EXPECTATIONS

Walking with JESUS
Week 23

Readings: John 4:46 – 5:47, Lamentations 3

EXPECTATIONS
Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

My son is getting married in 2 weeks and Jessi, his fiancé was feeling stressed –extremely stressed and I, in love, tried to console her with God’s word and promises – it will be ok, God will bless you, He will provide etc… In her frustration, responded very honestly with, “Sometimes I think those are just empty promises.” You see Jessi, like most of us do, had expectations of what she thought God’s blessings should look like and when they didn’t materialize as she thought they should, she got frustrated, angry and full of doubt. John 5 Jesus shows the benefits of putting aside our own expectations and the blessings that come with taking Him at His word and the consequences of when we don’t.

Returning to Jerusalem for the Sabbath, Jesus entered the temple through the sheep gate which was right next to a healing pool. Sitting by the pool was a man who had been “in his illness” for 38 years. Jesus approached him and asked, “do you wish to get well?” to which the name replied he had no resources to get to the water. Jesus, instead of picking Him up and taking him to the water simply said, “Get up, take up your pallet, and walk” and he was immediately healed. Now, the man could have been frustrated and angry because Jesus didn’t do what he expected (taking him to the water). But instead, He took Jesus at His word (even though he didn’t know who he was), got up, took up his mat, and walked away. The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, held fast to their own expectations of what the Messiah should and shouldn’t do, refused to take Jesus at His word (that He was the Messiah) and sought to kill him. So what does this mean?

I am the crippled man at the pool – stuck in my “sickness” of sin without any resources to get to the healing water of God’s Grace. And I, like Jessi and the Jews, all too often let my own expectations of what should and shouldn’t be get in the way of Jesus’ Words and promises which results in me sitting in a pool of pity, frustration, anger, and doubt. But Jesus came, took my “sin sickness” to the cross, buried it in the tomb, and with His resurrection brought healing and the blessings of “passing out of death into life.” And when I look to Him, believe Him, and take Him at His word, He enables me to get up out of my pool of self-pity, take up my cross, and walk with Him in peace, forgiveness, and blessings.

What about you? What do you expect from Jesus? Jesus loves you more than life itself – He proved that on the cross. Lay aside your own expectations, take Jesus at His word, expect His best, and live in His forgiveness, grace and love – now and in eternity.

Prayer: “The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never ceases… His compassions never fail, they are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness…Therefore I have hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:21-24