Photo - What you'd see standing in the Pool of Bethesda and looking up.
John 5
(John 4 ~ The Capernaum Synagogue Official walked 16 miles to Cana to ask Jesus to heal his son. Believed Jesus as His Word and returned to Jesus' adult Hometown [where they both lived] in belief his son was healed, and ,of course, the son was healed.)1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, [which has five roofed colonnades].
The ruins still show the columns in the two Bethesda Pools
[which has five roofed colonnades].
4 columns
3 columns
3 columns
3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.
5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
38 years are represented on the candles
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time,
he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
The man had been there so long his hope focused on the process. He replied not that he'd see the goal, but that the process was broken. This man was not seeing with a lot of faith. Jesus loves to work with the faithful, however being God, Jesus perceives what we do not even dream of that our soul possesses.
Recently I heard the story of a woman in her late 60s. She was poor and thought Jesus was for the good people or the religious. It was snowing in Canada and she was going a long way to work through small towns, late at night. Her old car was sounding as if it would not make the trip through the late, snowy night on isolated highways. Finally she reached a filling station and there was a light on. She got out to look at the trouble and a very young man walked up and explained it was her battery attachment. He had a spare part and he fixed this without charge. She asked to pay him and he refused. She told the young man she had felt for the first time in her life, Jesus was going to help her and send help. She had been so afraid, she told the young man the story and asked him if her was her God sent angel. The young man looked very earnestly at her and said, "Given that he had the right part, in the middle of small town, at night, in the snow, maybe he was." And he left. Her life changed for Jesus, who was as so intent on helping her. With all her heart, she began to love Jesus. He had told her heart He would help. And assuredly He did.
God's Timing is His. Alleluia.
Now that day was the Sabbath.
10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”
11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”
12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
Evidently it was lawful to hope for a miracle on the Sabbath and walk to the pool, but they should have posted a sign saying "No Miracles allowed on the Sabbath."
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
The Word of God is Living and Active and these Words of God are the Best Good News we will hear today.
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.
And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Matthew 27
52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Matthew 27
65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how." 66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
When the Holy Spirit of God is active. The Acts of God do not cease. The prophets rose with Jesus. When Sarah and Abraham had a baby, born when they were far beyond the years to have a child, all around them suddenly their flocks expanded at an exponential rate.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
I believe this is God, offering up further proof of His Glory.
30 “I can do nothing on my own.
As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.
33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
The Herodian line had taken over the Davidic line. Solomon had lined 12 steps to his Throne with Lions of Gold (because David had killed lions himself as a young shepherd boy). When the Kingdom of Israel fell during David's grandson's reign - lion attacks became a huge problem in the Nation as it split from Israel to Israel and the Davidic line took over Judea. Now Herod was running the Temple with appearance only. Miracles are profaned on the Sabbath. These Officials, we know are very fierce.
David's Psalm 91 promises this
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
Isaiah 31, 700 years before Jesus, has seen the end of Solomon's Temple. The rise of Jesus.
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
“As a lion growls,
a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor—
so the Lord Almighty will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5
Like birds hovering overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”
6 Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against
Jesus is doomed. The establishment wants to throw him out, down or kill him. Only the Lord can save Jesus. Isaiah has seen this.
This is also the Reason C.S. Lewis has understood Aslan, not a tame lion. Jesus is Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Revelation 5:5
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered"
Jesus, our Hero, will be the Victor for 2,000 many more years. We have many facilities across the world for illness - doctors, hospitals and medical researchers. The truth is death will win. For us all. And in Jesus Christ, in His Victory to overcome death - The Roman Empire began to fear Jesus won in just a few years. Jesus has come. The Son has visited us. With His Grace upon Grace, Jesus has created a New Heaven and, actually, a new earth, where He shields his People. He will deliver us. We turn always to Jesus the Lord.
Father God,
Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
All of creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope, we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers.
Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Thank You, Father God.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Because of Jesus Christ, all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
In Jesus, I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We pray this Joy, Love and Goodness to give peace and comfort to those we Love, to draw the Light in mankind to upbuild one another and this Nation to the Glory of God. We pray for the Believing World to ask Jesus always to pray with them and our prayers are always heard and in Him answered for His Glory. Amen in Jesus.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
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