Behold the Man?

In the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Paralytic, we hear the story of a man who for thirty-eight years had “no man” to heal him. Year after year he sat by the Pool of Bethesda waiting for someone to help put him into the water, but while he was still crawling another would climb in before him. This continued for thirty-eight years. Until one day Jesus came walking by.

“He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’” (John 5.6-7) The man was alone for so many years, he had given up hope for help, and each time the water was stirred up, he would begin dragging himself toward the pool. He was too late. But things were about to change.

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (John 5.8) He didn’t need to drag himself into the water. He didn’t have to worry about whether or not someone else would be healed before him. He finally had what he had been waiting for. He finally had “A Man” to help him, Jesus Christ the Messiah IS “The Man” he was waiting for.

Behold the Man; there are only three times in Scripture this expression is used.

• “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.” (Genesis 3.22) when Adam fell to temptation in the Garden.
• “Behold the man, Orient is His name, and He shall build the house of the Lord,” (Zechariah 6.12) to announce the promise of the Messiah.
• “Behold the man.” (John 19.5) when Pilate announced to the world that Jesus was going to die.