“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.” John 5:1-4.

The name Bethesda could mean “flowing water”, or possibly “house of mercy”. As to when or how often the angel began to stir up the water in this place is unknown. Neither do we know when it started or when it ceased to be a place of healing.

The King James renders the phrase “stirring of the water” as, “troubled the water”; this stirring may have resembled a swelling or bubbling of the water in the pool.

Some question the validity of verse 4 and so put it in the margin of their text. For instance, you will find this in the New American Standard Version and its predecessor the American Standard Version.

There is little reason to accept this interpretation, since verse 4 is more fully expanded by verse 7 below, which is not in question.

“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 5:7.

The pool of Bethesda is a type or a picture of the law because those who were weakest (spiritually) could not make use of it and those who were strongest ignored the weak, thus abusing it. Such was the self-righteous mentality of the Pharisees who thought themselves superior to the common man.

“Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your [God’s] sight no one living is righteous.” Psalm 143:2.

“…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Galatians 2:16.

“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’” John 5:5-6.

Think of it this man became infirm thirty-eight years earlier; his infirmity had come upon him while Jesus was still residing in heaven. Jesus was well informed as to the circumstances of this his sickness.

The question, “Do you want to be made well?” is far from being silly, it is meant to elicit a response and perhaps some sense of expectation. The response tells us volumes.

“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.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.” John 5:7-9.

Again, we have the word Sir used as a respectful address to a man unknown to the speaker, just as it was four times in John chapter 4. This word Sir is translated this way, six times when speaking to Jesus, five in these two chapters and one in John 20:15.

The sick man tells us that whenever the water is stirred someone in better health steps in before he can get there. “Rats, I twisted my ankle a month ago and it still hurts. Guess I will try my luck at the pool.”

This is the same as the Pharisee mentality concerning the law, “I have trained under the best masters, I have studied the Talmud, I keep the law, and I am rich; why should I socialize with the ignorant rabble?”

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” Luke 18:9-14.

In this manner the pool of Bethesda becomes a type of the law and is an example of what the law could not do; just as the man was in despair of ever being healed.

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’” John 5:8

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.

“And immediately the man was made will, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.” John 5:9.

Verse nine ends with the cryptic words, “And that day was the Sabbath.” The pitiless legal heart is about to clash with the gracious Savior.

It is Not Lawful, John 5:1-9 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 8-9-12, updated on 7-19-17.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.