Don't Be Afraid

Jesus Walks on the Water

 ¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” ²¹ Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

It was after the feeding of the five thousand.  Jesus had gone off alone, and the disciples waited for him until evening.  They decided Jesus wasn't coming back, so they left.  

They'd rowed out 3-4 miles and they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water.  They thought He was a ghost.  Matthew records this incident in chapter 14, 22-33.  He said to them, "I am" if it were translated literally.  I AM is the name of YHWH, the tetragrammaton (Greek: word with four letters.)  We get "Yahweh" or Jehovah from it.  

There are seven "I AM" statements in John: I am the Light of the world, I am the Bread of Life, further in John 6; I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Resurrection and the Life, and I am the True Vine.  They are all in John; I'll leave it to you to search them out.

Matthew's version records the storm that occurred that night.  He tells us that during that time, Jesus calmed the sea,  but first Jesus calmed His disciples.  I thought about my own life, and how God doesn't always calm the storm first.  He wants me to trust Him, to let Him calm my own heart.  

When I was young, my dad had some problems.  He had a tendency to leave a situation rather than face the issues.  He left my mother several times--a total of 11 times--while I lived at home.  I recall once that we came home from church and found that Dad had gone.  My mother started to cry, and we all huddled around her, crying with her.  

Parents should always consider the children first, being careful to present a calm demeanor.  But Mom had been through a great deal, and was unable to hide her feelings.    

My sister looked up at our mother and asked, "Mommy, are we poor?"  

Mom said, "Yes, honey, I guess we are."

There was a sense of surprise in her voice; we had always known God would take care of us, and had never really known want.  Dad was a good provider.  And even though Dad had left, we still knew we could count on God taking care of us.  But Mom was in shock.

I think that incident affected my sister, affected all of us.  So I asked the Lord what He might say to us, to comfort us in that fear that we would be left without provision.  I think it still lingers in our hearts.  

Maybe you're struggling through a storm right now.  Have you been afraid?  Jesus wants to calm that storm, but first He is concerned about you.  He loves you and will take care of you, but He wants us to trust Him.  

As I listened, I felt that the Lord would say to us:

My Dear Daughters,

        Don't be afraid.  I am with you.  I know all about you, your 

struggle against fear of the future, and that you yearn for 

acceptance.  I accept you and love you.  Your sweet spirits, your 

gentle hearts--these come from Me. They are a reflection of My 

love and work in your life.  I love who you are, my daughters.

Don't be afraid.  I will not abandon you.  I will never leave 

you or forsake you.

I saw your fears when your father left you and your mother 

wept in pain and frustration.  I saw you watching her and the hope 

and trust leaving your soul.  I wept over you, over the sorrow and 

anguish you felt then.  I felt it too.

Though your father and mother forsake you, my children, I 

will never forsake you.  This is my promise to you.  I am your 

Hope.  I am your Shepherd, and you shall not want.  I give you 

green pastures.  Not only do I provide for you, but I do so liberally 

and freely.  My bread is free and so is My milk and the honey: the 

best price!  

I am your Shepherd.  I lead you beside My still waters.  

Come to Me and find rest for your weary souls.  I would have you 

to be refreshed in Me.  Come.  There is no fear in My love for you.  

Be at rest and at peace in Me.  I love you!

Your Good Shepherd,

Jesus

The Pool of Bethesda

The Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem

John 5:1-9

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 

The Jews were required to keep three feasts a year.  Passover, called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, and Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths.  Studies of these Feasts are fascinating and can give one an insight into Christ’s ministry to us as well as open up our understanding of the Hebrew culture. 

It is not known which feast the Lord was keeping when He went to Jerusalem.  Here’s what David Brown says on this topic:

What feast? No question has more divided the Harmonists of the Gospels, and the duration of our Lord's ministry may be said to hinge on it. For if, as the majority have thought (until of late years) it was a Passover, His ministry lasted three and a half years; if not, probably a year less. Those who are dissatisfied with the Passover-view all differ among themselves what other feast it was, and some of the most acute think there are no grounds for deciding. In our judgment the evidence is in favor of its being a Passover.

