Pastor Joe Sanders - May 1, 2011
From Paralysis to Belief
We often think of Jesus as a mild-mannered, calm, passive guy that loved playing with children. We expect him to be completely accommodating and almost deferential in his dealings with people. He just loves us! In contrast, John in his Gospel wants us to get to know Jesus the way he did. He presents a very different Jesus. Compassionate and merciful and loving, yes; but infinitely more complex and purposeful than we perhaps first think. Jesus comes to sick people, to hurting people, to sinful people, while they are still sick and in pain and sinning, and asks them a simple but penetrating question: "Do you want to be well?" To this day, Jesus is purposefully coming to men and women in their place of desperate need and confronting them with who he is and the prospect of being truly whole. Do YOU want to be well?
Scripture References: John 5:1-17