The Gospel of John: Waiting for a Cure John 5:1–17 · Join the Journey

Let’s be honest—I hate being sick. Not just the big stuff… even the small stuff.

A cold that won’t go away. That sinus pressure that just sits there. That feeling where you’re not sick enough to stay in bed… but not well enough to function.

I don’t like the weakness. I don’t like waking up tired even after sleeping. I don’t like not having the energy to do what I normally do. I don’t like the waiting.

You take the medicine… you drink the fluids… you do everything you’re supposed to do……and then you wait. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel better.”

And then tomorrow comes… and you don’t.

And here’s the worst part— When you’re sick long enough… it starts to feel normal.

You say things like: “This is just how I am.” “I guess this is just part of life.” “It is what it is.” And without realizing it… you settle into something that was never meant to be normal.

You learn to live with it. You adjust to it. You stop expecting anything to change. And that’s exactly where we meet this man in John 5— not just sick… but stuck. Not just hurting… but settled.

For 38 years, he had been sick. Thirty-eight years of pain. Thirty-eight years of waiting. Thirty-eight years of hoping for something different.

We started to see last week that Jesus is healing people. Showing that He truly is the Messiah. We saw him heal the royal officials son. Today we will see Jesus heal an ill man, but the problem for the religious leaders is that Jesus heals him on the Sabbath.

But here’s what we need to see right from the beginning: This story is not about a sick man. It’s about a Savior. It’s about Jesus—who has authority over sickness, sin, and even the Sabbath.

If you have your bibles…

Jesus Steps Into Our Brokenness

John 5:1–5

John tells us there’s a pool surrounded by a crowd of suffering people: Blind. Lame. Paralyzed. All of them waiting… hoping… maybe today will be the day something changes. And among them is this man—38 years in. They believed that when the water stirred, the first person in would be healed.

But notice something important: This man is not looking for Jesus. He’s not calling out to Him. He’s not even aware of who He is.

But Jesus sees him. Out of the entire crowd… Jesus walks straight to him.

Why?

Because that’s who Jesus is. He is the kind of Savior who moves toward the helpless. The kind of Savior who steps into brokenness. The kind of Savior who pursues people who aren’t even pursuing Him. And that’s good news for us.

Because here is the truth: We are not just physically broken—we are spiritually dead.

The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And in Ephesians: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Not weak. Not struggling. Dead. And dead people don’t fix themselves. Dead people don’t reach out. They need someone to come to them. And that’s exactly what Jesus does.

Some of us have lived with sin so long that we’ve stopped calling them sin. “That’s just my temper.” “That’s just how I cope.” “That’s just who I am.”

But what if what you’ve accepted as normal… is actually something Jesus wants to transfrom?

We Look Everywhere but to Jesus

Even though Jesus comes near… John has told us that Jesus has took on flesh and dwelled among us. Jesus has come near, and we still tend to look elsewhere for life.

Just like the people at the pool— we look to everything else but Jesus, to fix us.

We run to: success, relationships, comfort, distractions, substances, achievements. Anything that might give us even a moment of peace.

But it never lasts. It fades. It leaves us empty. And we go right back again.

It’s like sitting by that pool… hoping this time will be different.

I heard a comedian, Pete Holmes, say after leaving the faith that he had found peace within himself. And for a moment—that might feel true.

But peace that is built on ourselves, like everything else we look to… won’t last. Because we were never meant to be our own source of life.

Just like taking medicine to manage symptoms—but never getting better.

We try to manage: anxiety instead of surrendering it , to manage guilt instead of bringing it to the cross, to manage emptiness instead of letting Jesus fill it

We don’t look for transformation… we just look for relief.

Everything Else Comes Up Empty

The Bible actually shows us someone who tried it all. King Solomon had everything this world could offer: wisdom, wealth, pleasure, power And listen to what he said in Ecclesiastes:

“All of it is meaningless… a chasing after the wind.” (1:14)

“When I surveyed all that I had done… nothing was gained.” (2:11)

Why? Because nothing in this world can fix what’s broken in the human soul.

