... unless it is something He sees the Father doing

John 5:1-23 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

After these things 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, 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.”

¹⁸ For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. ²² For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

In Matthew 4:23-24 it says:   Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.   In Matthew 9:35 it says:  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.   These verses use the words every and all in describing the healings of Jesus. Surely Jesus had and has the power and the authority to heal everyone from any and all diseases. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus says:  "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”   Isaiah 53:5 prophesied and declares:   He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.   He was, but we are. Jesus, when He was on the cross, said:  “It is finished.” (John 19:30)  So the healing of every person, from all sickness and disease is fully accomplished in and by Christ. Jesus also says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”   I have often heard people of faith say that they desire to, like Jesus, heal all diseases. They long for a day when people of faith would walk into hospitals and empty the rooms because everyone was healed of all their diseases and sicknesses. Surely Jesus has the power and the authority to do that and He has said that we should and would do the works that He did and greater works. So, why is it that so many among us are still sick and even dying? Is Jesus word not true? Has He lost His power and authority? Is the problem with us?

Today’s text offers at least part of an explanation or basis for our understanding. It says:   Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters; 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. A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 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?” 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.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.    There was there that day a multitude of those who were sick, blind and lame. Yet the account tells us of only one who was healed that day. Did Jesus not have enough power that day? Did He only have authority for one? Was He not feeling compassionate, so He disregarded the multitude? I hope, like me you see those as rhetorical questions and know that those could not be the reasons for why only the one man was healed that day.

Our answer comes as the text continues:  Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 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.” But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 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. 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.” The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.   So was it because it was the Sabbath? Was it that Jesus limited how much He did because He wanted to keep and honor the Sabbath law and tradition?  In Mark 2:27 Jesus says:  “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  In Matthew 12:8 He says:  “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."     It was not the restrictions of the Sabbath law or tradition, so what was it? The text continues:   But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”

There we have our answer. We may not have full understanding and we may not even like the answer in its most basic and simple form. But if Jesus Himself could only do what the Father was doing, how can we expect to do more? God can heal every sickness and disease and Jesus says that if we ask anything in His name He will do it. We though need to understand that it must also be what the Father is doing at that time. You see, as Isaiah prophesied and declared: …by His scourging we are healed.   As Jesus said on the cross:  “It is finished.”    We may not understand why we don’t see the evidence of healing in every situation. It is not though that Jesus does not have the power or authority. It is not that He and the Father are not loving and compassionate. It is in part because our finite time is not the same as their eternal time. 2 Peter 3:8 says:  But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.    In God’s time we are healed. The healing of every disease and sickness; every infirmity and disability was accomplished through the finished work of the cross. What we see and experience in our finite time is but a twinkling in the scheme of eternity.

If we want to do the things that Jesus did and greater works, as He said we would, we need to be focused and content to do what the Father is doing at this time. Then asking in Jesus name He will do it.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for the finished work of the cross. Help me to be in time and in step with You. That I might do the things You are doing in this time; even today. Help me to bring the realities of the finished work of the cross, the healing of every disease and the redemption of every soul to everyone and every place You are working. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.   Amen.