"WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE?"
“WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE?”
We have in the Scriptures, not only incidents that illustrate the gospel, but also the settings of those incidents; and the setting as well as the incident is intended to have a voice. Even the time in which we find an occurrence has a significance. The setting of this remarkable incident is a religious setting. Religion, of course, is in a sense right, but you may find it among the heathen, in fact it is innate in man to be religious, therefore in itself religion is not of any moral value. In the epistle of James it speaks of “pure religion and undefiled” which is, “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”. That is a religion which has a moral value to it, but it is not the prevailing religion, but is indeed rare. The prevalent religion is almost legion in regard of its varieties. One has only to look up an encyclopaedia or dictionary to find out how many there are. But I doubt if you will get the kind that James speaks of — the kind that is pure. So that the religion I speak of as connected with this man in John 5 is the kind that was common. Jerusalem, as a city of the world in those days, had its own religion. The centre of it was the temple, an imposing structure built by a wicked man, Herod. It was not the one which Solomon built. The religious customs went on, even whilst the Lord Jesus was arraigned before the high priests. The Lord Jesus was arrested in Jerusalem and tried by the religious dignitaries of that day. Theirs was not a religion that was “pure and undefiled”, but a religion of the world. This incident is in that setting. A feast of the Jews was going on, a customary religious feast. We are in similar [p. 513] circumstances today with a religion that is accepted in the world. In spite of this, the Lord Jesus is operating in the midst of it. It is not helping Him, but He is operating Himself. We find in this setting, a pool with a name suggesting something that is very good. It was called in Hebrew, Bethesda; that was its name according to the religious setting. It signifies ‘house of mercy’. That is a very good name. But names do not always convey what is literally intended. We have ‘Sisters of Mercy’, so-called, today, who might be expected to convey mercy, or to show mercy. If I were to illustrate a sister of mercy, I should suggest Anna, the prophetess, a woman of great age. She spoke to everybody in Jerusalem about Jesus. She departed not from the temple day or night. There are not many like that. This pool then was called Bethesda! House of mercy! House of pity! There was something in it. But a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years, but he did not come in for the mercy. Some of you may have been reading the Bible for years and hearing sermons, but how about that disease of sin from which you are suffering?
It began in the garden of Eden. It is a disease that is working and it bears its fruit. The world is an evidence of it. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, Romans 3: 23. Not only have we sinned, but sin is working in us. Peter had a boat, and the Lord Jesus asked him to lend Him his boat that He might preach out of it. And then the Lord says, “Launch out into the deep”, and he did, and a great haul of fishes was the result. Peter fell at the Lord’s knees and says, “I am a sinful man, O Lord”, Luke 5: 8. Not only had he sinned, for he cursed and swore, he was a sinful man. Every one of us is just as sinful as Peter. We must have this matter settled. We may put it off for a time, but a settlement has to be made. The Lord Jesus has [p. 514] settled the question of their sins for believers. It is on the principle of faith. If a settlement is not made now in time, it will have to be made in eternity. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. The graveyards are the witness to death, but if we die without Christ we shall appear before the great white throne, and everyone will then have to own that God is righteous. The lake of fire is a terrible reality, but the scripture is true: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. Revelation 20: 15.
Well, this man was in the midst of this religious setting, but he had suffered an infirmity for thirty-eight years. The place did not deserve its name so far as he was concerned. It is for us to enquire whether we have got any relief in regard to this sin question. The Lord Jesus is ready to help you if you are convicted of sin. The angel came down but once a year to trouble the waters of Bethesda, but this is not how matters stand in the true house of mercy: God is “rich in mercy”. Luke records the history by a man who smote upon his breast and said, “God, have compassion on me, the sinner”, and the Lord Jesus says he went down to his house justified. It is in the acknowledgment of it that the relief comes. God is merciful to him. He has not to wait thirty-eight years.
How can we be justified? The Lord Jesus has borne our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2: 24). The Lord says to this man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” There was not a man there for all the thirty-eight years able to help the poor invalid. Only One can give it to you, that is Jesus. It is the gospel period. The power of the Lord is present to heal. Not simply can it heal, but it is present to heal. It is not simply a matter of light. The Lord asked this man the question, “Wilt thou be made whole?” for the man had no one to help him. Then the Lord said, “Take up thy bed, and walk”. He is ready to do it for anyone. The bed is a simple figure of what people rest in. The Lord says, take it up and walk. This is going on all the time. It is only a question of the Lord saying it. We are not half believing enough as to the Lord’s power. He can speak from heaven and a man can be raised up in America, or in China, or in Africa. It is a question of His power. If you believe that He is a divine Person, that He is God, it is simple. The Lord said it and the man believed it. Many a one has come into a gospel meeting and has gone out able to walk spiritually.
Impotent folk! No power to resist evil nor to do anything good. This man was among them. The Lord Jesus is working in the midst of such circumstances. He is here to help you. It is one at a time. John presents this. John’s gospel is to bring in quality. Andrew goes and finds Peter and brings him to Jesus. It is one at a time. Even though a multitude were converted, it is yet one at a time, an individual transaction with Christ. Peter says, “Repent, and be baptised every one of you”. Take Nicodemus, the Lord told him, “It is needful that ye should be born anew”, John 3: 7. In John 4 a poor woman came out by herself. She was converted, and she went and spoke to others and they were converted. Here is one man selected out of all those impotent folk. He gets converted. It may be He has in His mind to pick out someone here for blessing tonight. Though the Creator of all, He deals with one at a time. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Are you ready to get the blessing? Have you any sin question to answer? Would you like to be relieved? Do not wait thirty-eight years! “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. The man took up his bed and walked. He did not miss the blessing. The Lord said, “Take up thy bed, and walk”. Will you in simple faith believe? His word is, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life”, John 5: 24. Do you believe that? This man heard His word and acted on it. It is a question of obedience. He did it, and in doing so, was cured.
The Lord has a right to command obedience. It is in love. “God ... commandeth all men every where to repent”, Acts 17: 30. It is in love. Your wisdom is to do it. Why? “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness”. Will you do what this man did? He obeyed the Lord Jesus; suppose he had lain on his couch and said, ‘I am not sure about it!’ He would not have been healed. Suppose you go out and forget the word! So far as you are concerned there is no gain from this meeting. It is imperative to do what the Lord says. The religious people were not pleased that the man was healed on the sabbath day. It was a matter of religious form. They actually complained that a man ill for thirty-eight years had been healed on a day that stood for current religion. He said, “He that made me whole ... said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk”, a good answer. The word of the Lord Jesus is more important than that of any other. Do not disregard it, for in obeying it the power to rise up comes to you. You remember what the jailor said, “What must I do to be saved?” Have you ever asked that? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”. Nothing could be plainer. If He says something, do it. Salvation lies in obedience. The man says, He told me to walk on this day. It was the word of authority. The Lord Jesus takes all the suffering on Himself. He took the whole sin question upon His own shoulders, and died, that He might say to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’. Power comes [p. 517] by obedience. God gives the Holy Spirit to all those who obey Christ. The man came in for opposition, but the Lord says, ‘Do not sin again’. There is no licence for sin. The Lord says, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee”. As forgiven I get the Spirit. I give up sin and walk in newness of life.
May God help you to do what the man did, and as you obey, strength will come to you.