A Study of John 5:1-3, 5-9
"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, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath."
John 5:1-3, 5-9 ESV
Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:
-Feast: "ἑορτὴ", "heortē"; noun, nominative, singular, feminine - a feast day, festival.
-Jesus: "Ἰησοῦς", "Iēsous"; noun, nominative, singular, masculine - Jesus = "Yahweh is salvation"; Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind, God incarnate.
-Jerusalem: "Ἱεροσόλυμα", "Hierosolyma"; noun, accusative, singular, feminine - Jerusalem = 'City of Peace.'
-Sheep Gate: "προβατικῇ", "probatikē"; adjective, dative, singular, feminine - the sheep gate; having to do with sheep.
-Bethesda: "Βηθεσδά", "Bethesda"; noun, nominative, singular, feminine - Bethesda = "house of mercy" or "flowing water"; John 5:2 (FSB): Greek manuscripts show a variety of renderings for this place name: "Beth-zatha," "Bethesda," or "Bethsaida." The most common English rendering is "Bethesda." John is the only NT writer to mention this pool.
- John 5:2 (FSB): Beth-zatha was the name for the northern suburb of Jerusalem. Josephus refers to it as "Bezetha" and the "New City." Beth-zatha means "house of the olive" in Aramaic. Bethesda reflects the Aramaic beth-chesda or "house of mercy." Scribal confusion over the original name led to the variety of readings. Archaeological evidence shows there was a pool in Jerusalem just north of the Sheep Gate.
-Roofed Colonnades: "στοὰς", "stoas"; noun, accusative, plural, feminine - covered walkways; a portico, a covered colonnade where people can stand or walk protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.
-Of Invalids: "ἀσθενούντων", "asthenountōn"; verb, present, active, participle, plural, genitive, masculine - to be sick, be weak, without strength, powerless.
-Saw: "ἰδὼν", "idōn"; verb, aorist, active, participle, singular, nominative, masculine - to see with the eyes; to see with the mind, to perceive, to know.
-Knew: "γνοὺς", "gnous"; verb, aorist, active, participle, singular, nominative, masculine - know, understand; to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of; passive to become known.
-Healed: "ὑγιὴς", "hygiēs"; adjective, nominative, singular, masculine - sound, healthy; to make one whole i.e. restore him to health.
-Sick (Man): "ἀσθενῶν", "asthenōn"; verb, present, active, participle, singular, nominative, masculine - to be sick, be weak, be without strength, be powerless.
-Sir: "Κύριε", "Kyrie"; noun, vocative, singular, masculine - a title of honor, expressive of respect and reverence by anyone who wishes to honor a man of distinction. Mr; Lord; master; Sir.
-Is Stirred Up: "ταραχθῇ", "tarachthē"; verb, aorist, passive, subjunctive, third person, singular - stir, agitate a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro.
-Get Up (Arise): "Ἔγειρε", "Egeire"; verb, present, active, imperative, second person, singular - raise up, lift up, get up; of one 'down' with disease, lying sick: arise and recover.
-The Sabbath: "σάββατον", "Sabbaton"; noun, nominative, singular, neuter - the Sabbath day; the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work.
Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):
After healing the royal official's son, and spending some time in Cana in Galilee, Jesus returned to Jerusalem during a certain "feast of the Jews." In Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, there was a pool with 5 covered walkways, which most English translations render as "Bethesda." This same place is also referred to as "Bethsaida" and "Bethzatha" in various manuscripts. Many sick and disabled people would gather there, and on this day there was a particular man there who had been an invalid for 38 years. When Jesus saw this man and knew he had been there a long time, He asked the man if he wanted to be healed. The man's response was that he had no one to put him in the water whenever it was stirred up, and others would get to the pool before him. Jesus did not respond to this statement but instead said, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." The man was immediately healed, and the final note John leaves us with for this section is, "Now that day was the Sabbath."
Implication (what does this mean to us):
"After this" in verse one refers to the events at the close of chapter 4 where Jesus healed a royal official's son, and spent time with His disciples, presumably performing more miracles and teaching in His home region of Galilee. We are not told how long Jesus spent in Galilee at this time, but we know from the story so far that He had previously returned to Galilee with His disciples from Jerusalem and the region of Judea where they had been for the celebration of Passover. We also do not know which "feast" this was, because John does not tell us. John often ties events in the narrative to various Jewish festivals, and the fact that he does not specify which one this is indicates that it is not thematically relevant to what he will write about in this chapter. It is merely meant to explain why Jesus was in Jerusalem again.
