He that Made Me Whole - John 5:11

John the apostle wrote how, “there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Will you be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for you to carry your bed”, and in chapter five and verse eleven of his book, John shared how the man answered the Jews, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up your bed, and walk” where we read:

He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up your bed, and walk.

The verse reads, “He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, ...”. John began with the words, “He answered them” or “the man who was healed of the thirty-eight year infirmity responded and began to speak to the Jewish people”, “He that made me whole” which means “ the man who cured, healed and restored the man with the infirmity”, “the same said to me” or “the selfsame One uttered, declared and proclaimed to the man with the infirmity” the following words. John shared how the man who was healed of his thirty-eight year infirmity told the Jewish people who were criticizing him the man who “healed” him gave him the following instruction.

The verse goes on to say, “... Take up your bed, and walk.” John continued with the words, “take up your bed” which means “elevate, carry and bear your, the man with the infirmity's, couch, pallet or mattress”, “and walk” or “and be amble, make your progress and conduct yourself”. John shared how the man who was healed of his infirmity told the Jewish people that the man who “healed” him instructed him to “take up his bed and walk away”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we see how the man who was healed by Jesus from his thirty-eight year infirmity told the Jewish people who questioned him that the man who cured him told him to “take up his bed and walk”. One would think that someone who could do this kind of miracle would be regarded as special and able to give any instruction He desired, however, these Jewish people were so critically minded that they could not see the miracle because of their allegiance to their “law” of not laboring on the “sabbath” day. Many people have difficulty putting aside their “personal rules” to have a full view of Jesus, and though His continually looks for them to yield their life to Him, they cannot see them for their blindness. God loves people, and He sent His Son Jesus to “fulfill the law” (See Matthew 5:17). Those who are wise will submit themselves to Jesus who is able to make spiritually whole every person who comes to Him.

Next time John shares how the Jews asked, “what man is that which said unto you, take up your bed, and walk?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".