Bethesda has been spelled in different ways and has three meanings.  Beth means “house,” and -thesda is said to mean “grace” or “mercy.”  It can also mean “place of two outpourings,” which would make sense because there is archaeological evidence that two adjacent pools of water served that area in those days, including the pool of Siloam.  The Bible also mentions these waterways in the Book of Kings and in Isaiah.  

I think all of the meanings of this place are significant: Jesus chose to come here where there were two outpourings of water to show or pour out His grace and mercy on the one who was healed!

For many years the Pool of Bethesda was considered a “made up” place, contributing to the speculation that the Bible was fictitious or that John’s gospel was written much later than claimed. (John’s gospel is the only one in which this incident is discussed.)  In the 19^th century, the pool was discovered near St. Anne’s church but there was some doubt as to the validity of that claim.  However, in 1964 further evidence was uncovered.

Some Byzantine and Crusader churches, Hadrian's Temple of Asclepius and Serapis, the small healing pools of the Asclepieion, the other of the two large pools, and the dam between them were found there.  

It was discovered that the Byzantine construction was built in the very heart of Hadrian's construction, and contained the healing pools.

Near the pool is the Sheep Gate, translated in the King James as “sheep market” gate.  I think it’s interesting that the Holy Spirit wanted us to see Jesus, the Lamb of God as John called Him, at this location. 

There is some controversy surrounding the King James Version of John 5.  Apparently the best manuscripts don’t have the end of verse 3 and leave out all of verse 4.  But as Wiersbe says, the event and the man’s words in v. 7 wouldn’t make any sense without them.

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

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 

It is interesting that this man was sick for this length of time.  The only other thirty eight year period of time mentioned in the Bible is found in Deuteronomy.  The Jews left Egypt, went to the Land of Canaan and had the spies check out the land. Some of the people wanted to go in right away, but several also were afraid and would not go in.  So God let them wander in the desert for the length of time it took that the unbelieving among them would die:

And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the LORD had sworn to them.

It takes the gift of mercy to even go to where there are sick people.  I think it also takes the gift of cheerfulness in order to heal.  I can imagine Jesus coming, looking around the pool, and seeing all these people and having compassion on them.  But he singled out one man. 

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?" 

What a question!  I think Jesus asks this of us as well.  What is your infirmity?  What have you struggled for years to overcome, or perhaps you have been overcome by it?  I think it’s interesting that the word translated here “paralyzed” is also translated “impotent.”  Some synonyms for this are powerless, helpless, weak and ineffective.  Do you feel like this?  I know I have certainly felt so.  I can imagine his disgust with this…probably sick and tired of being sick. 

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.”

Jesus asked a question, “Do you want to be healed?” Why would He ask this question?  I think Jesus wanted the man to recognize his condition.  Jesus did the same thing with the woman at the Samaritan well—He asked her to bring her husband and return to Him, but she told Jesus she wasn’t married.  He tells her how many times she was married, pointing to her condition—the debauchery of her lifestyle.

But this man answered with an excuse.  He must have felt powerless to the point that his will was affected.  I have felt this so many times!  I have been in my sin and problems so long that I have given up on resolving them.  Jesus has the answer:

Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk.  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 

Act.  Jesus gives a command.  The Lord has given me commands that would help me overcome my own issues.  For many years I had a problem with fear.  God commanded me to stop being afraid.  These are the scriptures God gave me:

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

I knew I needed to make a choice not to be afraid.  I had spent many years being fearful, partially because of my upbringing.  My father as a young man (he has since been healed of this by God) gave out both discipline and love capriciously, and I could not know which would be mine in any exchange with him.  I think this is the foundation from which I learned to fear.  It affected my relationship with my father and mother, and relationships with others.  Further, it made me think my Heavenly Father was capricious as well. 

The Lord would have me to not be afraid in how He would treat me; God would have me to honor and respect His power, and to “fear” in the sense of this reverence, but not fear how He would treat me.  Here are some verses that pointed out how I should feel about my Father in heaven.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 Jesus asked the man to do the impossible.  Have you ever thought that God was asking too much of you?  I have thought so.  God often asks the impossible, but then when we make a step toward it, He provides a way to do so.

Tithing is one of these things as far as many are concerned.  All believers are required to tithe.  What percentage of people in the church does this?  As of 2002, six percent of us do so.  That means that 94% of Christians do not tithe. 

