INTRODUCTION:
1. Turn with me in your Bibles to John 5:16-23.
2. Last week we took a look at John 5:1-15.
3. We saw, Pick up your bed and walk. V1-15
A. This miracles has some interesting aspect that make for good lessons.
1. This takes place in Jerusalem at the Pool of Bethesda:
a. Excavations have located this pool. (They found it in the Northwest
corner of Old Jerusalem, show map)
1). This is important. (Until they uncovered this pool it was argued that
the Book of John was written later, John is the only Book in the
New Testament to mention this pool which was a spring fed pool)
2). Bethesda is of Chaldee origin. (And it means “house of kindness”
or “house of mercy” which seems fitting to me)
b. This pool is located by the Sheep Gate. (The Sheep Gate was where the
they would enter the market place to buy sheep, see map)
c. Now, let’s look at John 4:10. (Yahshua draws her into a
conversation that will cause her to ask questions that He
wants her to know)
1). Yahshua identifies Himself. (As a gift from Yahweh or
Elioheem who is talking with her)
2). But He also identifies Himself as Living water. (This term
“Living water” refers to fresh spring water)
3). Look at Gen. 26:19. (This was a time when Yahweh blessed
Isaac greatly and the Philistines became envious over
him, so they kicked him out of the area, so Isaac left and
went to another area)
4). They needed a well. (So Isaac’s slaves dug a well and it came
forth as spring water, the Heb. word “spring” is khah-ee
and means “living” water)
5). We see this again in Lev. 14:1-7. (In this case it is in
connection with the cleansing of skin diseases and the
word in V6 for “fresh” or “running is the same Heb. word
Khah-ee meaning “living”)
6). Yahweh is known as the source of life. (Look at Gen. 1:11-12,
V20-31 it is only Him who brought forth life)
7). But He is also known as “the spring of living water. (Look at
Jere. 2:13 once again the same Heb. word Khah-ee
meaning “living” but look closely at this verse, they have
chosen citerns that can hold no water)
8). Look at Is. 12:3. (In this case the water drawn is called
salvation for us)
9). Look at Num. 20:8-11. (IN this case we can see that the water
that was brought forth was what they had been given as
their provision, Him providing for their needs)
10). Look at John 7:37-39. (We see Yahshua at the festival of
Tabernacles and it is the last day or the 7th day of the
feast known as Hoshana-Rabbah Ceremony)
11). This was an important day. (It was on this day that Yahweh
was to declare if there would be rain for the coming
year’s crops)
12). This was the day. (That the water pouring ceremony took
place, and on this day they would give 3 sets of 7 blast on
the trumpets)
13). The priests. (On this day would make 7 circuits around the
altar and as they marched around the altar they sang
Hosanna Ps. 118:25 and people would wave palm
branches)
14). So Yashua tells them. (That through Him they will receive
the Holy Spirit and they will never thirst again)
15). So as we look at this “living water”. (Yahshua is saying
something very specific He wants us to get and to
understand, this “living water” has to do with our
cleansing, our salvation and it has to do with our
provision. This is important for us to get because this
Living water, Yahshua will be our source continually)
16). Look at John 4:14. (“But whoever drinks from the water I
will give him will never get thirsty again – ever!)
d. Back to John 5:4, an angel would stir up the waters:
1). Now this word “aggelos”. (GK word and it means messenger,
but this is tied to a Hebrew word “mal’ ak” which speaks
specifically to heavenly beings sent from Yahweh with
messages from Him)
2). This ties back to the Lev. 14:1-7. (Which ties in with the
cleansing of skin diseases and healing, the Living water
that makes us whole)
3). So in this pool of Bethesda. (We can see a picture of the
Living Water to make us whole)
e. This man had been sick for 38 years. (The number 38 years is
important here, look at Deut. 2:14, it was 38 years that
Israel had spent traveling until the last fighting man had
died as Yahweh had promised)
1). Now look at Deut. 1:19-30. (They had sent spies in, and when
spies came out the people heard the report and grumbled
against Yahweh)
2). Look at John 5:6. (Yahshua asked him “do you want to get
well?”)
3). In my mind that is a weird question. (I have been here 38 years
and I have been waiting to get into the waters when it is
stirred and you ask me if I want to be well? And that is the
track he took)
4). But actually it is a great question. (If this man is to be well, he
must do all that well people do when he is made well
which not only means to work for a living, but in this case
and ours he must live according to being spiritually well)
5). To live like a spiritually healthy person. (Means to do what
Yahweh commands, look at Deut. 1:26, but you were not
willing to go up, rebelling against Yahweh’s command)
6). Look at John 5:14. (Yahshua says, See you are well. Do not
sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to
you)
7). Now, we are talking about sin defined by Yahweh in His Word.
(Chapters 1 and 11 of the Talmud tractate Shabbat deals
with carrying your stuff from one domain to another
and it says that transferring an article from a private
to a public domain on Sabbath is forbidden)
8). I believe this speaks to all of us. (When He asks us if we want to
be well, the question goes to the core of our being, and we
have to ask ourselves these question:
1. Am I willing to believe in Him as my only source (Living
Water, Life)?
2. Am I willing to stop trying to provide for myself ?
3. Am I willing to do what well people do both spiritually and
physically?
This question, do you want to be well, is much deeper than it
appears at first.
