Skip to main content

house of mercy

John 5:2
"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches."

Jesus called on Mary Magdalene to be the first eyewitness to His resurrection! Our GOD is more patient and care-filled than we give Him credit for! Jesus lingered at the tomb to comfort the broken heart of someone He cares about. He did not have to do that. He gently guided her to think, to remember His teachings on this subject. This is who our GOD is. Isn't Jesus who everyone is looking for? This is the question we all need to answer. The question Jesus asked Mary, "Who are you looking for?"

Today we turn to more verses in the Gospel of John that demonstrate the compassion of our Lord and Savior. In Hebrew, "Bethesda" means "house of mercy" or "house of grace." The Bethesda Pool is described as having five porticoes. Scholars dismiss this as an unhistorical literary creation. Until recent years, when this site was excavated, it revealed a rectangular pool with two basins separated by a wall. Making it a five-sided pool, with each side having its own portico. This pool was a "mikveh." which is a Jewish ritual bath. Where ceremonies of purification are performed. In this pool, people believed that when the water bubbled up, the first person in the water would be healed. So, there are lots of people here hoping to win the lottery of bubbling water. With many people here waiting and not "winning", they turned to begging. Making this place known for both suffering and hope. Into this situation the Son of God stepped...
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

to be taller

Matthew 6:27 "27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Jesus has questions... Beginning our study this week with "Why Do You Worry?" Questions have always been a cornerstone of education, used to assess students’ knowledge, promote comprehension, and stimulate critical thinking. Well-crafted questions lead to new insights, generate discussion, and promote the comprehensive exploration of the subject. It makes sense that GOD would use questions VERY effectively. In yesterday's verses, Jesus asked "Are you not MUCH BETTER than birds?" His questions do not end there. In today's verse we read another one, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" This is a sentence our culture needs to learn. No anxiety, no thinking, no wanting will alter our bodily height, or any other condition of our life that is fixed by God’s laws. We often wish things were different than they are, but our "wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

we also...

Romans 6:3&4 "3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In our studies we are striving to understand God’s love and care. God's unconditional love for His followers, appreciating that we are part of GOD’S family! God is with us from cradle to grave. His divine presence is always giving us purpose and guidance. One of the most important milestones in the life of a Christian is baptism. When we are baptized, an indelible mark is made on our soul. This mark signifies a permanent transformation and dedication of the individual to God. The act of Baptism involves water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity. This ritual is seen as a symbolic washing away of original sin and a new birth into the life of Christ. Baptism is a foundational s...
Post a Comment
Read more

in roads

Acts 2:7&8 "7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" The Holy Ghost is the only way this happens. They were very surprised to be hundreds and, some cases, thousands of miles from "home" and hearing their language spoken! It was astonishing! Appreciate that these devout Jewish people whose families had been carried away from Israel generations before. Taken in captivity by armies that invaded and conquered Israel. (A little like Joseph was taken captive to Egypt. All by God's plan to save the Israelites during a time of famine.) Over the years, these Jewish "captives" would adopt the language and some of the customs of their captors. However, they remained Jewish. By the time of the events recorded in the book of Acts, they made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover and the Feast of Weeks. They just happe...
Post a Comment
Read more