Impotence and Omnipotence

Impotence and Omnipotence

And a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Dost thou desire to 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 thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked, and on that day was the sabbath. (John 5:5-9)

This man had been lying, with many others, around the pool hoping that it would be stirred by the angel, and that he might be put into the water first, so he might be healed. He waited there a long time, and waited in vain. Why did he wait? Because Jesus wasn’t there. Where Jesus isn’t, you must wait.

If it’s only an angel and a pool, you must wait. One may get a blessing, and many may get no blessing. But when Jesus came, there was no waiting. He walked in among the crowd of sick people, turned his attention to this man, commanded him to take up his mattress and walk home, and he was healed at once.

I commend this man for waiting. I admire him for his patience and his perseverance, but I beg you not to make his experience your own. He waited, because Jesus wasn’t there. You don’t have to wait, you must not wait, because Jesus is here. It was necessary for him to wait. As I’ve told you, there was an angel, a pool, and nothing more. But where Christ is, there should be no waiting.

Any soul that believes in Christ tonight will be saved tonight. Any soul that looks to Christ tonight will be saved, even though he looks from the ends of the earth. Go ahead and look now, you are commanded to do so. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of saving health (2 Corinthians 6:2). And harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (Hebrews 3:8). If you turn your eyes by faith to Jesus, the Living One on the throne of the Highest, you will obtain an immediate cure.

Waiting was fine at the pool of Bethesda, but waiting at the pool of religious ritual is not according to the Scriptures. I read nothing about waiting there, but I do read this: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).

However, to help some who have waited to the point of weariness, who have persevered in the use of other means until they have become despondent and disappointed, let’s look at this case of the impotent man at Bethesda.