The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath
John 5:1-16
King James Version (KJV)
5 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him,
because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
This miracle of Jesus healing at the Pool teaches us very important lessons for our lives:
The place - by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
God as dwelling place in our heart so that we can also see the miracle in our lives:
In Ephesians 2:22 NIV it is said -
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Revelation 21:3 NIV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Psalm 84
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Secondly - there lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
The world in which we live is a place of healing too, God intents to heal
every sickness, every disease and every person to this day and forever. The only thing he intents is to see if you are faithful enough to receive the healing, if you have gone through the real sufferings and pain in life.
John 7:37-39
King James Version (KJV)
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Thirdly - Troubled the water - the significant place would have been filled with multitude and then they have to wait for the certain season for the Angel to come and trouble the water.
God sometimes uses some unconventional ways to heal the sick and disease, here we have to understand that God always intents to heal, but if we think each as an hurdle we miss the opportunity of healing, but we have to consider each step as coming closer to his presence. This is possible only with Godly patience and persistence, Prayer and perseverance.
Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
James 5:7-8
Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Fourthly - The condition - The First Thing First:
God asks the first, the first fruit, the firstlings - Exodus chapter 13, to seek his kingdom first - Matthew 6:33.
This is because he first loved us and gave his only and the only son for our sins - John 3:16. He just asks us to give everything first is to make sure that we share the same relationship with the heavenly father - Galatians chapter 4, i.e. when we give first of everything, we glorify him, as we have the sonship we ought to show our love to the heavenly father.
Acts 17:28 NIV
For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
Fifthly - The person - Certain man - Thirty eight years
The condition of the certain man was very sad, and Jesus knew it.
Matthew 6:8 NIV for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
.. God knows our conditions even before we ask, he knows the solutions for our problems and he solves before we even ask...
The only thing we need to do is to love him...
1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him--
Matthew 22:37 NIV
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
In the above miracle Jesus asks him Wilt thou be made whole?
Just to reply "YES LORD"
he responds Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
This might have also touched the heart of Jesus, with compassion and with authority and power -
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Jesus did not interrupt nor condemn him or he did not even say anything for what this certain man said after Jesus' question. But gave him the hope for his patience and ended his suffering and relieved him out of his distress.
Sixthly and finally: The Act of the Certain man and the Act of teh Jews:
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him,
because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
The day the healing took place was a sabbath, hence this certain man was questioned by the Jews. it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
Here again the act of the certain man was not clear, he should have told God himself has told. The next question from Jews was about man made miracle and they again question What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
Jesus warns him: sin no more...
When this certain man met Jesus again, he realised who healed him and now he told the Jews that it was Jesus. Therefore Jews sought to kill Jesus.
Jesus knew that this certain man may misrepresent him to the Jews, he knew that he will be sought by Jews, but yet he did this miracle. Because he his the Lord, Son of God.
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