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John 5:1-3 ESV
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, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

John 5:5-17 ESV
5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

I.A STUNNING ACT OF GRACE (1-9)
A.Jesus sees a lame man and has compassion on him.
B.When Jesus is the only hope you got left you find that Jesus is all you need.
C.Jesus heals the man instantly. Grace changes this situation immediately.

II.THAT’S HOW GRACE WORKS
A.The giving of grace is based on God’s choice, not our merit.
B.Grace finds us because it is looking for us even though we are not looking for it.
C.That grace is undeserved is good news that should make us grateful.

III.A SCANDALOUS ACT (10-13)
A.Jesus had healed this man on the Sabbath, which made it controversial.
B.Blame for breaking the Sabbath goes from the healed man to the One who healed him, Jesus.

IV.A STRANGE WARNING AND SAD END (14-15)
A.God’s generous provision should not lead us to presume upon His saving grace.

V.A SUPERNATURAL APPEAL (16-17)
A.Jesus accusers wonder how Jesus can claim to be sinless and break the Sabbath.
B.The Sabbath is for man, not God. Jesus is able to work on the Sabbath because He is God, not just a man.

NEXT STEPS
1.Beware of allowing the numbness of nearness to creep into your own heart.