As we continue the trek through John’s gospel, we come upon a beautiful deliverance in John five. Jesus ministered healing to one man at the Pool of Bethesda. How did He do it? He did it via a manifestation of gifts of the Spirit. Jesus gave both hope and healing to a man who had been sick thirty-eight years. What Jesus did for this one man, He will do for you. And what He has done for you, you can pass on to others. How you can minster healing as Jesus did, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.
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You can view a primary transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.
Accept the Challenge
Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:
Gifts of the Spirit are part of life kingdom life in God. Earnestly desire to be used by the Spirit to bring help, strength, and encouragement to people.
Join the Conversation
Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:
What gift of the Spirit has the Lord used you in to help set someone free? How did you minister healing in Jesus Name? Share your experience. Please leave your comments in the comments section below.
Episode Resources
You can find additional information on the subject of John’s Gospel in the resources listed below.
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- #S6-015: The Value of Knowing the Gift of God [Podcast]
- #S6-014: How to Conquer Prejudice the Jesus Way [Podcast]
- #S6-013: What Does It Mean to Be Born Again from God? [Podcast]
- #S6-012: Nicodemus: Is His Life a Positive Example to Follow? [Podcast]
- #S-018: How Not to Be A Minister of Condemnation [Podcast]
- #S6-019: Worshipping God: Why the Hour Is Here [Podcast]
- #S6-020: More on Praising God: Why the Hour Is Here [Podcast]
- #S6-021: The Big Scoop on Magnifying God [Podcast]
- #S6-023: Amazing Pointers on the Road to Lifting God Higher [Podcast]
- #S6-027: Why Jesus Shocking Bread of Life Statement is the Only Way to Heaven [Podcast]
- #S6-029: Why Mixing Holy and Unholy Is Not a Good God Thing [Podcast]
- #S6-032: Why It’s Never Wise to Not Obey God’s Will for Your Life [Podcast]
- #S6-033: Killing Jesus: How to Walk the Talk in the Face of The Rising Tide of Opposition [Podcast]
About Emery
Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com
How Jesus Ministered at the Pool of Bethesda
John 5:2–8 (The Message)
2 Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. 3 Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. 5 One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, “Do you want to get well?” 7 The sick man said, “Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in.” 8 Jesus said, “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.”
Pool of Bethesda Facts
- The Pool of Bethesda had five porches; more like covered sheds than anything.
- These porches sick people stacked in them waiting for the moving of the water.
- What does that mean ‘moving of the water?’
- The word ‘stirred’ means to cause movement by shaking or stirring, shake together, stir up. 1
- It means the water would start bubbling.
- It would start churning.
- The first person who got in the churn received healing.
- The second person who got in the pool just got wet.
- According to the record we have, an angel came to the Pool and caused the churn.
- This angelic appearance was a special manifestation of the Spirit.
- What does ‘special manifestation mean?’
- It means you don’t have a Bible promise for it.
- God just did it without a Bible verse to support it.
- There is no ‘send an angel and disturb the water for healing’ Bible promise.
- You cannot pray along this line.
- You cannot use Jesus Name as powerful as it is, and say ‘Father, I want to be healed. But, I want to receive it in this way. Send an angel to trouble my bathtub water so I can be well.’
- You can’t believe for healing this way.
Gifts of the Spirit and Ministering Healing
- Healing which comes in this manner is a unique manifestation.
1 Corinthians 12:4–7 (KJV)
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
- The Greek word ‘manifestation’ means an act or a disclosure.
- So, you could read this as ‘the act of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.’
- Altogether, there are nine manifestations or nine acts of the Spirit.
- But the word ‘manifestation’ in the text is singular.
- So, Paul is speaking of a single act.
- That’s an important distinction.
- Think of it this way.
- The single-act or single manifestation of the Spirit is a gift to every man.
A Short Course on How Gifts of the Spirit Work
- There are nine singular acts of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:8–10 (KJV)
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
- Three of the gifts say something; tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy.
- Three of the gifts do something; working of miracles, gifts of healings, and the gift of faith.
- Three of the gifts reveal something; the Word of Knowledge, The Word of Wisdom, and the Discerning of Spirits.
Gifts of the Spirit Are ‘As the Spirit Wills’
- These gifts come as the Spirit wills.
1 Corinthians 12:11 (KJV)
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
- The NKJV has ‘distributing to every man’ instead of ‘dividing to every man.’
- The act of the Spirit is as the Spirit wills, not as you will.
- You don’t own the gifts like you own your cellphone.
- It’s the gifts of the Spirit.
- He owns them, and then the Holy Spirit uses you.
- He ministers ‘single-acts’ through you to build up the body of Christ.
- The body builds up when individual believers are built up.
- When Jesus visited the Pool of Bethesda, the Spirit gave Him a single act for a single person.
- Now, at times, these gifts work together to make a single manifestation.
- The most common manifestation is tongues and interpretation of tongues.
- Gifts of the Spirit went into operation.
Which ‘Acts of the Holy Ghost’ Did Jesus Have?
