moves.
April 17, 2024

From Wounds to Worship (2024)_wide.jpg

“Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people––blind, lame, or paralyzed––lay on the porches.

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” —John 5:1-6 NLT

moves.

“Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people–– blind, lame, or paralyzed––lay on the porches.” —John 5:1-3 NLT

“waiting for a certain movement of the water, for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water. And the first person to step in after the water was stirred was healed of whatever disease he had.” —John 5:3b-4 NLT

“One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.” —John 5:5 NLT

“When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” —John 5:6 NLT

“‘I can’t, sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.’” —John 5:7 NLT

“Jesus told him, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!’ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.” —John 5:8-9 NLT

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“‘I can’t, sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.’” —John 5:7 NLT

making

“Jesus told him, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!’ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking.” —John 5:8-9 NLT

Discussion Questions

In John 5:1-9, Jesus asks the paralyzed man, “Do you want to get well?” Why do you think Jesus would ask such a question? How does this question apply to our lives today?

The paralyzed man made excuses for why he couldn’t get into the pool to be healed. What are some common excuses we make in our lives that hinder our spiritual, emotional, or relational healing?

Jesus told the man to “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” What do you think this command symbolizes for us in terms of taking action and moving forward in faith?

The man was healed when he obeyed Jesus’ command. How can obedience to God’s Word lead to healing and transformation in our lives?

Surrendering to God’s will often requires us to let go of our own plans and expectations. How can we cultivate a mindset of surrender in our daily lives, especially when it’s difficult or goes against our natural inclinations?