I feel badly for those who don’t know the blessing of tithing!  I have purposed to give even when I’m not making much money.  Yes, I could use every penny to take care of my needs, but God provides for me, I think because I tithe, in miraculous and wonderful ways.  I am making half (or less than half) of what I made last year, but God has given me so much.  Why?  Is it because I trust Him?  Maybe.

The question is, “do you want to be healed?”  Jesus may be asking you this very question.  Do you?

Jesus Heals

John 4:43-54

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 

When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 

"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe. The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."  Jesus replied, "You may go.  Your son will live."  

The man took Jesus at his word and departed.  While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 

When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."  Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live."   

So he and all his household believed.  This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.  

Galilee of the Gentiles is also called Syria.  Matthew 4:24  says “News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”

Jesus had spent some time in His hometown—Nazareth—during which He taught in the synagogue concerning Himself. 

It’s found in Luke 4: He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him and He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

It’s worth mentioning that Jesus stopped there in the middle of v. 2 of Isaiah 61.  The rest of the verse says “the day of vengeance of our God.”  Jesus didn’t say that particular scripture was fulfilled, because He had not fulfilled it yet—but He will!

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!  Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"

  

"I tell you the truth," he continued, "No prophet is accepted in his hometown.  I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years, and there was a severe famine throughout the land.  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zerepath in the region of Sidon.  

And there were many in Israel with leprosy  in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian."  All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 

Many widows, but only to one (in Zerephath, in Sidon)…was Elijah sent.  Although many had need during that time of famine, Elijah only went to one of them.  Naaman (a Syrian) was the only leper healed during the time of Elisha.  They react to these little history lessons by becoming angry (28). 

Why?  Because the miracles were both done on behalf of Gentiles!  God chooses whom He will to heal, to save.  He chose to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Paul said it was to make them jealous, and it worked!

Matthew 4 also tells this story.  Tells when Jesus went to Galilee.  “That it might be fulfilled what it says in the scriptures.”  What was said in the scriptures?  The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.

Now Jesus will heal the nobleman’s son.  The Jews don’t have nobles.  This man was a Gentile.  Two miracles were done in Cana, in chapters 2 and 4, and the Spirit wants them side by side: first water was turned into wine, and then the nobleman’s son was healed.  Similarities: the servants were the first to know, each of these incidents mentioned rebukes, each were done in an increment of 3 days, and the witnesses of each believed.

We sometimes think we know better than God when it comes to His work.  This nobleman brings his problem and asked the Lord to heal his child, saying “come down before my son dies!”  He didn’t realize that Jesus could do it from a distance.  But Jesus did take care of it, and the Lord said it was already done when He sent the man on his way.  Another Gentile, a centurion, also asked Jesus for healing for his servant, but he just said it’s not necessary for You to go—and Jesus commended his faith.

It’s pointed out that the next day he found out his son was healed that hour.  Here’s another of those occasions in which the time is in question.  By Roman time standards it would have been about 1 in the afternoon, but by Jewish it would be 7 p.m.  I think it was probably about one in the afternoon. 

I think this man went on his way believing that God had healed his child.  The fact that he didn’t return home until the next day might be a testimony of his faith—he may not have gone home that night when he could have.  It was only about twenty miles, and it would have been maybe 4 hours to get there at a jog.

Notice that he asks “at what hour did the healing begin?”  But the servants tell him it was instantaneous! 

This is one of three miracles Jesus performs “at a distance.”  The centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:5-13); The Canaanite woman’s daughter (Matt. 15:21-28); and this.   

It’s worth noting that Jesus’ first miracle showed that He has power over time: God can make wine out of grapes over time, but Jesus did so immediately.  Wine is made over time.  He did what the Father is always doing—the body can heal on its own over time.  Now Jesus shows His lordship over space, healing from a distance. 

Do you believe that Jesus is able to touch you, able to do in your life what He has promised?  Do you think there needs to be a special prayer, a certain formula that must be followed?  No—Jesus didn’t follow some particular formula then and He still doesn’t do that. 

Do you think you have to jump through some hoops before you are able to hear from God?  Someone once told me, “God helps those who help themselves!”  I told him, “That’s not in the Bible!”

