2-20-2014 – Jesus was aware of his selfishness. The man had been here 38 years and in that time had not cultivated one friendship. Soon we find out just how narcissistic this person really is.

2-14-2014 – The man: The text says the man had been here 38 years. He was in the company of many who were blind, paralyzed, lame, just a multitude of invalids. Jesus sees the man. He knew he had been there for a long time. He knew why he was here. Jesus also knew some other things about the man.

2-12-2014 – Actually, the situation is much like what we find happening today. Many people put there trust in the healing properties of physicians with no regard to the will of God.

2-11-2014 – This pool is one dedicated to the Greek god Aesculapius. The god of healing. It was believed and practiced in this period that Aesculapius would stir the waters and when this happened then there would be healing properties. Here we find a Jew who puts his trust in an idol. 

2-5-2014 – As we have seen there are 4 types of purposes for suffering. (1)To train, (2) for the Glory of the Lord, (3) to test and for finally (4) Correction or discipline. This can bee seen from John 5. The Setting is important. The key to understanding this passage is its location. John places the incident near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. It is located at the Pool of Bethzatha.

2-3-2014 – Success according to the Lord’s standard determines the usefulness of the person. The suffering develops a strength of character  which can stand against the storms of life. It gives knowledge to the person of their strengths and weaknesses. It develops humility which the child of God must possess as a servant of the Lord.

2-1-2014 – Thus the purpose of the test is to strip man of all of his defenses mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional leaving nothing except ones hope in the Lord. This is the ultimate kind of suffering.

1-29-2014 – It is instructive that Job lost everything possible to lose. Nothing remained. Friends, family, possessions, it is all gone. 

1-27-2014 – It is a masterful strategy. Through Job’s friends, Satan challenges Job’s moral integrity and intellectual ability. Job’s friends use impressive arguments that reflect biblical principles. Satan often induces Godly men to attack using scriptural principles.