There is of course debate and uncertainty over which feast this was. There were a few pilgrimage festivals that would be cause for most Jews to travel to Jerusalem. Besides Passover, there was the Feast of Weeks that took place only 50 days after Passover. There was also the Feast of Tabernacles that took place six months after Passover. And there is also the possibility that this was another Passover celebration that took place a year after the last one. The fact of the matter is we simply do not know which feast this was, and John did not tell us because it is not important for the point he will communicate in the ensuing narrative. The main point of conflict we will see as we read further in chapter 5 is that Jesus is about to heal a man on the Sabbath.
In verse 2 we read that by the sheep gate there was a pool called Bethesda in Aramaic. The Greek word translated as Aramaic here is "Hebraisti" and it simply refers to the Hebrew and Aramaic language spoken in Israel at this time. Greek was the language of trade spoken throughout the Greco-Roman Empire, and that is why the NT was primarily written in Greek. But each of the nations within the empire also retained their own regional languages. We can liken this to the way English or Mandarin are trade languages today that many people learn in addition to their local language. The Greek word "probatike" is translated as 'sheep gate' here, and it is an adjective that literally means "having to do with sheep." It refers to a small gate in the northern wall of the city. And it was part of the wall rebuilt by Nehemiah. The pool is referenced by a few different names in various manuscripts which include: Bethesda, Bethzatha, Belzetha and Bethsaida. These all refer to the same pool, but Bethesda is likely the name that was used at this time as it is well attested to by the "Copper Scroll" from Qumran. In addition to manuscript evidence, archaeological evidence has confirmed the existence of this pool with five covered colonnades in Jerusalem by the northern sheep gate. The five roofed colonnades can best be understood as covered walkways/areas to provide people with shade from the sun.
From verse 3 we learn that many sick and disabled people gathered at this pool, presumably under the shade of the colonnades. Some more recent manuscripts add an additional line that explains people gathered here because periodically the water would be stirred up by an angel of some kind, and whoever got into the water first would be healed. But the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include this line. For this reason this line is not included in the many newer English translations, such as the ESV, but then again, other very good English translations do include it as "verse 4" or at least as a footnote. It is important to remember that chapter and verse numbers were not originally included in the books of the Bible. Chapter and verse numbers began to be added to the New Testament in the 1500s alongside the invention of the printing press as an innovative way to reference and denote specific lines in the Bible. But the question is, why was this line about the angel stirring water added in later manuscripts?
First of all, it in no way changes the meaning of the text, so it is nothing to be overly concerned about. But still, why was it added? It was likely added at some point to better explain the disabled man's words from verse 7 about not being able to get into the water before everyone else when it was "stirred up." It appears this was a common belief at the time, so this line was simply added to help explain this to the reader. But again, it is absent from earlier manuscripts, so many translators choose to omit it, but they also usually include it as a footnote. It does nothing to change the meaning or message of the text, and simply provides some more clarity on the belief of the people at this time and why they gathered at the pool. Why did the water get "stirred up" though? That is far less clear, but there seems to be three possibilities.
The first possibility is that an angel of some kind did stir up the water and supernaturally heal the first person to get in. The second is that the water was stirred up periodically because it may have been fed by springs that caused the agitation; and there are those who say the water may have contained high mineral content, and was therefore medicinal. I think the third possibility we need to recognize is that some combination of both of these things was going on. But overall, the fact is we do not know exactly what was going on here. All we know is what the popular belief was at the time, and as we will read in verse 5, there is one disabled man in particular, who had been disabled for 38 years and he was unable to get into the pool. Would the pool have healed him if he got in first? Was it really a source of supernatural healing for some? The answer is, we do not know. But we do know from verse 5-6 that this man had been there for a long time, and "Jesus saw him lying there."
