My chapter for today is John 5. We are still very early in observing Jesus' 3 years of ministry and already - after the 3rd miracle John records [1- Water into wine; 2 - Healing the son of an official from Capernaum (without even going to see him!) and now #3 - ), with this miracle being healing a man by the pool of Bethesda, the Jews wanted to kill him. In reality it wasn't just because he healed a man, but because Jesus called God his Father, making himself equal with God.
But, seriously, wouldn't common sense have informed them to take another look! This man had been an invalid for 38 years! Wouldn't that have informed the Jews that if he were healed on that particular day, that the one who healed him had just performed a miracle - and wouldn't that have been cause for piquing their interest instead of their ire?
I love that Jesus asked the man, "Do you want to be healed? In essence he asks all of humanity that: do you want to be healed? And the greatest healing of all is salvation and thereby a changed life that alters our eternal destination. And it only comes through Jesus! Verse 24 reiterates that: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." We didn't earn it. We don't deserve it. It is only God's grace poured out on us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ - and most people in his lifetime refused to accept him!
John 5 lays out a treatise for belief - but most will reject him, even today.
The most important question any of us will ever respond to is: What will you do with Jesus? He doesn't promise us life on earth will be easy, but he does promise an eternal life with him that will be phenomenal!
And while we are here, he promises to walk with us through everything. No matter what! I can't imagine life without him!
No comments:
Post a Comment