man at the pool of bethesda for 38 years

Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold. We had fun getting into the backstory of the pool and the reasons that John uses specific numbers and words. In this light, v. 7 reads less as an apt and subtle response to Jesus question than as the crotchety grumblings of an old and not very perceptive man who thinks he is answering a stupid question.242. A part of that saving work is healing the sick (see Luke 4:16-21; John 11:2-6).253 The Jews are therefore wrong in condemning Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. Who Jesus is makes all the difference in the world. He was waiting for the water to be stirred by an angel. Listen to what Carson has to say about this: The invalid apparently held to a popular belief that the first person into the pool after the waters had been disturbed, and only the first person, would be miraculously healed. Some of these whacky laws are listed below: I mention these whacky laws of our own land because I am about to point out some of the whacky Jewish laws of Jesus day. The most important question you will ever answer is this: Who is Jesus Christ? John gives us the answer, clearly. We had fun doing this and we hope you enjoy it. When Jesus saw him lying down at the floor, Jesus said, "Get up. ), but this is soon displaced by a fundamentally Christological issue arising out of the dispute over the Sabbath (5:16-18), and this in turn leads to an extended discourse concerning Jesus relationship with the Father, and the Scriptures that bear witness to him (5:19-47). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, Were Israel properly to observe two Shabbathoth, they would immediately be redeemed (Shabbath 118b). We should thus heed His words, for they are spirit and life (John 6:63). The One who has just healed him is now the One who is to blame. This man is the recipient of Gods grace, not because of who he is, but because of the kindness of our Lord alone. 221 Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. Notice that we are not told his name, what was wrong with him, or how it happened. The man has to wait for troubled waters. Jesus immediately heals him, without the use of water. Some ignorantly or foolishly say that Jesus did not claim to be God. He had the ability to heal others as well, as shown in other gospels. Summer And Spring A Man Young And Old: 9. The Fourth Commandment requires the people of God to imitate God, who rested on the seventh day of creation. Every one of these apparently ridiculous laws made sense to the lawmakers at the time they became law. Abbott (par. There are always the sins of the mind. 26The Father is the source of life, and he has enabled the Son to be the source of life too. 18 If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. He does not even need the faith of this disabled man. People are healed individually and specifically, not in some kind of whoever can get there the first manner. They think they see what is important, but in religious matters there are none so blind as those who are always certain that they see (cf. This clearly implies that the carrying of the couch by itself is culpable.233. Jesus does His mighty works, His signs. But, instead of faith, strenuous opposition is aroused among the national religious leaders. Morris, pp. Or, the man could relay it between himself and a fellow-Israelite, each one carrying the object for no more than the prescribed distance. 246 There may also be a hint of irony (much more strongly developed in the healing of Jn. Mark 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. A certain man was there Among the crowds which now lay in the porticoes of Bethesda, was one who had an infirmity A weakness, as the word means; thirty and eight years He had probably lost the use of his limbs, at least, on one side, by a paralytic stroke. A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda. There is no other attestation of this belief in sources roughly contemporaneous with Jesus, but analogous superstitions both ancient and modern are easy to come by.239. If one is walking along on the Sabbath and discovers that he is carrying something in his pocket, he has several courses of action so as not to violate the Sabbath. Those who have done good will come back to life and live. American Standard Version And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity. In each of the Gospels, the issue of the Sabbath arises, which becomes a point of on-going contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. Enter code FAITH and have answers to your Bible questions at your fingertips. -Jerusalem is a place of peace but there are multitudes who are not peaceful! John wrote this Gospel to convince you of this truth (20:31). As Jesus healed him, He said, "Take up your bed and walk" ( John 5:8, NKJV ). This episode shows us that Jesus' healing power extends beyond our ability to comprehend. 1 After this there was a234 Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 9:39-41). Carson, p. 245. Have you ever read of any such miracle in the Bible, where an angel somehow energizes the waters, and the first person into the water is healed? The tasks that the Father gave me to carry out, these tasks which I perform, testify on my behalf. Men are always unworthy of the grace God sovereignly bestows upon them. In effect, the man says, Yes. Jesus commands him to stand, take up his bed, and walk, and trusting Jesus, he does. He does not ask him if he has the faith to be healed. His legs have been paralyzed so long that they are thin, withered, atrophied. