John 5:1-15 – Bible Study & Exploration
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Verses 1-4) In the late 1860’s, Mark Twain set out on a journey through the Holy Land. He circumnavigated the terrain around the Mediterranean Sea from the north to the east and then south. On his journey he would pass through Israel. With a camel as transportation for him and his entourage, they came upon the village of Magdala. It was the place where Mary of Magdala was known to have been from. It was a small village along the northwestern shore of the sea of Galilee.
This was a time when Israel was as desolate as the Lord God had promised the Israelites if they chose to be disobedient. There was hardly any life anywhere. Most of the Jews were out of the land at this time scattered across the globe just as the Lord had promised if they chose to reject Him.
Mark Twain describes the scene of Magdala this way.
“As we rode into Magdala not a soul was visible. But the ring of the horses’ hoofs roused the stupid population, and they all came trooping out–old men and old women, boys and girls, the blind, the crazy, and the crippled, all in ragged, soiled and scanty raiment, and all abject beggars by nature, instinct and education. How the vermin-tortured vagabonds did swarm! How they showed their scars and sores, and piteously pointed to their maimed and crooked limbs, and begged with their pleading eyes for charity!” Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
It’s likely the scene was somewhat similar for Jesus and His disciples as they entered the Sheep Gate near the Pool of Bethesda.
The Sheep Gate at the Pool of Bethesda
It’s quite possible that this Sheep Gate was the same one that Nehemiah built during the rebuilding of the temple. (Nehemiah 3:1)
The Sheep Gate may have been used by shepherds to bring their flocks back into the city from the pastures. Perhaps there was a sheep market close to the gate for the purpose of buying and selling of sheep.
The Pool of Bethesda was located just inside the Sheep Gate which today has been sealed off.
There is a legend about the Pool of Bethesda. It was said that angel of the Lord would come down to the pool to stir it up. The first person to enter the pool after it was stirred would be healed.
If you have a modern translation of the Bible, it’s possible you are missing John 5:4 verse. Instead, you may find in your Bible a footnote indicator leading you to explain why the verse is missing.
It was found after decades of version translations and language translations that there were verses that made there way into the New Testament that were not included in the original manuscripts. Thus the reason for the explanation of the missing verse.
This verse is one of four or five verses found in the New Testament that were not in the original New Testament manuscripts.
Healing at the Pool of Bethesda
(Verses 5-15) Bethesda means “house of mercy.” This would’ve been a fitting name for a pool that had the powers to heal people.
The invalid that Jesus takes notice of indicates that he has no one to help into the pool. This likely means that he didn’t even have any family members that were available to help him get into the pool.
Notice the contrast between verse 7 and 8. In verse 7, we witness the invalid needing help to get into the pool in hopes of being healed. Then in verse 8, Jesus simply said, “Pick up your mat and walk.”
All the invalid needed to be healed was Jesus, nothing more. How applicable that is to our daily life today. We manage through our daily struggles, often repeating the same means. Hoping for this and hoping for that, when all we really need is Jesus. Nothing more nothing less. Jesus is always enough.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)
As Jesus heals on the sabbath, He causes a stir among the Jewish leaders. Now, let’s take a look at why this miracle becomes a significant turning point in Jesus’ ministry.