Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Did not plan this message for this day — God did.

(ESV)

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

(ESV)

27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

(ESV)

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Jesus in Jerusalem - we don’t know why - perhaps for the feast

We don’t know which feast it was.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

(NKJV) 3 waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

v 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 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?”

7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 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?”

7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

v 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 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?”

7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 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?”

7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’

” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well!

Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

1 After this 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, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 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?”

7 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.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’

” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well!

Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

Change is inevitable.

Someone once said, “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.”

They are right on both counts.

Things have certainly changed since I was a kid:

If mom or dad went to the store and you forgot to ask for ice cream, it was too late.

You actually had to wait until the next week to see the next episode of your favorite show

Math

As much as we may love or hate it, change is inevitable.

We resist change _when we believe the end result of the change will be a worse situation than if no change had happened._

(ILLUST - boy crying over not playing Fortnite - thought is life was changing forever (quote?) for the worse.

(May have chuckled a little) Actually, this change may be exactly what he needs to be able to get out of mom’s basement and see the beauty of life apart from the screen)

We resist change _because sometimes it can be painful_

(ILLUST - some of my kids are at that stage of life of feeling pain in the process of physical change / growth.)v

Change is a physical reality.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

We live in a world twisted by sin and we feel the effects of that sin as it changes us physically.

Change is a spiritual necessity.

(NKJV) 3 waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

This man is waiting by the pool for ‘angels to stir it’ - based on pagan ideas

More than he needed to be changed physically by being healed, this man needed a spiritual change.

Jesus didn’t call his disciples to be saved to sit - they were saved and sent (more on that next week)

There is no growth without change.

Growth = change and no change = first sign of death

>>Begin to think about what in your life needs a change.

What in your life, if it were changed, would cause you to follow Jesus more closely?

(what I say to my boys about their underwear is true for life as well)

Saying, “I don’t need to change” is not an option.

Jesus knows

5 One man

Our need for change.

was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time,

Whether or not this man knew Jesus we do not know.

This man had been sick longer than many people lid

But Jesus knew this man.

It says there were a “multitude of invalids” — why this man?

Jesus recognized this man’s need for change, and in his divine knowledge chose this man so that he might heal him.

Ephesians says that Jesus . . .

(ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Jesus knew I needed a change and sought me out — what a marvelous thought.

Like a crippled beggar I was helpless and Jesus came to me to seek me out to change me.

Our struggle with change.

he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?

What a strange question!

You’d think Jesus wouldn’t need to ask such an obvious question.

It may not be as obvious as you’d think

Jesus knew if he healed this man that this man’s life would be radically altered.

A web of changes would trickled from this one major change.

Relationships would be different.

He would need to work for a living.