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [] paralyzed, [] waiting for the moving of the water. Perhaps it would be helpful to sum up my reservations by encouraging you to see what this miraculous healing by angel-stirred waters might look like if you made a movie of this part of our Lords life. He was waiting at the water's edge for years hoping to find healing. 298-299. In archaeological digs conducted in the 19th century, Conrad Schick discovered a large tank situated about 100 feet (30 m) north-west of St. Anne's Church, which he contended was the Pool of Bethesda. An angel really does come by the pool from time to time to stir it up, and the lucky243 person who manages to out-maneuver all the rest of the ailing folks gets a healing. Human Dignity A Man Young And Old: 3. And he tells us as well that Jesus claim to be God is the reason why the Jews feel justified in resolving to put Him to death. Ones physical affliction may be that which God uses to draw men to Himself. In chapter 8, when Jesus has an animated debate with the Jews and makes the statement, Before Abraham came into existence, I am!, many want to stone Him. The man did not even know Jesus name (v. 13) Jesus is not limited by man as He works the works of God. Morris, pp. As it is (a feast), we are not certain as to which of the feasts reference is being made. There are few evils as great as doing wrong in the name of doing what is right. In addition, He heals selectively because mans primary problem is not sickness, but sin. Doing what is right does not always result in a righteous or a rewarding response. And yet when Jesus comes to town and heals a paralytic, their only concern is that the healed man is walking illegally (with his mat). Another Talmudic passage says: In case a woman rolls wheat to remove the husks, it is considered sifting; if she rubs the head of wheat, it is regarded as threshing; if she cleans off the side-adherences, it is sifting out fruit; if she throws them up in her hand, it is winnowing [Jer. The man is one of a crowd, who hopes by his own efforts and initiative (with the help of others) to beat all the other ailing people into the water, thus obtaining a healing by his own effortsa kind of survival of the fittest (or the fastest). What a very pathetic scene. Before getting too carried away with our laughter, let me say this. There, the disciples automatically assumed that the mans blindness was the result of someones sin. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time . This incident, and especially our Lords words, give them further incentive for doing this as soon as possible. At the command of our Lord, the man stands up on his feet, takes up his bed, and walks.244 It seems he can do nothing other than obey. A certain man who has been sick for 38 years was there, the nature of the sickness was not specified but from the response of the man to Jesus, it seems that the sickness has made him unable to walk and the sickness looks incurable. . 241 This healing differs from many others in that, not only is there no mention of faith on the part of the man, but there seems no room for it. Therefore, the least needy would probably be the one cured, while all the rest struggle to get out of the pool, get back to their stations, and await their next chance. He tells them that the one who commanded him to get up and walk is the one who also commanded him to carry his bed. 7:2 lists thirty-nine classes of work forbidden on a sabbath, the last being taking out aught from one domain into another. An interesting regulation provides that if a man took out a living man on a couch he is not culpable by reason of the couch, since the couch is secondary (Shab. 42But I know what kind of people you are. Think of the springs around Tiberias or, in our own country, of the waters of Hot Springs, Arkansas, which long before the Spaniards arrived were already being credited with healing virtues.240. If Jesus is able (and surely He is), why doesnt Jesus heal everyone at the pool that day? My first tongue-in-cheek answer is that Jesus is leaving some for the apostles to heal, after His resurrection and ascension. Literally, having thirty and eight years in his infirmity. Among them is a man who has been disabled for 38 years. 245 Notice how John refers to this fellow as the man who had been healed, while the Jews can only see him as the man carrying his mat on the Sabbath. This man (I'll call him Amasai) has been an invalid for 38 years -- the greatest part of his life. Tertullian says (u), that there was in Judea a medicinal lake, before Christ's time; and that the pool of Bethsaida (it should be Bethesda) was useful in curing the diseases of the Israelites; but ceased from yielding any benefit, when the name of the Lord was blasphemed by them, through their rage and fury, and continuance in it (w); but in what year it began, and the precise time it ceased, he says not. 233-235) most interesting. (1-4) The pool of Bethesda. D. A. Carson adds: The name of the pool is variously attested in the manuscripts as Bethesda, Bethzatha, Belzetha and Bethsaida. The man isnt even thinking in such terms. For example, there was the crippled man healed by Peter and John on their way to the temple in Acts 3. He is forcing the issue that the religious leaders were missing the original purpose of the Sabbath and that He is Lord over the Sabbath. 