A Picture of Grace
The Gospel of John is all about Jesus. It displays great truths about Jesus in very simple stories. In our passage today, we'll see how John teaches us about grace through one of these stories. From the beginning, John had displayed grace as a fundamental characteristic of Christ. He writes that "grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Though grace often points to salvation, I also want us to think of grace as the manner in which God interacts with fallen creation. It is not only the elect that experience God's grace. There are five truths concerning grace that I would like for us to see.
Grace comes to the helpless - First thing we notice is that Jesus visited the pool at Bethseda when He entered Jerusalem. John describes to us that it was filled with "sick, blind, lame, and withered" people who were hoping to be healed by some sort of superstitious belief about the "stirring of the waters" (John 5:3-4). Those that were there by the pool were people who could not help themselves. They were probably either poor and unable to get treatment, sick with an incurable disease, or suffering from an untreatable injury. It was one of these men that Jesus decided to display His grace. Did not Jesus say that the healthy have no need of a doctor? Jesus displays grace to those who cannot help themselves.
Grace is not given to all equally - Notice that in this story, Jesus did not heal everybody. One might say that Jesus was not fair. We must realize that the prerogative to dispense grace lies solely in the giver. Jesus did heal many people, but He did not heal everybody. Was it because Jesus could not heal everybody? That is obviously untrue. Jesus did not heal everybody because He chose not to. That is His prerogative. Jesus sought out the sick man. Jesus asked of him, "Do you wish to get well?" (John 5:6). Jesus told him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk" (John 5:8). It was all Jesus' doing, Jesus' choice. This does not make Christ less gracious; it actually proves that He is.
Grace comes to those who do not deserve it - Notice the kind of man who Jesus healed. This was a man whose only concern was getting healed. There were blind men who sought Jesus and asked Him to heal them calling Him the Son of David and begging for mercy (Matthew gives two accounts 9:27-31; 20:29-34). But our subject for today had Jesus right before his eyes and he cared not for who He was. This man was also a sinner, as expressed by Jesus' statement in verse 14. The man's illness very well could have been due to a sinful act that he committed. It doesn't end there. This man would rather believe in a superstition than in the God of glory. He was not seeking God; he was only looking for a way to get healed. He spent thirty-eight years by the pool when he could have spent thirty-eight years in the temple. Yet, it was this sort of man that Jesus healed. This undeserving sinner received grace.
Grace is a real reflection of God's goodness - Grace reveals to us that God is indeed good. All that this sick man wanted was healing. His answer to Jesus' question, "Do you wish to get well?" clearly shows that. So Jesus healing this man shows that He was not simply trying to prove that He was able to heal. He was showing that He is good. He wanted that man to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Wouldn't you? If you were sick with cancer and the pressing prayer of your life was healing, and God healed you, wouldn't you realize that God is good to you? God's gracious dealing with us and His blessings that we do not deserve should lift our eyes to see His goodness. It is interesting to consider that we can not know God to be good by experience if we have not experienced His goodness. Grace is the lens through which we see and experience the goodness of God.
Grace is given regardless of the manner in which it is received - Now, the most surprising aspect of grace, the Lord's grace, is that it is given to both the wicked and the righteous whether they are grateful or not. This man who was ill for thirty-eight years did not even respond with a simple "thank you." Sure, Jesus left while there was a crowd, but when the man meets him a second time, there is really no excuse. What surprises me is that rather than thanking Christ, the man "went away, and told the Jews" (vs. 25). They don't deserve it, and they are not even thankful; yet, God displays His goodness to the likes of these. How patient, how gracious, how good is our God?
We ought to be thankful that God is so gracious towards us. As believers, we experience and know the ultimate act of grace: Christ on the cross for our sins. It is through Christ that we recognize grace the fullness of grace. "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; but grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ" (John 1:16-17). Only those who know their Savior have realized the grace of God. Only they can be truly thankful. How much should this truth move us to be grateful people, thanking God constantly for His graces? Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). Let us live with that truth ever before us. Let us live thankfully. Let us live, cherishing all the good we have received in Jesus Christ. Stay strong and God bless!
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