We are not told exactly what this man's ailment was, but from the use of the word, "asthenountōn," which means to be sick, weak, without strength, powerless, it seems that he was at the very least paralyzed, or very weak and unable to stand. And he had been in this condition for a very long time; 38 years. In verse 6 we find out that Jesus saw him lying there and "knew" he had been there a long time already. From the use of the Greek word "gnous," it is unclear whether Jesus perceived this supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, or if he learned this by asking around. But the important thing is Jesus saw him in this condition, and He moved toward him and asked, "Do you want to be healed?". This is something that is worth pausing for a moment and contemplating. This man had been languishing in a sick, weak and powerless condition for decades with no way to heal himself or even attempt to be healed by the feeble and insufficient means available to him. And Jesus came to him, learned about his situation, and offered to help.
This is the condition we are all born in spiritually. We are all born sick, weak, and powerless under the curse of sin, and we do not possess the ability to heal or free ourselves from it. We do not possess the ability to even seek out Jesus in our own power. But Jesus, Yahweh, Lord God Almighty stepped down from His throne in the heavens, to personally learn about our lowly estate, and to freely offer us healing and forgiveness for our sin. This is our God. Yahweh, Jesus Christ our Savior. What can we say to this other than, "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!" Psalm 57:11 (ESV).
Next, to the question Jesus asked the man. There is much psychoanalysis and conjecture that often goes into interpreting this passage wherein Jesus' request is likened to our need to request healing if we are to receive it. It is true that we should make our requests known to God, but it is wrong to conclude the initiative for an act of God lies with us. In this passage the sovereign initiative lies solely with Jesus, not the disabled man. Jesus is the one who learned of the man's condition, and Jesus is the one who approached the man and asked him if he wanted to be healed. God is always the first mover, even from the very beginning of creation itself. All that is required of this man here is to respond to the offer of Jesus. Again, this describes all of us spiritually. We are born helplessly immobilized in our sin, and wholly unable to save and cleanse ourselves from it. But Jesus comes to us and makes the offer, "Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be healed of this cancerous sin that will consume and destroy you for eternity ?" And then we are given the opportunity to choose how to respond. Jesus does not force healing on this man and He does not force salvation upon us. Love that is coerced is not love, and Jesus wants us to willingly love Him and become a part of His family and kingdom.
So, Jesus asks this man if he wants to be healed instead of assuming he did. But the man responds by saying whenever the water is stirred up, someone else gets into the water before he can. This verse is the reason the line about the angel stirring up the water was added in later manuscripts. It was added to explain why this man said this. There was a popular belief at the time that supernatural healings occurred in this place. In light of this, the man did not say yes or no, but this answer implies that he meant something like, "Yes, but how can I? The stirring up of this water is the only way I can be healed. Only the first person into the pool gets healed, but I move too slowly because of my condition." This statement certainly expresses the man's desire to be healed. Why else would he keep returning to this pool day after day, or however often it was expected that the water might be stirred up if he did not want to be healed? One thing we can observe though, is that his desire for healing, while good and understandable, was not enough to heal him. We can want the right things and say the right prayers, but ultimately we are not in control of what happens to us. In the end we really only have a say in how we respond to the many circumstances that are out of our control.
There is a danger that exists in enduring painful and debilitating conditions for a long time, whether they be physical or emotional. The danger is a type of despair and despondency that erodes our desire to be made well. It is a type of despair that causes us to no longer want to be better, but to instead just end it all. That is one element of the human condition we must be aware of and on guard against. That is what many people also think was involved here with this man, and they may be right. The text does not say though, so while I think this provides a good opportunity to speak to that common human problem, we should be careful not to assume too much about this man. But after 38 years of disability, I think it is reasonable to assume it was at least one problem or danger he faced. And it is a danger we all face when undergoing long term seasons of suffering of one kind or another.
But whatever this man's condition was physically and spiritually, and for however long it had been, the King of Kings changed everything in his life with simply the words of His mouth by saying, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." The Greek word translated as "get up" is "egeire" and it is a tiny foretaste of when Jesus will say to all believers on the last day of this age, when we receive our resurrected and perfected bodies. And we know that is what this is because Jesus says as much in verses 28-29 of this same chapter as He explains His authority and right to heal this man on the Sabbath in response to the hatred and vitriol of the Jewish leaders.
