Do You Want to Be Healed?

Scriptures: John 5:1-6, Isaiah 43:18-19

When I was a kid, I thought grown-ups had all the answers. I thought they were geniuses who always knew what they were doing. If you’re a grown-up living in these times, you know how wrong I was back then. 

I remember attending church as a child and seeing all the adults dressed in suits, ties, and dresses. Looking at how put-together they were on the outside, I assumed they were equally put-together on the inside. How little did I know! 

I stumbled on an article by Marshall Hayden entitled “Would Every Non-Hurter Please Stand Up?” He described how people come to church looking put-together on the outside while internally carrying real hurt and pain. 

We’re all dealing with something. It could be financial struggles, health concerns, or relationship problems. Maybe you’re struggling with questions about your faith. Perhaps you’re in a marriage that was not doing well, and you recently got hit with another crisis. Or you might just be exhausted and worn out, wondering when you’ll ever get a chance to rest. 

I want you to finish this sentence: “I wonder if Christ could heal my _____.”

Put a word in that blank. What’s that place where you’re praying Christ would bring His healing power?

In John 5, we find Jesus encountering a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. This man was at the pool of Bethesda, which means “House of Mercy.” He was brought there with the expectation that he might experience healing. But he had been waiting for 38 years – a little less than my lifetime. 

That’s a long time to battle a problem or struggle. You may have been wrestling with your issue for weeks, months, or even years. If so, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. 

Jesus approached this man and asked an obvious question: “Do you want to be healed?” This question might sound strange initially – of course, he wanted to be healed! But Jesus is the master question-asker. His questions cut to the heart of our condition and reveal our deepest needs. 

Sometimes, when we’re hurting, we get so used to our pain that it becomes part of our identity. We may even develop coping methods that, while not ideal, have become comfortable. Jesus’ question challenges us to examine whether we genuinely want the healing He offers, especially if it means leaving behind our familiar ways of thinking and living. 

What would you say if Jesus asked you that question today? Do you want to be healed? The answer might not be as straightforward as you think. Because to find healing, you first have to acknowledge you’re sick. 

Tomorrow, we’ll explore how our problems are often bigger and more profound than we realize and how Jesus wants to address areas we might not even recognize need healing.

Scriptures: John 5:7-9, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Have you ever gone to the doctor for one problem only to discover a more serious underlying issue? That’s often how it works in our spiritual journey with Jesus. 

In John 5, when Jesus asked the invalid man, “Do you want to be healed?” the man didn’t respond with a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, he said, “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.” 

Notice his response—he didn’t answer the question. He explained why he couldn’t be healed. His focus was entirely on his physical limitations and inability to reach the water at the right time, but Jesus saw something deeper. 

This man’s 38 years beside the pool hadn’t just changed his physical condition but also transformed his emotional and spiritual state. The healing he needed went far beyond his physical paralysis.

I’ve been meeting with a Christian therapist for several years, unpacking past hurts, unhelpful coping mechanisms, and pursuing healing. When I show up, I’m often surprised that our session goes in an unexpected direction, as my therapist takes me into a deeper issue underneath what has frustrated me. He constantly reminds me of my temptation to seek superficial healing. “Scott, the healing has to go as deep as the pain. Anything less isn’t being thorough enough.”

Often, God meets us where we think we need healing, then shows us that the problem is deeper and the healing must be more thorough than we initially believed. The problem we see is often just the tip of the iceberg. 

Consider Naaman in 2 Kings 5. He was a wealthy, influential Syrian commander with leprosy. After trying every treatment his money and power could buy, he learned about the prophet Elisha. But when Elisha told him to bathe seven times in the Jordan River, Naaman became angry. He had expected a dramatic healing experience – perhaps Elisha waving his hands and calling on God’s name. Bathing in the dirty Jordan River seemed beneath him. 

Naaman nearly missed his healing because it didn’t match his expectations. His pride was as much a problem as his leprosy. 

One of my friends once confessed honestly about the man at the pool in John 5. He shared, “So often I do want to be healed, but not if it means I have to _________________.” He shared his limitations, but I wonder about yours. What would you put in that blank? 

“I want to be healed, but not if it means I must forgive that person.”

“I want to be healed, but not if it means admitting I was wrong.”

“I want to be healed, but not if it means surrendering control.”

A couple of years ago, my wife challenged me about how much time I spent on my phone. I thought I had a “phone problem,” so I went on a 24-hour fast from it. What I discovered surprised me – I didn’t have a phone problem; I had a control and insecurity problem that manifested through my phone use. I wanted to be on my phone less, but God wanted to address my deeper issues of control and insecurity. 

What if the problem isn’t where you think it is? What if God wants to heal something more profound than you’ve identified?

