SUMMARY
JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. heals a man unable to walk for 38 years.
ANALYSIS
This sign sets out an important pattern in the Gospel of John. Jesus performs a sign, which is followed by dialogue as to the meaning of the sign, and then Jesus offers an interpretation of the sign. Signs can be misunderstood and in the case of Jesus’ miracles in the Gospel of John, people tend to focus on the signs and their miraculous results rather than what the signs reveal about Jesus and his identity. The signs all point to abundance, the abundant graceGrace is the unmerited gift of God's love and acceptance. In Martin Luther's favorite expression from the Apostle Paul, we are saved by grace through faith, which means that God showers grace upon us even though we do not deserve it. made possible in Jesus’ presence among us. In this case, because the average lifespan of a male in first century Palestine would have been 38-42 years, the man has been lame his entire life. The healing itself is succinctly narrated, as is the healing of the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus. The rest of the chapter records the extended dialogue and discourse as to what the healing means for the man. The man followed the command of Jesus and as a result has abundant life, for the “Son gives life to whomever he wishes” (5:21).
