CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: MIRACLES
POOLS OF BETHESDA (JOHN 5:2-15)
Location of Miracle: Jerusalem, inside the city walls, near the Sheep Gate
Set the Scene:
o Jesus was returning to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days.
o The location of the Pools of Bethesda — actually a series of reservoirs and medicinal pools — is in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, north of the Temple Mount and about 50 meters inside St Stephen’s or Lions’ Gate. At that time, the gate was called the Sheep Gate, because this was where sheep were brought to the Temple for sacrifice.
o The Sheep Gate is the only surviving gate of five that once provided access to Trim. We see reference to its building in Nehemiah 3:1.
o The Messiah is the High Priest of New Covenant, who is the Lamb, who was offered for the sake of our sins. When Jesus entered through this Sheep Gate, it signified the death and offering the Lamb, which death, blood, and resurrection bring us forgiveness of sins and redemption.
o Fun fact: According to an ancient tradition, Bethesda is also where Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, lived — and where his mother Mary was born. The Church of St. Anne, built around 1140, stands nearby.
READ John 5:2-15.
Big Take-Aways:
o The Pools of Bethesda were thought to be healing pools. The first person to enter the pool when the waters were stirred up would supposedly be cured of his or her ailment.
o This is one of the few miracles where the person was not healed through faith. The man was not seeking Jesus; rather Jesus found him. The man had no idea who Jesus was! When he first conversed with Jesus, he wasn’t looking to Him as someone who could heal him. In his mind, Jesus was no different than any other person present.
o Jesus asked if the man would like to get well. This healing, then, is an example of a “gift of healing” working through Jesus. Gifts of healings operate as the Holy Spirit wills (see 1 Cor. 12:11), and faith is not necessarily a requirement for the sick person to be healed. It is a sovereign act of God.
o Jesus later told the man He’d healed, “Stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). What can we learn from that statement? We can learn that sin can lead to God’s judgment. If the healed man didn’t repent and quit sinning, there was the possibility that he might wind up worse than he previously was. God is a loving God, but He is also holy. He will punish evildoers. We must be careful, however, that we don’t conclude that all sick people are being punished for their sins. Then we would be guilty of passing judgment.
Call to Action:
We often need signs from God to open our hearts to the gospel. Let’s pray for God to mercifully grant more signs and wonders to the unbelieving world, and that even people who have no faith would be healed.
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