32Someone else testifies on my behalf, and I know that what he says about me is true. There is something very bizarre, very unusual (dare I say troubling?) Judaeos, c. 13. [a] 5One man, who had been sick for 38 years, was lying there. If He is, then we should accept His words as the very words of God. Jesus must know that doing so will identify Him to the authorities and cause Him great trouble (just as He knew that this man had suffered long and hard when He chose to heal himverse 5:6). The note in the NET Bible downplays this emphasis, but I am inclined to stick with Morris on this point, who writes: Sin no more means sin no longer (Goodspeed: Give up sin.). Nevertheless, it was their interpretation of these texts which led to the extreme and hypocritical applications they drew from them. Fourth, this ailing man, whose words in verse 7 are not in dispute, is not a man of faith, and thus his comments about the pool and its alleged magical powers should be considered cautiously. Here is a man who teaches with authority, by not only speaking about Gods grace, but by demonstrating it! Stop sinning so that something worse doesnt happen to you.. He now tells us that Jesus claims to be God (chapter 5not to mention chapters 3 and 4). Nicodemus was at least impressed by the signs Jesus performed (3:2). The answer to the above question is also the answer to those who desire that God heal all the sick today. For example, (On the Sabbath) a man may borrow of his fellow jars of wine or jars of oil, provided that he does not say to him, Lend me them (Shab. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), p. 190. Log in, Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, 043 You Can Trust Gods Perfect Timing for the Events in Your Life, 045 Never Take Anything for Granted, Big or Small . It is as simple as that. 33You sent people to John the Baptizer, and he testified to the truth. John tells us in verse 18 that from this point on they were trying even harder to kill him. This seems to imply that the persecution mentioned here is very intense. Jn. This man had an infirmity for 38 years. The scrupulosity of these Jews about the Sabbath was ridiculously extreme. [b] 28Dont be surprised at what Ive just said. Hurry and SAVE on a yearly membership! The issue is not whether our Lord claims to be God, nor whether His enemies think He is claiming to be God. mixture to the blind man's eyes and told him to bathe in the Pool of Siloam. Since God is working non-stop, the Son is also working, and cannot cease for the Sabbath. As we begin our study of chapter 5 and witness the wonderful works of our Lord precipitating intense reaction to Him, let us listen and learn those lessons which God has here for us. miracles. His Memories A Man Young And Old: 7. But Jesus gives us a very different twist on this. You should believe them because they are true, because they are spoken by the Son of God. 17 So Jesus told251 them, My Father is working until now, and I too am working. 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God. The Sabbath is the sign of the Mosaic covenant, and thus to violate the Sabbath is to be worthy of death (Exodus 31:14-17; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36). He answers for himself, and reproves them, showing by the testimony of his Father, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: John 5:5 A certain man was there who had (Jhn Jo Jn). And why does the man not give a simple Yes in response? By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 6 When . Healing would make Jesus too popular, too quickly, and thus undermine His mission of proclaiming the truthand ultimately of dying on the cross of Calvary to atone for mans sins. The One who healed him told him to take up his bed and go. The man was at the pool of Bethesda along with other people that were blind, lame, or paralyzed. The more He heals, the more will come to Him for healing. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. John gives the additional detail that the pool was "surrounded by five covered colonnades." During Jesus' time, the Pool of Bethesda lay outside the city walls. In fact, at that very hour Israel was still an invalid, unable to enter into the good things God had in store. For that is what I came to do. 39 So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons (Mark 1:29-39). The Persic version here adds, "and was reduced to such a state that he could not move". Jesus did no such thing, here or elsewhere. Jesus graciously heals those who gather. That decision has been reached earlier, on an occasion that John does not include in his Gospel. (John 5:5-9 TLB) The miracle happened immediately, and the man was healed. (u) De Anima, c. 50. The logic is simple: God rested on the seventh day, and so must men. The Jews demand to know just who this person is who told him to take up his mat and walk. 6 evoke superficial acclaim (6:14-15, 26), that allegiance cannot endure Jesus teaching: even many of his disciples abandon him (6:66). But he may take vinegar with his food in the ordinary course of affairs, and the Rabbis philosophically concluded, if he is healed he is healed (Shab. That happened on a day of resta holy day. Healing is also the easy thing for Him to do. This is not the watershed incident, which convinces the Jews that Jesus must die. 25. Second, the alleged miraculous healings at the pool of Bethesda are not like any other healing I find in the Bible. Whoever doesnt honor the Son doesnt honor the Father who sent him. The focus quickly changes from the paralytic to Jesus. This incident in John 5 does two things. Worse yet, why does John inform us that the man subsequently seeks out the Jews to tell them that the One they are after is Jesus? It seems clear that John did not care for us to know which one, and that this bit of information would not contribute to our understanding of what follows. He has entrusted judgment entirely to the Son 23so that everyone will honor the Son as they honor the Father. 