DAY FIVE (John 5)

The Big Question.  John 5—what an incredible Chapter of this Gospel.  It begins with the story of Jesus healing the lame man.  Did you notice where Jesus begins with this man?  The same place he always begins—He wants to know if we are at the end of our own solutions and way of doing things and our desire to be well is greater then our addictions and sin.  In Jesus first pubic message the very first thing he told his disciples on the Sermon on the Mount was “You’re blessed when you are at the end of your rope.  With less of you there is more of God and his rule.  Your blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.  Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”  (Matthew 5:1-2).  

Is there something in your life right now that you’re hanging on to?  Is there something you can’t or won’t let go of, yet you know you should?  We have to get to the point where we say; “I can’t but God can--that left up to me,  I am incapable of getting this ship upright."  Only then are you, like the lame man in our story, ready for healing.  Ask the Holy Spirit to identify anything that stands between you and God.  Then, turn it over to Him as the first step in being made whole.  Brokenness is always the first step toward Jesus. 

It’s All About Jesus.  As you read a little further in this Chapter, isn’t it interesting that Jesus tells the religious people of His day that the Bible had become a hurdle to seeing Jesus for who He really was?  (see verses 39-40).  These were not people just familiar with the bible, they were students of the “the book”.  Jesus is saying that if, in the end, He doesn’t end up front and center reflected in a radically changed life, bible study is not only a fruitless activity but can create an arrogance that can actually make your heart grow cold toward the things of God.  In verse 41, Jesus tells those who claimed to follow Him and name the name of Jesus, that unless their lives demonstrated the radical nature of God’s love, their allegiance meant nothing to Him. 

The idea of making Jesus Lord in every arena of your life lies at the epicenter of true biblical faith. Jesus is either Lord of every area of our life or we're missing the point.  Are there areas in your life that are not under the lordship of Jesus?  Are you willing to take that first step today and answer the question Jesus posed to the lame man;  “what is it that you really want?”