Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²  Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.

 ³  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;

 ⁴  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]

 ⁵  A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

 ⁶  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”

 ⁷  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

 ⁸  Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”

 ⁹  Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.  Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

 ¹⁰  So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

 ¹¹  But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.'”

 ¹²  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”

 ¹³  But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.

 ¹⁴  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well;  do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

 ¹⁵  The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

 ¹⁶  For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

 ¹⁷  But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”  John 5:1-17.

Doesn’t it seem like Jesus did a lot of healing on the Sabbath?  Why didn’t Jesus do less healing on the Sabbath?

Why didn’t Jesus just tell the sick man:  “Get up and walk.”?  Why did Jesus command him to pick up his pallet?

This all seems to be a set-up for our theme for this devotion:  “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”  

This can be an encouragement to us who tend to think of God as just an observer having his arms folded and watching what we will do.  In a prior devotion, I emphasized Jesus’ promise:  “I will build My church.”  And, there is much more work that the Holy Trinity does.

^“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24. 

We have a God Who intercedes!  We have a God Who works!  Praise God!!!

Isaiah 59:16
“And He saw that there was no man,And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;  Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.”

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness;  for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  Romans 8:26-27. 

Romans 8:34
“who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

What is our response?