John 5:6 (KJV)
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
- Jesus saw Him, and when He looked upon this man, He knew.
- The Holy Spirit distributed to Him one of the revelation gifts, the Word of Knowledge.
- How did Jesus know this man was sick for a long time?
- He wasn’t all that different from any of the other sick people who were in those five porches.
- He didn’t have a sign which said ‘Sick thirty-eight years. Work for food. Anything helps.’
- Jesus knew because the Spirit divided or distributed to Him that knowledge.
- When Jesus told this man to rise and walk, then a second gift was distributed, the gift of healing, which is one of the gifts that does something.
- Now, if we are going to endeavor to minister healing as Jesus did, how can we align ourselves with 1 Corinthians 12:11 so the Spirit can distribute one of His gifts to us?
The Normal Way Jesus Ministered Healing
- Look first at the usual way Jesus ministered.
In Matthew
Matthew 4:23 (NKJV)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Matthew 9:35 (NKJV)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Matthew 5:1–2 (NKJV)
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
In Mark
Mark 4:1 (NKJV)
1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.
In Luke
Luke 5:1 (NKJV)
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
Luke 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
Jesus Taught Daily
Mark 14:49 (NKJV)
49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
- Jesus taught.
- He taught everywhere.
- Jesus taught on a mountain.
- He taught by the sea.
- Jesus taught by the lake.
- He taught in their cities.
- Jesus taught in their villages.
- He taught in the synagogue.
- Jesus taught daily in the Temple.
- Everywhere Jesus went, He taught.
- He taught first then He ministered to the sick.
- If the people received His teaching, then they received His healing.
- If they didn’t receive the teaching, they didn’t receive the healing.
The Word and Ministering Healing
Mark 6:1–4 (NKJV) – 1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
A Prophet without Honor
Mark 6:4–6 (NKJV) – 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Jesus Taught in Nazareth, His Home-town.
- The reaction of the people?
- They were astonished (verse 2).
- We think to be astonished is a good thing.
- Astonished is not good.
- The Greek word ‘astonished’ means to be utterly amazed. It means to become astounded to such a degree as to nearly lose one’s mental composure.
- Astonished is a ‘soulish’ response.
- It’s like ‘WOW’.
- If you remember from our discussion on Faiths Domain, ‘WOW’ was one of those words people substitute for faith.
- There is no faith in ‘WOW’.
- The next word we need to look at is in verse four, the word ‘offended.’
- ‘Offended,’ in the Greek, means to be appalled. To be filled with disgust or revulsion for someone (and therefore reject him).
- The English word offended used by the KJV does not do the word justice.
- These people, when they heard Jesus teaching, were astonished so to lose their mental capacity.
- It’s like, “Oh my goodness, what did he say? He couldn’t have said that.
- They were disgusted with Him and what He was saying.
- They rejected His teaching, and they rejected Him.
A Case of Classic Unbelief
- The reaction seen in Nazareth is classic unbelief.
- Jesus response?
- He marveled at their unbelief.
- Jesus could do no mighty work because of it.
- He didn’t get mad that they reviled and rejected Him.
- Jesus didn’t get all wounded because they wouldn’t hear Him.
- He wouldn’t allow public sentiment to sway Him from His mission.
- How often we change to accommodate others, even when it means compromise?
Whatever you compromise to keep, you will ultimately lose. – Oral Roberts
- Instead of changing directions, Jesus went about the villages teaching.
- Teaching? Yes, He went back to what He knew He should do.
- He did not allow rejection to change His MO.
- Jesus just kept putting the Word out.
- The only cure for unbelief is to put the Word out so it at some point it can be believed and acted on.
- When that happens, you get miracles.
The ‘Normal Way’ to Minster Healing
- Teaching the Word of God to build faith for healing is the normal way Jesus ministered.
- That is the normal way you should minister.
- The first thing you need to do if you want to minister healing as Jesus did, is to put the Word out.
- Put it out and keep on putting it out.
- The second thing you should do is keep your heart open to the miraculous weaponry of God, the gifts of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:31 (NKJV)
31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV)
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
- Your heart is toward God.
- Your heart is open to God.
- You are connected, praying, desiring.
- You are walking with His Presence.
- If you keep yourself in this way, the Spirit will have the opportunity to use you.
Ministering Healing and the HOV Lane
- At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus got over into the HOV lane and ministered healing.
- He had a manifestation of the Spirit.
- He got fast-tracked to healing with minimal faith on the part of the man who was sick thirty-eight years.
- Many times this is how gifts of the Spirit work.
- Mark it down. The HOV lane is “will of God” territory.
- Why does God manifest gifts of healing for a person and not for another?
- It’s all unknown, don’t worry about it.
- Obey the Bible.
- Keep your heart toward God and the HOV lane.
- Keep your tires right up against the line.
- All the while know, that whether you have a manifestation of the Spirit or not, faith in God’s Word always works.
- If you can get people to believe, in the true definition of the word, in faith’s domain, you can get them healed one hundred times out of hundred.
References:
- William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 990. ↩