5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a Jewish feast. 2 In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. In the Aramaic language it is called Bethesda. It is surrounded by five rows of columns with a roof over them. 3/4 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. Among them were those who were blind, those who could not walk, and those who could hardly move. 5 One person who was there had been disabled for 38 years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the disabled man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs the water up. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was healed. He picked up his mat and walked. The day this happened was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath. The law does not allow you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The one who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is this fellow? Who told you to pick it up and walk?” 13 The one who was healed had no idea who it was. Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple. Jesus said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away. He told the Jews it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath day. So the Jews began to oppose him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this very day. I am working too.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried even harder to kill him. Jesus was not only breaking the Sabbath. He was even calling God his own Father. He was making himself equal with God.

Jesus heals a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. At the time he was healed he had no idea who Jesus was. Jesus simply told the man to get up, walk and take your mat with you. The miracle was performed on the Sabbath which angered the Jewish leaders. Jesus referred to God as his Father thereby equating himself with God and this further infuriated the Jewish leaders.

Jesus was happy to see the man made whole but he also warned him to stop leading a sinful life because something far worse may happen. The guy was probably thinking what could be worse than lying here paralysed for 38 years and had no concept of an eternity in hell.

Jesus authority is clearly on display here. The paralysed man had no idea who Jesus was yet at his command he got up and walked. He did this without hesitation. There was no questioning who Jesus was and why should obey. He just did it and his obedience paid off. There must have been something so compelling about Jesus that this man took him at his word. It encourages me to take God at his word especially where I feel unable to move in the right direction or make any kind of move at all.

It is interesting that Jesus asked the man what he wanted – wasn’t it obvious! God so wants to relate to us – to chat. He wanted to hear this poor man explain why life wasn’t working for him. The hopelessness of never making it to that pool in his own strength. When Jesus tells the man to get up and walk it’s like he’s saying, “Enough of this life, no more, be healed!” It’s said in direct response to the man’s explanation.

Thank Lord thank you for the authority that Jesus has in my life to make me whole. Amen

Written by Ainslie Woods

27 Just then Jesus’ disciples returned. They were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want from her?” No one asked, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 The woman left her water jar and went back to the town. She said to the people, 29 “Come. See a man who told me everything I’ve ever done. Could this be the Christ?” 30 The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus. 31 His disciples were saying to him, “Rabbi, eat something!” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples asked each other, “Did someone bring him food?” 34 Jesus said, “My food is to do what my Father sent me to do. My food is to finish his work. 35 “You say, ‘Four months more, and then it will be harvest time.’ But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest right now. 36 Those who gather the crop are already getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So those who plant and those who gather can now be glad together. 37 “Here is a true saying. ‘One plants and another gathers.’ 38 I sent you to gather what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work. You have gathered the benefits of their work.” 39 Many of the Samaritans from the town of Sychar believed in Jesus. They believed because of the woman’s witness. She said, “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” 40 Then the Samaritans came to him and tried to get him to stay with them. So he stayed two days. 41 Because of his words, many more people became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said. We have now heard for ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

I love this story of the Samaritan woman’s interaction with Jesus and His interactions with the disciples. It helps me – because they all take a while to get what Jesus is on about. Just like me – I can take a while to catch on to the obvious truth Jesus wants me to live in. The woman after a long chat to Jesus finally “gets” it when Jesus reveals He knows all about her – and He is still talking to her. The disciples are focussed on physical sustenance (food) when Jesus hijacks the conversation to get them thinking about what is really important – seeing lost people saved – something that has just happened with Jesus and the woman at the well. We don’t get any indication of the disciples “catching on” but when the people of the town come crowding in around Jesus because of what the woman has told them – and then after hearing Jesus speak to them – they also believe – I imagine the disciples may have had an “oh I get it” moment.

Lord as I lift up my eyes – help me to see the harvest – the people all around me who are ready to receive you. Help me, like the woman, hold on to the incredible truth that you know all about me and yet you still love me. As Christmas approaches – help me tell my story and Yours’ so my friends can discover the wonder of You for themselves.

Written by Ps. Linda Quinn

4 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John. 2 But in fact Jesus was not baptizing. His disciples were. 3 When the Lord found out about all this, he left Judea. He went back to Galilee again. 4 Jesus had to go through Samaria. 5 He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the piece of land Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from the journey. So he sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” She said this because Jews don’t have anything to do with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered her, “You do not know what God’s gift is. And you do not know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked him. He would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you don’t have anything to get water with. The well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 “Our father Jacob gave us the well. He drank from it himself. So did his sons and his flocks and herds. Are you more important than he is?” 13 Jesus answered, “All who drink this water will be thirsty again. 14 But anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give him will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty. And I won’t have to keep coming here to get water.”

What an incredible illustration of our reality. How often are we tied up with the cares of the world, busy getting water, or whatever is pressing at that moment, consumed in going about our daily chores. We might find ourselves talking to God about the difficulties of daily living, and here He is, with us in the midst of our ordinary, offering us so much more, calling us to so much more. We might react like the woman at the well – what is this living water? You don’t even have a bucket. What do you mean? Responding with doubt and frustration, as if at any minute we’re going to have to go back to the real world, of hard work and looking after ourselves. And here God is, King of the Universe, gentle and kind even as we respond in our small mindedness. God longing to satisfy our deep desires with Himself, longing for us to let Him take care of us and longing for us to fix our gaze on Him. God desiring to show us a bigger way to live, with vision and faith, living beyond the day to day chores.

God, please help me to get unstuck from my focus on water, chores, responsibilities and cares. Help me lift up my eyes, take you at your word and receive what you are offering the help that you are offering. I want your living water, please help me to receive it. Amen.

Written by Beth Waugh

7 Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too.” 9 After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh.

The “Magi” often called “wise men” were scholars whose knowledge of both astrological science and prophecy helped them to figure out that the unusually bright star they saw shining over Bethlehem pointed the way to the Messiah.

King Herod, who ruled Judea, would have been jealous of any competing king who would have drawn attention away from him — especially one who people thought was worthy of being worshipped.

After meeting the Magi secretly, King Herod told them of Micah’s prophecy and told them he intended to worship Jesus too. I think these men weighed up Micah’s words carefully and realised that it was God who was guiding them by means of the star. Being wise men they were convinced of the authenticity of the pilgrimage.

They were so excited when they saw Jesus that they bowed before him and worshipped him. Mission accomplished! Being devout men they believed the dream God gave them; As we see God’s hand in our lives we are convinced He will reveal His purposes in and through our experiences.

Lord, we thank You for Your guiding light pointing us to a personal relationship with You. We gladly lift our hearts in worship to honour and adore Jesus.

Written by Keith Bennett