March 27, 2025
Real estate agents call it curb appeal. The idea is that what a potential buyer can see before entering a home is essential to garnering interest. One fixture for most homes is the front porch. No matter a home’s neighborhood or architectural design, a front porch or covered entrance is usually found. Some are large, wrap-around or screened-in porches decorated with flowers or furnished with chairs or swings.
I have witnessed some porches with televisions and grills for cooking and entertaining. Porches can be a hub for socializing and showing hospitality to friends and neighbors. In an incredible display of the authority of Jesus, we read of how a crowded porch led to an amazing miracle.
This story introduces us to a man who has been ill for 38 years. Try to imagine his prolonged suffering, frustration, and disappointment. It would be as if you had been ill since 1987. For all those years, this disabled man occupied one of the porches, hoping that someone would assist him in getting to the healing waters. His hope repeatedly ended in hurt, and his desire resulted in desperation.
This man believed his greatest need was for someone to get him to the pool. He did not realize he was on the verge of experiencing the healing power of Jesus.
Jesus will always exceed our expectations. The man in need received much more that day than transportation; he got a transformation. In these verses, there are two primary aspects worth noting. First, Jesus gave a command. Second, the man obeyed. When you combine God’s power with people’s submission, amazing things will happen. It is possible that we do not see the supremacy of God more in our own lives because we do not fully obey. The problem is never with God. We are all living testimonies to the goodness and power of God.
A miracle such as this reveals to us the heart and nature of God. In the days of Jesus and today, many believe the heavenly Father is distant or unconcerned with the needs and hurts of His people. The incarnation and ministry of Jesus prove otherwise. We serve a God who cares and loves us more than we could begin to fathom.
Miracles are a glimpse into the sovereignty of God and His ability to restore the chaos, hurt, and pain in our daily lives. The miracle for the man in this account is only half the story. After his obedience, he becomes a walking testimony of the miraculous power of Jesus. Some were amazed, and some were angry, but none could deny that the man had been healed.
This all began on a porch surrounded by hurting people. Take a look around your community and church field. You will see that the porch is never empty, and our God can meet the needs that we all face. We must listen to His words and obey.
The greatest miracle of all is to receive the salvation only Jesus can give. If you have experienced this life-changing salvation, arise, walk, and tell, and let the world see what Jesus can do.
___
This lesson was written by Bobby McKay, pastor of New Liberty Baptist Church in Morton, Mississippi, and originally published by The Baptist Paper. This study is based on the Bible Studies for Life curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources. The Sunday School lesson outlines are provided by Lifeway.
