As John’s Gospel moves from the signs of Cana into a new section centered around the festivals of the Jews, Jesus performs another remarkable sign: He heals a man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years.

Before examining the teaching that follows this miracle, this sermon considers the setting and details of the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus simply commands the man, “Get up, pick up your pallet, and walk,” and immediately the man is restored.

But instead of rejoicing over this extraordinary act of healing, the Jewish leaders focus on the man carrying his pallet on the Sabbath. Their response reveals a growing hardness toward Jesus and His work.

The sermon examines the contrast between the joy of those who receive Christ and the hardness of those who reject Him. It also considers the danger of allowing religio ...