The Words of Christ

John 5 Christ is found at Jerusalem during an important time of the year according to Jewish tradition. He conducts himself to a place where a great number of the sick are found, and address a man who had been in that place for many years now (38 years). The question that he asks is soul stirring for it has multiple layers of meaning: "Wilt thou be made whole?" ( vs. 6 ) Jesus heals the man and then commands him to pick up his bed and carry it away from that place. It so happened to be the Jewish sabbath, and the act of carrying a bed was considered to be a violation of the sabbath. When questioned why he was carrying his bed, the healed man responded, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk" Later, Jesus finds the man in the temple and admonishes him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." ( vs. 14 ) The man that was healed, perhaps not fully understanding the malicious intent ...