Every command in the Bible is impossible to keep as God requires. It is truly impossible for anyone to be holy as God is holy, to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect, to love our enemies as God "so loved the world." So, if every command is impossible to keep, why did God command us in the first place? Is it possibly that He wants us to depend on Him, for us to allow His Spirit to work through us?

1. John 5:1-16

2. The Purpose of John’s Gospel
"And truly Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of His disciples, which
are not written in this book; but these
are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that believing you may have life in
His name."
John 20:30,31

3. After this there was a feast of the Jews,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now
there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep
Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew,
Bethesda, having five porches. 3In
these lay a great multitude of sick
people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting
for the moving of the water.

4. 4For 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. 5Now
a certain man was there who had an
infirmity thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus
saw him lying there, and knew that he

5. already had been in that condition a
long time, He said to him, “Do you want
to be made well?” 7The sick man
answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to
put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up; but while I am coming,
another steps down before me.” 8Jesus
said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and
walk.”.

6. 9And immediately the man was made
well, took up his bed, and walked. And
that day was the Sabbath. 10The Jews
therefore said to him who was cured, “It
is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to
carry your bed.” 11He answered them,
“He who made me well said to me,
„Take up your bed and walk.‟ ”

7. 12Then they asked him, “Who is the
Man who said to you, „Take up your bed
and walk‟?” 13But the one who was
healed did not know who it was, for
Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being
in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found
him in the temple, and said to him,
“See, you have been made well.

8. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come
upon you.” 15The man departed and
told the Jews that it was Jesus who had
made him well. 16For this reason the
Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to
kill Him, because He had done these
things on the Sabbath.

9. 5:1 After this there was a feast of
the Jews, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
1. The Time:

10. 1. The Time:
• “after this”
• “a feast of the Jews”

11. 5:1-2 Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2Now there is in Jerusalem by the
Sheep Gate a pool, which is
called in Hebrew, Bethesda,
having five porches.
2. The Place:

12. 2. The Place:

13. 2. The Place:
• “the sheep gate”

14. 2. The Place:
• “the sheep gate”
• “Bethseda”

15. 2. The Place:
• “the sheep gate”
• “Bethseda”
• “having five
porches”

16. 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of sick
people, blind, lame, paralyzed,
waiting for the moving of the water.

17. 1. The “impotent”= “infirm, feeble, unable to
achieve anything great,
destitute of power,
sluggish in doing right”

18. 1. The “impotent”
2. The “blind”

19. 1. The “impotent”
2. The “blind”
3. The “lame”

20. 1. The “impotent”
2. The “blind”
3. The “lame”
4. The “paralyzed”

21. 1. The “impotent”
2. The “blind”
3. The “lame”
4. The “paralyzed”
5. The “waiting”

22. Hot Springs National Park,
Arkansas

23. 1. His Mercy

24. When Jesus saw him lying there…

25. 1. His Mercy
2. His Omniscience

26. When Jesus saw him…and knew
that he already had been in that
condition a long time…

27. 1. His Mercy
2. His Omniscience
3. His Initiative

28. When Jesus saw him…knew…He
said to him…

29. 1. His Mercy
2. His Omniscience
3. His Initiative
4. His Question

30. When Jesus saw him…knew…He
said to him, “Do you want to be
made well?”

31. The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I
have no man to put me into the
pool when the water is stirred up;
but while I am coming, another
steps down before me.”

32. 1. His Mercy
2. His Omniscience
3. His Initiative
4. His Question
5. His “Impossible” Commands

33. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up
your bed and walk.”.
“See, you have been made well.
Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you.”

34. 1. The Man‟s Obedience
2. The Man‟s Healing

35. And immediately the man was
made well, took up his bed, and
walked. And that day was the
Sabbath.

36. 1. With the once impotent man

37. The Jews therefore said to him
who was cured, “It is the Sabbath;
it is not lawful for you to carry your
bed.” 11He answered them, “He
who made me well said to me,
„Take up your bed and walk.‟ ”

38. Then they asked him, “Who is the
Man who said to you, „Take up your
bed and walk‟?” 13But the one who
was healed did not know who it
was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a
multitude being in that place.

39. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you.” 15The man
departed and told the Jews that it
was Jesus who had made him well.

40. 1. With the once impotent man
2. With Jesus

41. For this reason the Jews
persecuted Jesus, and sought to
kill Him, because He had done
these things on the Sabbath.

42. • Sought Jesus
• Pleaded for help
• Expressed the
miracle privately
• No sin mentioned
• Man was motivated
to believe
Nobleman Invalid
• Jesus sought him
• Jesus asked if he
wanted help
• Jesus healed publicly
• Jesus mentioned sin
• Jesus worked without
the man‟s belief