And remember, some of this may be up front and immediate,
and some is going to take time as we learn what some of this
means in our own life.
4. This week I would like to take a look at what Yahshua says about the
Father’s work.
5. Let’s read John 5:16-23, Pray!
I. The Father is at work. V16-23
A. Let’s look at some points here about work and Sabbath.
1. They started persecuting Yahshua for healing on the Sabbath V16:
a. Here is what we need to look at here. (They persecuted Yahshua
for what He was “doing” on the Sabbath)
1). The word “doing”. (GK is poy-eh-o and it means “to make or
to do)
2). But there is another RT word. (GK is prasso and it means
“to practice or to perform habitually” and we know this
practice had been done a number of times on Sabbath)
3). We find this same word in Matt. 25:31-46. (This same word is
used in this passage, “what you did or did not do” for the
least of these, you did or did not do for Me) Tied to Ez.
34:17-31
4). So this whole idea of these things being done. (Is not only
something that is done but something that is a practice
He expects to continue and expects us to continue as
well)
b. Notice in V17 Yahshua says His Father is still working. (Now this
is a very interesting discussion that is taking place here
Gk for “still working” or in the KJV “hitherto” is to GK
words, the first is heos and it means “until or even” the
second is arti and it means “just now, to this day or hour”)
1). The word for work in V17. (GK is er-gad-zom-ahee which
means work, but it can also mean “minister about” look
at Mark 14:3-9, look at V6 “She has done” or “She hath
wrought” is the same word)
2). There are 2 other GK words for work. (One is energeo and it
means “to be active” and “to operate” and is where we get
our English word energy)
3). The second is “ergon”. (And it means “a work” or “a deed”
“achievement” speaking od a good work)
4). Er-gad-zom-ahee. (Is the only one that can refer to a
person’s ministry, or one in the process of ministry)
5). Now this specific GK word is tied to 1 Heb. words. (Boda and it
describes the physical labor, but specifically it
describes Jacobs labor to Laban for the bride price for
Leah and Rachel in Gen 29:27 and 30:26 and is most
often used to describe the sacred services of the
Tabernacle or Temple of the priests)
6). Look at Gen. 2:2. (Yahweh completed His “work” and the
Heb. word used there is mel-aw-kaw and it means
“sending forth ones hand” and is used in connection with
the building of the tabernacle and the sacred objects of
of the tabernacle Ex. 31:3, 35:21)
7). That is an interesting relationship. (Between the building of
the tabernacle and the creative work of Yahweh, gives a
whole different perspective of the earth we were
supposed to live on and the one He will make again)
8). But notice. (Yahweh ceased His creative process but He did
not cease His sustaining process, or His ministry to His
people, He still ministered on the Sabbath)
9). So in V17. (“My Father is still working” means that His
Father is still ministering and so is He)
10). Look at Mark 3:1-6. (Yahshua laid it all out here and set the
limit about ministering to people, “doing good or evil”
“saving life or taking life”)
2. Now look, they plotted on the Sabbath Yahshua killing:
a. Look at Matt. 5:21-24. (“whoever is angry with His brother is
subject to judgment” so as they were accusing Yahshua of
breaking Sabbath by ministering, which is lawful, they
were plotting to murder Him which was unlawful)
b. Look at John 5:19. (Yahshua tells them that the Son is not able
to do this on His own, but He does only what He sees the
Father doing)
c. Let’s look at John 9:24-30. (In this exchange with the blind
man who had been healed they ridiculed him and called
him a disciple of Yahshua and they claimed to be disciples
of Moses)
1). Look at John 5:41-47. (Yahshua clearly tells them if they
truly believed what Moses said they would believe Him)
2). Look at Num. 16:28-30. (Moses tells Israel that he is not
doing this by his will that Yahweh will show them,
Yahshua says He is not doing this by His will but by
the Fathers)
3). They claimed to be Moses disciples. (Yet they were not
listening to what Moses had said about discerning if it
came from Yahweh or not)
4). Now remember, all of this has to do with Yahshua healing on the
Sabbath. (Yahshua is showing them the truth by taking them
back to what Moses had said, and explaining it is the
who “wills” these things)
d. But also we need to look at the relationship Yahshua is telling them
about. (Once again through what they should have believed)
1). The relationship between the Fathers love and showing Him. (Now
notice, it says that because the Father loves Him, is the
reason the Father shows everything He is doing V20)
2). Look at John 14:19-26. (The one who has My commands and
keeps them is the one who loves Me, and the one who
loves Me will be loved by My Father V21)
3). Look at John 14:23. (Because of the Father love we will be
they will make their home with us)
4). Look at John 14:26. (The Counselor, Ruach, Holy Spirit will
come and teach us all things and remind us what what
Yahshua said)
5). The reason I bring this up. (Because of His love for us He will
show us everything He is doing)
6). Think about this. (We can’t do anything on our own, but as
He shows us what He is doing, and as we get involved in
what we see He is doing)
7). Yahshua and the Father are giver of life. (Yahshua gives life to
anyone He wants to)
8). Remember, they are dwelling with us. (Look at Mark 16:14-18
which tells us V17-18, “And these signs will accompany
who believe)
9). Now notice this important message. (These things are not so
we will just be identified, it is for the purpose of honoring
the Son just as they honor the Father)
10). This is about one thing. (Glorifying Yahshua just as they
honor the Father, glorifying Yahweh)