Sermons

Bethesda – The House of Mercy / Grace

Speaker: Pastor Ben Bienvenue
Ministry: Wellspring Ministry

“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole.” — John 5:8–9

Sermon Overview

This message reveals Jesus Christ as the true expression of God’s mercy and grace at the Pool of Bethesda. While multitudes waited for a seasonal movement of the water, grace Himself stepped into the scene. Bethesda was known as the house of mercy, yet mercy was not found in the water but in a Person. Jesus bypassed human effort, tradition, and law to bring complete restoration to a man who had been bound for thirty-eight years.

1. Bethesda – The House of Mercy

Bethesda, meaning the House of Mercy or House of Grace, was located near the sheep market in Jerusalem and had five porches. In these porches lay a great multitude of impotent folk—blind, halt, and withered—waiting for the troubling of the water. Though surrounded by mercy in name, they remained bound in condition.

2. The Limitation of Human Effort

At a certain season an angel troubled the water, and only the first person who stepped in was healed. This revealed the limitation of systems based on effort, timing, and competition. The man with the infirmity had waited thirty-eight years, not because mercy was unavailable, but because he had “no man” to help him.

3. Grace Initiates the Miracle

Jesus saw the man lying there and knew he had been in that condition a long time. Grace does not wait for an invitation; grace takes the initiative. Jesus did not ask about the angel, the water, or the law. He asked one direct question: “Wilt thou be made whole?” Grace always addresses the will before the work.

4. The Word Brings Instant Restoration

The man explained his weakness—“I have no man”—but Jesus did not reason with his past. Instead, He spoke a creative Word: “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” What the law could not accomplish in thirty-eight years, grace accomplished instantly. The spoken Word produced life, strength, and obedience.

5. Grace Above the Sabbath

The miracle took place on the Sabbath, exposing the conflict between grace and legalism. Religion questioned the healing, but grace revealed the heart of God. No one is saved or restored by the law. Salvation, healing, and deliverance come by grace alone, which was before the law, during the law, and remains after the law.

Conclusion: Mercy in a Person

Bethesda teaches that healing and restoration do not come through effort, waiting, or human help, but through Christ alone. Mercy is not found in a place, a system, or a season. Mercy has a name, and His name is Jesus Christ—the true House of Mercy.

Key Scriptures

John 5:1–9
John 5:19–30
Exodus 34:6