This message is entitled "Responding to the Healing Touch of Jesus". In the follow-up to Jesus' miraculous healing of the man who was crippled for 38 years, we see two rebukes directed at the man as he leaves the scene of his healing.
The first of these is from Jews who were zealous for God's laws but had unfortunately missed the point of what God intended by them and what God was currently doing. The second rebuke was much more serious - it was from Jesus Himself who said "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you".
In this message we explore the warning given to this man but deserved by all of us - we have all sinned and fallen short of God's standards (Rom 3:23). In Revelation chapter 20 we read that Jesus will return and will judge the world - all of us will be judged according to what we have done. And we won't be judged by our own standards but by God's. The inevitable result is that we will be found guilty of rebelling against Him. The inevitable judgement is eternal death - being cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15).
This is unwelcome news - it's not fun being told off, and it's not much fun having to face the consequences of our wrong actions or our lack or right ones. However the message is not finished. The gospel (good news) of Jesus starts with these inescapable and awful realities, but then reveals the way of deliverance that God planned out for us before time began. Jesus took the penalty for our sin so that we could be forgiven and God would be justified in offering us eternal life! Jesus invites all of us to turn from our sin and embrace Him as our Saviour and Lord. The consequences of choosing to continue in sin are awful in this life and the next. God does not want that for any of us, He wants us to turn from sin and receive eternal life from Him (2 Peter 3:9).
Jesus' death and resurrection have achieved healing for all of us (Isaiah 53:5). Healing from sin and it's consequences. That healing will be completed when He returns to make all things new (Rev. 21). How will you respond to the healing touch of Jesus? Will you accept it, or will you reject it and try to make it on your own? The cripple at the pool of Bethesda had been trying for 38 years for physical healing with no success. Only Jesus could heal him. The same is true for our souls. Turn from your sin and accept His offer of new life today.