God loves us and will provide for us (Matthew 6) especially as we seek His kingdom first.  Where are you in this?  Do you believe that God is good?  He is.  May you have faith to believe Him more and more—and may you abound in hope as you do.

My Redeemer Lives!

I woke up this morning with a killer migraine—wanted to go back to bed, but knew I’d slept enough, and it would only make it worse.  I had already woke up too late to get to church, so I figured I’d spend some “quality” time with God and then watch some church TV.

I opened my Bible, really just moving on faith, knowing the migraine was going to make things fuzzy, and there I found the words “I know my Redeemer lives.” 

It’s tough living in the world sin and Satan have corrupted.  We human beings suffer, along with all of creation.  Suffering and the things people do wrong—sin—hurt all of us.  But Job, who underwent some very painful sufferings, stood up in faith and said these words.  He said them in spite of the things he was facing—the death of his children, the betrayal of his wife, the alienation of his friends and family, and his own painful diseases. 

Maybe God was telling me something?  I decided to write the passage down:

Job 19:23-27

Oh, that my words were written!  Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!  That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.  And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. 

How my heart yearns within me!

Like Job, my heart yearns for redemption, especially when I’m sick and suffering.  Does it call to you as well?  We long for a better world, better environment.  How will it feel to live in bodies that don’t get sick, don’t feel the desire to sin, don’t have skewed emotions and negative feelings?  How will it feel to be able to enjoy the best of life, including eating and drinking, without the negative affects?  How will it be to live without fear of sickness, cancer, death?  How my heart years within me!!!

Job knew that God would redeem him one day, yet it wasn’t after the great declaration “I know my redeemer lives!” that Job was redeemed.

Job had already declared his loyalty to God: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!”  But God did not redeem his situation then. 

Twice Job has declared his trust and belief, but there is seemingly no response from God.

We must be patient with God.  Patience is difficult, but it bears fruit—the fruit of maturity in Christ. 

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing.

Job was redeemed—although he would have expected it to occur “after his skin is destroyed.”  God redeemed his situation and blessed him more greatly than before, but not until after the day came when God confronted Job about his issues:

Job had been talking about God, but hadn’t known Him as well as he could have—yet he had spoken ‘out of turn,’ as it were, in a way that God objected to.  Some of God’s objections:

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Surely you know … who stretched the line over it?”

--Job, you don’t know everything.  You weren’t around when I created the world.  You’ve been talking about things you don’t understand.  Anything you try to say about it would only be guessing!

“Who has put wisdom in the mind?  Or who has given understanding to the heart?”

--Wasn’t you, Job. 

Then God said, “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?  He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”

--Do you have something to say, Job? 

Of course Job couldn’t answer God, he wisely just listened, and we know his “final answer.”

“I have uttered that I did not understand, things too wonderful for me

He said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You”

The end result?

“Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

I think we have to be careful what we say about God.  We have His word, and we are responsible for what we know.  But we don’t know everything.  The Bible says we now see “in a glass, dimly” but eventually we will be “face to face.”  “Now I know in part, but then I will know just as I am known”  (1 Corinthians 13:12.)  We need to be sure we use what we know cautiously and be circumspect in how we speak to others.

We have the benefit of having God’s word, but we have to know it in order to speak of it.

We have the benefit of having God’s spirit, but we have to spend time with God in order to have the blessing of knowing Him in an intimate way.

God further chides Job’s so-called “comforters” for misrepresenting Him.  He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” They were instructed to bring sacrifices and have Job pray for them, and they did, and God “restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” 

Then God blessed him, redeemed him, gave him back his family and his wealth.  After he prayed and no doubt forgave them for speaking against God and against himself. 

I think about the power there is in forgiving, and the deliverance God gives when we pray for those who hurt us!

I have a hope of heaven, Jesus, my Redeemer, who is coming again

“And every eye shall see Him, even they which pierced Him” --Rev. 1:7

James talks about the last days, and how we must be patient.

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.  You also be patient; establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

He reminds us of Job:

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure.  You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

I must be patient, and establish my heart in Christ.  I must trust God!  The Lord is very compassionate--it's not that He doesn't care; and merciful--He will have mercy on me.  

I am longing for the day I will see Him coming again.  Even though my flesh and heart may fail, I know my Redeemer lives and He will stand on the earth.