Jeff Durbin
– John 5:1-8 –

Today, we are continuing our study of the Gospel According to John. In this section of Scripture we see a moment of the divine power of the Lord Jesus. False religion preys on superstitious people and creates the mindset that is committed to strange and superstitious practices. It feeds it. In this moment, we have a man who was trapped by this superstition. He had been broken for 38-years. He was an invalid who was hoping that through the practice and superstition at Bethesda that he would be healed. He waited and he waited to no avail.
Jesus enters his life and through His incredible divine power, he heals him. Without superstition. Without the strange ritual. He heals him with a word. Jesus offended the superstitious religious leaders by doing something like this on the sabbath. What they missed in their condemnation was that the man in front of them, was not merely a man. He is the God-man. He makes it clear to them and they fully understand His claim. He was making Himself equal with God the Father. This is one of many moments that set the religious leaders against Him. He was not claiming to simply be a prophet. He was claiming to be God.