But let's not miss the forest for the trees here. What we read of here is Jesus commanding a paralyzed man to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk. And in verse 9 that is exactly what happens. This man who was too weak to stand for 38 years is healed in an instant by the word of Jesus. The length of the man's ailment (38 years) proves how serious it was, and the instantaneous healing of his condition, demonstrates the absolute power and authority of Jesus as the God of the universe; the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus Christ is God Himself. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and all of time and space is under His authority. If it is healing we seek, then we must come to Jesus to ask for healing. But we must also remember that He won't always give us what we want. This pool called Bethesda was full of invalids like this man, but we are not told Jesus went on a healing spree. While Jesus definitely healed many people during His earthly ministry (John 20:30), it seems like He may have only healed this one man at this time, because as we read on, the Jewish leaders refer to the healing of this one man on the Sabbath as why they are angry.
This alerts us to the fact that it was the sovereign choice of Jesus to heal this man and not to heal the other people there at this time. We know Jesus performed many miraculous healings, but the fact remains He did not miraculously heal everyone then, and He does not heal everyone miraculously now. There is much we do not understand about Jesus' choices in who, when and how he chooses to heal people physically. But we must trust in His love, wisdom and goodness in all circumstances. He knows better than we do. And when He chooses not to give us the healing we want, He is doing so for just, wise and loving reasons. He healed this man to display His power to give all of us the healing we most need. We most need a remedy for the cancer of sin we are born with and cannot cure ourselves of. True and eternal healing will be given to all of Jesus' followers one day, but the gift of the forgiveness of our sin is freely available to everyone right now. All that is required of us is to confess our sin, repent, and believe in Jesus Christ as our one and only Lord and Savior as we believe in the power of His life, death and resurrection to save us. We don't need to do anything to receive this freely offered, eternal healing. It is obtained by grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10).
To conclude the account of this event, the gospel writer John includes one important detail, and this detail is really what the rest of this story is about. Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. We will explore this more in the study of the next passage in this chapter, but this detail is too significant not to comment on. Jesus is displaying more than His authority over the physical world with this healing. By healing on the Sabbath He was violating many of the man made traditions and rules that had been added to the Sabbath law when it was originally given to the people of Israel. In doing this Jesus is demonstrating His Divine authority over all of time and space as the God who instituted the practice of Sabbath from the very beginning of creation. And as we read on, we will see how He uses the upcoming confrontation with the Jewish leaders to communicate His Divinity and Messiahship.
Application (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):
This passage should cause us to think of Jesus as the God of the universe who has the power to heal the disabled, and raise the dead with a word from His mouth. He is Lord of all. We should also consider that as the Lord of all, He is always perfectly wise, loving and just, even when He chooses not to give us the physical healing we may want. He never withholds anything from us for evil or indifferent reasons. We should also consider the healing of the cancer of sin that He has made available to everyone right now. He will not turn anyone away who comes to Him to repent of their sin and believe in Him as their one and only Lord and Savior. And everyone who does so believe in Him, will be resurrected in glorious perfected bodies one day that will never decay or die again. But for now, for a little while longer, we may be called to endure infirmity and pain.
But Jesus is Lord of all, and as the good, loving and glorious Lord of all, He will shepherd us through these difficult circumstances and be our Sabbath rest to sustain us in the wearying road of life. So, we must cling to Him in faith. We must bring our requests for healing and everything else to Him in prayer. As we cling to Him in this way, He will increase our trust and reliance in Him, as well as grow our love and adoration for Him. And one day, He will command our broken bodies to arise perfected and new; never to suffer decay or disease again. And we will live forever in His new creation where there is only joy, pleasure and life as it was always meant to be, onwards into eternity. For those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our one and only Lord and Savior, the best is yet to come.
Self Reflection:
What does the fact that Jesus healed a man paralyzed for 38 years with mere words tell me about His power over every detail in my life?
Have I asked Jesus for healing for myself or a loved one and not received it? How am I feeling about that?
What does the fact that Jesus suffered for me, and has died and risen again to save me from my sin, tell me about His love and care for me right now in the middle of my own pain and suffering? Could it be possible that He has very good and loving reasons for allowing me to go through this temporary pain? Is He worthy of my trust?
#JesusChristisLord #Healer #God #faith #love