The way Jesus heals you may not match your expectations. His healing might be different and ultimately better than what you’ve been asking for. 

Tomorrow, we’ll explore the final stage of this healing encounter, where we discover the ultimate obstacle to our healing.

Scriptures: John 5:10-15, Ephesians 2:4-5, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:5-8

After Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, an interesting conflict arose. The religious leaders were upset because the man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath, breaking their interpretation of the rules about not working on a holy day. They weren’t celebrating that a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years was now walking! They were focused on their religious regulations instead. 

Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and said something surprising: “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). 

When you’ve been an invalid for 38 years, what could be worse than that?! Unless the healing Jesus wanted to bring wasn’t just to his body but to his whole being.

The pool of Bethesda was right on the temple’s edge, which is significant. Just as the man was on the edge of the pool but couldn’t get in, the pool was on the edge of the temple but couldn’t provide the true healing that the man needed. Jesus was exposing the inadequacy of their ways of relating to God. 

The healing Jesus offers isn’t merely physical, emotional, or spiritual – it’s all three.The power of sin and death has affected our entire being, and so the healing Jesus brings must be comprehensive. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” 

Jesus didn’t come to merely heal people physically or teach them good things. He did those things as signs pointing to His ultimate mission – to save us from our sins and move us from death to life. And Jesus is the only one who can do that. As Acts 4:12 declares, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

What this man discovered – and what we need to realize – is that we cannot heal ourselves. Only Jesus can heal us. We can’t save ourselves. Only Jesus can save us.

When we truly experience healing and salvation, we are humbled deeply because we know the transformation didn’t originate with us. 

Throughout Christian history, humility has been the marker of Christian maturity. It’s why “arrogant Christian” is an oxymoron. Since Christian means “little Christ,” you can’t be an arrogant version of anything that looks like Jesus. As Philippians 2 tells us, Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

The healing process Jesus carried out in John 5 follows this path: 

1. I have a problem.
2. My problem is bigger and deeper than I realize.
3. I need someone to save me because I can’t save myself.

To be healed, you have to know you’re sick. And you have to recognize you can’t heal yourself. Only Jesus can. 

Tomorrow, we’ll apply the three parts of this healing process to our lives in very practical ways. I can’t wait to help you get started!

Scriptures: Psalms 139:23-24, James 4:6-10

Throughout this plan, we’ve examined the encounter between Jesus and the man at the pool of Bethesda. We’ve learned that: 

1. Jesus asks us if we want to be healed – a question that’s often more complex than it appears.
2. Our problems are typically bigger and deeper than we realize.
3. We need Jesus to save us because we cannot save ourselves.

Now, it’s time to apply these truths to our lives. How do we position ourselves to receive the healing Jesus offers? 

First, we need to identify precisely where we need healing. Earlier in this plan, I asked you to complete the sentence: “I wonder if Jesus could heal my _____.” If you haven’t done so yet, take a moment to fill in that blank. Make it real and tangible. What is that place in your life where you long for Christ’s healing touch? 

But here’s where many of us stop. We identify what we want Jesus to heal and ask Him to heal it. But when was the last time you asked Jesus what He wanted to heal in you? 

This leads to our second step: Ask Jesus, “What do you want to heal in me?” This question opens us up to the possibility that He sees something different – perhaps something bigger and deeper – than we’ve identified. 

I’m often surprised by what comes to mind when I pray this prayer. Sometimes, it’s an area of unforgiveness I’ve been harboring. Other times, it’s a thinking pattern contrary to God’s truth. Occasionally, it’s a relationship that needs attention. Even in writing this plan, I’ve recognized an area of my leadership as a pastor that needs to be healed so I don’t continue to lead out of my woundedness. 

Psalm 139:23-24 offers a beautiful prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” 

The third step is to examine how your attitudes, beliefs, or choices might oppose the healing Jesus wants to bring. What expectations might be in the way? Maybe the obstacle isn’t out there in your circumstances. Perhaps the obstacle is within you. 

Like Naaman, we might be resisting Jesus’ methods of healing. Our pride, comfort with the familiar, or fear of the unknown can all hinder receiving what Jesus offers. 

James 4:6 reminds us, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” When we humble ourselves, acknowledge our needs, and surrender our expectations, we position ourselves to receive God’s grace and healing. 

Finally, I invite you to pray the “Bethesda Prayer” daily. It’s a summary of what we’ve learned from this passage, and it’s a prayer I’ve been praying regularly: 

“Jesus, I have a problem, bigger and deeper than I realize. I need someone to save me because I can’t save myself. Jesus, save me, a sinner, and heal me.”

This healing may happen instantly, as it did for the man at Bethesda in John 5. Or it may occur over time through a process like Naaman in 2 Kings 5. But I believe Jesus is still in the business of healing and wants to do that work in our lives today.