“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?’ 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.’” – John 5:6-7
When Jesus healed this man, it was a most unusual miracle for Him. The man hadn’t looked for Jesus. Instead, Jesus found him. The man didn’t ask Jesus for healing. Instead, Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed. The man didn’t consider healing to be possible after years of frustration with his inability to heal himself. The man didn’t seem to have any particular faith in Jesus, nor did he do anything to deserve healing. Jesus healed him anyway.
This is a picture of salvation and the gospel! This is how you got saved if Jesus is your Lord. Jesus sought us out long before we sought him. He took the initiative for our salvation. He came and died for our sins while we were still dead in them and defiantly rebellious against God. When we finally grew frustrated with our inability to save ourselves from our sins, Jesus offered salvation through faith in Him. Jesus pours out the healing grace of God though we do nothing to deserve it. Jesus presents Himself to us before we believe in Him.
As a gift of grace, through faith in Christ, we who were dead in our trespasses are raised to new spiritual life in Him. This is the good news we should all be eager to tell others about, especially at this time of the year. #FollowJesus