No matter how much we achieve… no matter how much we experience… Without God—we are still empty.

Jesus Has Authority to Heal

John 5:6–9

Then Jesus speaks. He looks at the man and asks: “Do you want to get well?”

Not because Jesus doesn’t know— but because He’s exposing something deeper. Because not everyone actually wants to be healed. Healing means change. Healing means responsibility. Healing means leaving behind the identity you’ve lived in.

The man responds: “I have no one to help me… someone else always gets there first.” He doesn’t answer the question.

He gives a reason. An excuse. A limitation.

Jesus doesn’t need his ability. He doesn’t need his strength. He doesn’t even need perfect faith.

Because this miracle is not about what the man can do— it’s about what Jesus has the authority to do.

Jesus says: “Get up. Pick up your mat. And walk.”

And instantly—after 38 years—he is healed. No process. No gradual recovery. No assistance. Just the word of Jesus.

Because when Jesus speaks— what is broken is restored. What is dead comes to life.

The man says: “I have no one to help me…”

We say: “I would change, but…” “I would follow Jesus, but…” “I would trust Him, but…” And those “buts” keep us stuck.

After 38 years… hope fades. Some are thinking: “I’ve been this way too long.” “I’ve tried before.” “Nothing ever changes.”

And you’ve quietly stopped believing God can really move in your life.

Jesus Came to Heal Something Deeper

This miracle is incredible—but Jesus didn’t just come to heal bodies. He came to deal with our deepest problem—sin.

In Mark 2:17, Jesus said: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… I have come to call sinners.”

Mark 2:17

And in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us…”

He didn’t just see our condition—He took our sin, our guilt, and our punishment on Himself. So that we could be made whole.

Jesus Is Lord Over Everything

John 5:10–18

Now here’s where the tension rises. This man has been healed after 38 years… And the religious leaders don’t celebrate. They criticize.

They say: “Why are you carrying your mat on the Sabbath?” They completely miss the miracle… Because they’re more concerned with their rules than with God’s work.

But Jesus responds with something powerful: “My Father is always at His work… and I too am working.” (John 5:17)

John 5:17

This is not just a defense. This is a declaration. Jesus is claiming equality with God.

He is saying: I have the authority of God, I do the work of God, I am one with the Father.

This is why they get angry. Because they understand exactly what Jesus is saying— He’s not just breaking their rules… He’s claiming to be equal with God.

Which means this: Jesus is not just a healer. He is Lord.

Lord over sickness. Lord over sin. Lord over the Sabbath. Lord over everything. Lord of Lord!

Stop Waiting—the Lord of Lords is here. Jesus Is Here

So here’s the question: Are you still sitting by the pool?

Still hoping something else will fix you? Still going back to things that don’t satisfy? Still waiting for a cure?

Listen— You don’t have to wait anymore. Because the cure is not a method. The cure is not a system. The cure is not self-improvement.

The cure is a Lord of Lords. And His name is Jesus. And He is the Lord of all. But is He your Lord?

The good news is not just that healing is possible— It’s that Jesus has come near.

He sees you. He knows your condition. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was temped in all ways as we are and yet did not sin. He knows your condition. But He also knows your story. He knows you.

And just like that man— He is able to speak life into what feels hopeless.

So stop trusting in what doesn’t work. Stop looking for life in empty places. And trust Him.

You’ve been waiting long enough. Sitting by the pool long enough. Going back to the same empty things long enough. You need Jesus.

Jesus is here. And He’s still saying: “Get up.” Not because you’re able— but because He is.

Receive His grace. Receive His forgiveness. Receive His life. Put your trust in Jesus. Repent of you sins and as Sam is going to do this after come meet Jesus in baptism and be made new.

For 38 years he waited… And in one moment, everything changed.

Not because he got to the water—but because Jesus came to him.

And when Jesus changes you—Go tell others where the cure is found.

Ecclesiastes says:

“Who can find enjoyment without Him?”

And the answer is—no one.

Because real life… real joy…real healing…is only found in Jesus the Lord of all.

I leave with you with the same question that Jesus asked this man.

Do you want to get well?