The Miraculous Work of Jesus (Part 3): Miraculous Healing

TO START: In this series, we walk through the seven miracles—or “signs,” as John calls them—recorded in his Gospel. Each miracle beautifully reveals both Jesus’ identity (who He is and what He’s like) and His work (what He does and will ultimately accomplish). In John 5, Jesus heals a powerless man—revealing Himself not only as a healer, but as the one who miraculously breaks into our world with glimpses of the ultimate wholeness and restoration promised through His resurrection at the end of time.

TO READ: John 5:1-9

TO DISCUSS:

(1.) What’s a place, situation, or season you’ve found yourself in that your young self never would have pictured?

(2.) In John 5, Jesus asks the man who had been an invalid for 38 years, ‘Do you want to get well?’ Why do you think Jesus asks this question?

(3.) In John 5, the man looked to the pool of Bethesda for healing. What are some ways or places  you personally tend to turn to in hopes of finding healing or wholeness?

(4.) When you think about the different kinds of healing Jesus brings–spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical—which of these are you most familiar with by experience, and which are you least familiar with?

(5.) Have you seen moments in other people’s lives that give a glimpse of the resurrection promise–small signs of restoration or new life–like what Jesus reveals in John 5?

TO CLOSE/TO PRAY:  We encourage you to close the group with a time of reflecting and praying on where in our lives we still need the healing touch of Jesus. Sit for a few minutes in silence with the question, “Do you want to be healed?” After a few minutes, invite the group to consider these two questions, 1) Where in my life do I need healing? & 2) Is there a place where I’ve grown resigned, like the man by the pool?... After a few minutes, invite anyone who is willing to share their response.  Lastly, close by praying for healing over all this (feel free to use the prayer below):

“Lord, Jesus, we praise you for your compassion and your power and desire to heal us. We confess there are areas where we’ve lost hope or given up waiting on our healing or healing around us. We ask that you would redeem those places as we say thank you for noticing us and loving us even when we don’t understand and thank you for continuing to ask us the question, “Do you want to be healed?” Give us the courage to say yes. We boldly ask in your name, Jesus, that you would heal each person in the room in relation to what they shared tonight and we ask that you would help us to be vessels of your healing in the world around us.”