THE 72-HOUR RULE: DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?

A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda


1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For 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.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 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.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well

Observations:
Vs: 3 in these (porches) lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
(Were these people homeless? Did they live out there around the pool, each one waiting for a sign like the movement of the water, and would each person try to get into the pool first. The atmosphere had to be very tense, hopeless and desperate.
Did these people have families who provided for them? Were they beggars? Did they resort to petty crimes such as pick pocketing, con games, etc? Were the weakest victimized more?

Vs 4: For 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.
I have always been curious about this statement; An angel would go down into the pool at a certain time? Was this true, why would an angel be commissioned to perform miracles when the Son of God was on the earth?
Was this a hoax, sort of like "faith healing"? Did the people who were there to be healed, spend all of their money to come to this place and once there, they were victimized. The scriptures do not say if any one was healed.

Proverbs 22:22-23
22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or crush the afflicted at(C) the gate,
23 for the LORD will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them

Vs 5 There was a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
This man had been sick for 38 years, how long had he lain at that pool? He had been sick at least half of his life.
Vs 6: When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
Can you sense the mood? Jesus saw him lying there, and by revelation, he knew among other things, that this man had been sick for a long time. But Jesus asks a very straight forward question:" Do you want to be made well?"
You may be tempted to think that Jesus posed a rhetorical question, one that requires no answer. But this question is loaded.
What kind of question is that, of course he wants to made well, why else would he be lying here? Right?

Vs 7: 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.”
It seems like this man does not understand the question. He seems to immediately make excuses for his inability to be healed. He complains of not having any one, friend or family to help him into the water.

Vs 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
So the question and statement is "Why have you been lying here all of these years?" Jesus is saying, I know you. Even though you have been sick for 38 years of your life, there was a point in your life you when you were healthy, when your body was whole. Do you remember what it was to be healthy, then remember, and rise up and take your bed and walk. Your sins are forgiven.

(Remembering, repenting and walking in that strait way)
I have been pondering this record.I have searched this record to find myself in it. I have. My testimony is this, that about 2 months ago, I woke up one morning for work (4:30) and in opening my eyes I realized that even in the dark, I could not see very well out of my left eye. So I lay there for a minute and my mind immediately started to do damage control. I told myself that this was familiar; I actually heard my self saying, "Its ok, we've gone through this before, its just your allergies, your eye is reacting to that." So as I made an attempt to get out of bed and take a look in the mirror, I felt an excruciating pain in my right hand and my right knee. It was almost comical in a pitiful kind of way. So I lay there and again my brain was assesing the damage .
So I told myself that I knew what the issue was, because I had experienced them before and in a short while I would feel better. But the pain in my knee, well that was a new one. So I hobbled to the bathroom mirror and my eye was entirely red, and my right hand was so tender to touch,I knew that I was going to have a hard time driving to work. So I asked in prayer, Lord, if you could just allow me to see out of my good eye, I think that I can make it.         
So it took a few days for everything to settle down, my eye cleared up but the knee and hand remained the same for a few weeks until I decided to see a Doctor. I knew what he would say, and the tests I needed even before he told me. My curse for working in the heath field. I was reluctant,and I was afraid because I knew what I needed. So I dragged my feet and my bad knee. I really suffered for it, more mentally then physically. I felt that the Lord had outlined a plan, and just like a few in biblical records, I had to take charge of the healing process.
So to make a long story short, I had the MRI, I made the date for surgery, (the day before my birthday).
But after I did this, I felt a weight lift and I have felt a peacefulness come over me.
Yesterday I had to take a stress test. Because of my knee and other reasons, I have been slack in the exercise department. I was really skeptical; I didn't feel that I would be able to run on a treadmill for 10-15 minutes without passing out. Even my doctor's assistants looked at me funny. But I felt the love and encouragement of my Doctor and her team and I did it 100%. All of my hypochondria issues were resolved, my blood tests are good, my heart is healthy.I believe that I will do well. The Lord has prepared me for this, I can see that now.
So when the Lord ask's us "Do you want to be made well"?, I suppose the answer is yes Lord. Because not only will you be healed but you will be a part of the process. With each step of the healing process, we can build our faith and our love for our Savior.