John 5:1-18

So far, Jesus has been performing lots of miracles, and he's building quite a reputation. The government official with the sick son knew He could ask for Jesus's help, because he'd heard of the other miracles of healing.

Today, Jesus heals a man who is crippled. But when the man is questioned about who healed him, the man can't reveal Jesus's name, because he doesn't even know who He is.

Imagine this moment: You're suffering from stomach flu. You're rolling around on the ground with intense pain in your abdomen. Your body is rejecting everything you've eaten in the past day. A stranger walks up to you, and says, "Get up and be well". If you're like most people, you'd probably have a few choice words to say to the stranger.

But not this man. Jesus tells him to get up and walk, and he does. This is not a man who had seen Jesus heal other people. We are told he didn't know Jesus, so he couldn't have been influenced by his reputation as a miracle worker. He couldn't even have known that this was the man they were calling the Messiah.

So why would he get up and walk for this stranger? Clearly, there was something so powerful about Jesus, so authoritative, that the man trusted His words. Jesus contained an energy that could not be denied.

Sometimes, we just need to trust in Jesus. Not because of His stories and reputation, but just because of who He is. Just because He's God.