16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. If someone else comes with his own authority, you will accept him. Jesus heals very selectively because of His mission. Strict Judaism views this to prohibit turning electric lights on or off on the Sabbath. Our Lord seeks him out, asking him if he wants to become well. It is almost too terrible to be true. There is a huge crowd of sick people waiting for you back at my mother-in-laws house. If this man has become a believer, why does John not mention it, as he has each previous time? Jesus broke that silence. We cannot help but notice that those who are most in the wrong here are those who are most assured of being right. Pool of Bethesda from the Ancient Jerusalem Model City. Believing them does save you, and rejecting them proves you worthy of eternal condemnation (hell). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. 2:14) and unable to enter the Promised Land. Wanting to be right, and thinking you are right are not the same as being right. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for . In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk! 7 Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the mans feet and ankles were made strong. 2Near Sheep Gate in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda in Hebrew. . 35:3). 303-304. The first of these is almost certainly right, not only on various transcriptional grounds, but because it is now supported by the corresponding Hebrew name in the Copper Scroll from Qumran, first published in 1960. 46If you really believed Moses, you would believe me. As a result of our Lords gracious miracle, these Jewish leaders are seen for who they are. Signs and wonders do not necessarily produce faith, and the faith they do produce is second-class, in and of itself (2:23-25). Moses wrote about me. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him (Acts 3:1-10). How can I be so sure that he is not praising God and worshipping there? For example, some people turn to drugs or alcohol to ease the pain; others to different addictions to which they become enslaved. 4 Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, Look at us! 5 So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. And it is also clear that the Jews understand Him to do so. In what sense is God working? Not only did he break the laws about the day of resta holy day, but also he made himself equal to God when he said repeatedly that God was his Father. 34But I dont depend on human testimony. Usually they spoke of our Father, and while they might use My Father in prayer they would qualify it with in heaven or some other expression to remove the suggestion of familiarity. First, let me ask a question: Do you assume that just because someone goes to churchany churchthat they are true believers, there to worship in spirit and in truth? Jesus encountered a man near the pool of Bethesda who had a crippling infirmity for 38 years. Jerusalem. There is no indication of any repentance, no mention of faith, and no inquiry as to who Jesus is or what He is about (as with the Samaritan woman). 41I dont accept praise from humans. If this is not advisable, the object can be carried in an unusual way, such as placing it in the shoe, tying it to his leg, or managing to suspend it between his clothing and his body. Until now, signs and miracles may not have convinced all, but they definitely were instrumental in drawing some to faith. I think not! 223 Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath, English edition, prepared by W. Grangewood (Jerusalem: Feldheim, 1984). However, the law does not restrict them from buying shotguns., A Minnesota law requires that mens and womens underwear not be hung on the same clothesline at the same time., In Joliet, Illinois, women are not allowed to try on more than six dresses in one store.. Here, my friend, is the most important point of all. Why would we suppose there were miracles on tap for those who waited for an angel to trouble the waters at the pool of Bethesda when this was not a time for miracles? 5Later, Jesus went to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. 2537) argues that this verbal form has legal overtones: Jesus responds to their charge, he offers his defense. We, like our Lord, serve out of the depths of the love God has given us for others, regardless of whether that love is reciprocated or rewarded by those whom we serve. You are here. Jesus does not say, Our Father is working until now, and I too am working. He says, My Father is working until now, and I too am working.252 The inference is very clear: Jesus is claiming that God is His Father; He is claiming to be God. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 305, fn. I think Jesus works on the Sabbath on purpose. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. A. Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda. Here, the miracle Jesus performs does not even produce faith in the one who is healed. Thus, no one has the right to complain if God does not heal them. 36But I have something that testifies more favorably on my behalf than Johns testimony. 