal mind exposed. A carnal mind hiding in law and religion with enmity to God. The carnal mind, which by nature and without any of God’s restraining grace is in each of us. How this reveals our depravity, our contempt for a savior, and need for an intercession, our need for GRACE.
