In the multitude he lay there With a sickness many years; Impotent and lying helpless, Ever fraught with many fears. Waiting for the water’s moving, Waiting for the angel’s stir; Powerless to move, however, Helpless, hopeless, lying there.
D
In the
D7
multitude he
G
lay there
D
With a sickness many
A-A7
years;
D
Impo
D7
tent and lying
G
helpless,
D
Ever
A7
fraught with many
D
fears.
A
Waiting for the water's
D
moving,
G
Waiting
D
for the angel's
A-A7
stir;
D
Power
D7
less to move, how
G
ever,
D
Helpless,
A7
hopeless, lying
D-G-D
there.
2
At this pool how clear the picture Of the hopeless case of all Who are seeking self-perfection To recover from the fall. Though the law is good and holy, Flesh, to keep the law, is dead; What we need is not religion, But the Word of life instead.
At this pool how clear the picture
Of the hopeless case of all
Who are seeking self-perfection
To recover from the fall.
Though the law is good and holy,
Flesh, to keep the law, is dead;
What we need is not religion,
But the Word of life instead.
D
At this
D7
pool how clear the
G
picture
D
Of the hopeless case
A-A7
of all
D
Who are
D7
seeking
G
self-perfection
D
To
A7
recover from the
D
fall.
A
Though the law is good and
D
holy,
G
Flesh, to
D
keep the law, is
A-A7
dead;
D
What we
D7
need is not
G
religion,
D
But the
A7
Word of life
D-G-D
instead.
3
Though it’s feast day, he’s not happy, Though the Sabbath, there’s no rest; Lying in his poor condition, Miserable and sore depressed. At that moment Jesus saw him, Knowing he was thus so long. “Will you be made whole?” He asked him, “Healed and walking, well and strong?”
Though it's feast day, he's not happy,
Though the Sabbath, there's no rest;
Lying in his poor condition,
Miserable and sore depressed.
At that moment Jesus saw him,
Knowing he was thus so long.
"Will you be made whole?" He asked him,
"Healed and walking, well and strong?"
D
Though it's
D7
feast day, he's not
G
happy,
D
Though the Sabbath, there's no
A-A7
rest;
D
Lying in
D7
his poor
G
condition,
D A7
Miserable and sore
D
depressed.
A
At that moment Jesus
D
saw him,
G
Knowing
D
he was thus so
A-A7
long.
D
"Will you
D7
be made whole?" He
G
asked him,
D
"Healed and
A7
walking, well and
D-G-D
strong?"
4
Though he told his hopeless story, Scarce believing what he’d heard, Yet, soon to his feet arising, He received the living word. This is all our situation, We—like him—were lying there In the sheep-fold of religion, Under law’s prevailing care.
Though he told his hopeless story,
Scarce believing what he'd heard,
Yet, soon to his feet arising,
He received the living word.
This is all our situation,
We—like him—were lying there
In the sheep-fold of religion,
Under law's prevailing care.
D
Though he
D7
told his
G
hopeless story,
D
Scarce believing what he'd
A-A7
heard,
D
Yet, soon
D7
to his feet
G
arising,
D
He
A7
received the living
D
word.
A
This is all our
D
situation,
G
We—like
D
him—were lying there
D
In the
D7
sheep-fold of
G
religion,
D
Under
A7
law's prevailing
D-G-D
care.
5
While we yet were weak and helpless, Christ the Son of God did come. By His word we’re now enlivened; He’s the life-imparting One! Hallelujah for this Jesus, He’s the Word of life to men; From law’s bondage He releases, Death is turned to life again!
I remember writing this hymn during the week-long study in Anaheim on the Gospel of John, I believe it was in 1985.
During that conference, I was so touched by the story of the invalid man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-9, and how the story portrays the powerlessness of religion to heal us and give us life. "Though it's feast day, he's not happy, though the Sabbath, there's no rest; Lying in his poor condition, miserable and sore depressed."
But "At that moment, Jesus saw him, knowing he was thus so long. 'Will you be made whole?" He asked him, "Healed and walking, well and strong. '"
It's a powerful story of Christ as the life-imparting one versus the dead bondage of the law.
As I recall, I wrote this hymn during the conference itself. Yet, there is certain phrasing here in some spots that tells me Ned Nossaman edited my composition, which was our practice in those days. So, I would consider us co-authors. And Ned and I are still writing hymns together today, 40 years later.
Praise our precious Lord Jesus that through His incarnation He not only saved us from Satan, sin, and death but from the lifeless, hopeless, helpless, inadequacy of religion. It makes me want to sing! "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Savior!" (#986)
What a lovely, sweet, hymn! The story of our life. Jesus the Lord saw us, hopeless, helpless, we heard the word of life, we are forever new men in Christ!
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Irvine, CA, United States
I remember writing this hymn during the week-long study in Anaheim on the Gospel of John, I believe it was in 1985.
During that conference, I was so touched by the story of the invalid man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-9, and how the story portrays the powerlessness of religion to heal us and give us life. "Though it's feast day, he's not happy, though the Sabbath, there's no rest; Lying in his poor condition, miserable and sore depressed."
But "At that moment, Jesus saw him, knowing he was thus so long. 'Will you be made whole?" He asked him, "Healed and walking, well and strong. '"
It's a powerful story of Christ as the life-imparting one versus the dead bondage of the law.
As I recall, I wrote this hymn during the conference itself. Yet, there is certain phrasing here in some spots that tells me Ned Nossaman edited my composition, which was our practice in those days. So, I would consider us co-authors. And Ned and I are still writing hymns together today, 40 years later.
Thank you brothers for including this hymn here.
Irving, TX, United States
Praise our precious Lord Jesus that through His incarnation He not only saved us from Satan, sin, and death but from the lifeless, hopeless, helpless, inadequacy of religion. It makes me want to sing! "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Savior!" (#986)
John 5:1-9
Acts 26:18
Wellington, New Zealand
What a lovely, sweet, hymn! The story of our life. Jesus the Lord saw us, hopeless, helpless, we heard the word of life, we are forever new men in Christ!