237 I should point out to those who are fans of John Calvins works that in his commentary on the Gospel of John, he makes no mention of any problem in verses 3 and thus seems to assume that the story about the angel troubling the waters is true. A friend loaned me a book by Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth entitled, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath.223 This volume (my friend reminds me that it is the first volume) goes into great detail concerning the interpretation and application of the Sabbath for contemporary Judaism. The signs which He performs show this to be the case. Though the same accusation of Sabbath-breaking is consistently made by the Jews in the other Gospels, our Lords response there is different from His defense here. The Samaritans did not require a sign, but many believed in Jesus when they heard His words (4:4ff.). B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939), p. 161. Signs and wonders have a diminishing effect. Jesus heals Simon Peters mother-in-law. Wikipedia. In importance, His healing ministry is secondary. We know this much for certain: The man is guilty of some sin he has not yet given up. 1. But he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. This man is locked in on only one kind of miracle, the miracle of being the first one into the angel-stirred waters. It was not the way Jews usually referred to God. 241-242. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. He who is the Word, the Logos, who created the world with a word, is the One who heals with but a word. It is completely clear that John claims Jesus is God come down to earth, having taken on human flesh. It appears, therefore, that by the early church this pool was viewed as Bethzatha. From Oedipus At Colonus A Man Young And Old: 10. Many of their rules would be very difficult to defend. Morris adds this regulation regarding work on the Sabbath: Mishnah, Shab. Jesus is still able to heal every sick person. Think about it. After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 8Jesus told the man, Get up, pick up your cot, and walk. 9The man immediately became well, picked up his cot, and walked. They think themselves pious, and expect to be the first to enter the kingdom of God. 194 Who Are You in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In John 5:1-15, Jesus came to Jerusalem and met a man at the Pool of Bethesda, which is near the Sheep Gate. - He asked the man if he wanted to be made well. Doing what is right is always the right thing to do. When Jesus turned the water into wine, a few realized what had happened, but only the disciples of our Lord are said to have believed (John 2:11). This may be a comfortable place, out of the heat of the sun and the biting cold of the winter winds. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [] paralyzed, [] waiting for the moving of the water. Second, healing is a manifestation of Gods sovereign grace. When Jesus went to the temple earlier, He found it necessary to drive people (and cattle) out of the temple. Then Jesus healed him. Home Learn Audio. 9): the Jews hear of the wonderful healing and of the formal breach of their code, and are interested only in the latter. Jesus walked over to a man who couldn't walk and healed him on one of the porches of the Pool of Bethesda. Why then does Jesus find the man in the temple? 44How can you believe when you accept each others praise and dont look for the praise that comes from the only God? After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 3 Crowds of sick peopleblind, lame, or paralyzedlay on the porches. 31 He came and raised her by taking her hand. A faded fresco on the wall pictures an angel troubling the water. The more who come, the more time He will spend healing. Many sick people visited the pool believing an angel would come each day and agitate the water and the first person to enter the pool would be healed. That happened on a day of resta holy day. (Jesus had withdrawn from the crowd. 2 Near Sheep Gate in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda in Hebrew. Youre not allowed to carry your cot today., 11The man replied, The man who made me well told me to pick up my cot and walk., 12The Jews asked him, Who is the man who told you to pick it up and walk? 13But the man who had been healed didnt know who Jesus was. My daughter recently handed me a book which records some very strange laws still on the books in our country. A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda. Grace is Gods unmerited favor, Gods undeserved goodness. The Father will show him even greater things to do than these things so that you will be amazed. Word gets out, and by evening, a crowd of sick people assemble outside the door. This information is not supplied to amuse you, but to prepare you for the issues that arise in our study of John chapter 5, as well as later on in Johns Gospel. There was a paralyzed man who had been at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. 5:1-9. Until such time, Gods only dwelling-place on this earth is within the four walls of the Halacha (Berachoth 8a).225. For a time you enjoyed the pleasure of his light. For example, John 5 is the story of the man who has been lying by the pool of Bethesdahe has had a disability for 38 years. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Knowing what we know, who of us would have selected this fellow to be healed, rather than some other individual? GODS WORD Translation (GW). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, That You Might Believe: A Study of the Gospel of John, In Pennsylvania, the penalty for cursing is a forty-cent fine. The most needy person would be the least likely to get into the water first. Recording Date: 11/07/2018. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; andthese are they which testify of Me. He had been unable to walk for 38 years. having passed thirty-eight years in his sickness,, who had passed thirty-eight years in his infirmity. A. Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda. In that case, it was not so. Suddenly, the waters of the pool begin to boil, or bubble, or froth in some way, and pandemonium breaks out. They wont be judged because they have already passed from death to life.
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