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Jesus Heals at the Pool of Bethesda | John 5:1-15

Bible Study Lesson on John 5:1-15 -Jesus at pool of Bethesda at Sheep gate, Condition of disabled man, Miraculous power of pool and Angel’s stirring up water, Jesus healed the disable man.

Bible Study Lesson:

John 5:1-15

  1. Where did this incident take place? (Nehemiah 3:1)

    • The Pool of Bethesda near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.
    • The Sheep gate was the gate used to bring the sheep into the city to the temple for sacrifice.

      Nehemiah 3:1 – “Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate.”

    • Archaeologists have discovered the Bethesda pool in 1960s.
  2. What was the occasion? (Leviticus 23:2-14, John 2:13)

    • Feast of Jews and Sabbath
    • The three feasts of the Lord described in Leviticus 23 was then known as the feasts of the Jews. All jewish men were required to come to Jerusalem for these feasts. Jesus also went to attend the feast of Passover. (John 2:13)
      1. Feast of Passover and unleavened bread
      2. Feast of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)
      3. Feast of tabernacles
  3. Why were there lots of disabled people near Bethesda pool?

    • Notice that John 5:4 is not included in NIV version.

      John 5:4 (KJV) “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”

    • Note: Verse 4 is not included in the New International Version. Some of the later New Testament manuscripts do not contain this verse, so it has been left out in the later bible translation like NIV.
    • They were waiting for an angel to come and stir waters and the first person to enter the pool would be healed by the angel. (Angels and Demons in the Bible)
    • It is common to hear about the hot springs in which people got healed or claimed to get healed in the ancient times. Even today, in many parts of the world, people go to some of these hot springs, which supposedly have healing powers.
    • We are not sure exactly whether the water in the pool had some miraculous power.
  4. What can you learn about the condition of the disabled man? Did he know Jesus?

    • He had been disabled for 38 years.
    • He had tried everything to get healed.
    • There was nobody to help him (John 5:7). His family might have deserted him there.
    • He was lying there near the Bethesda pool in the hope that someday he might get a chance to be the first one to get into a pool.
    • He wanted to get well. But he could not do it by himself. He needed somebody’s help.
    • He sincerely thought that if he could reach into the pool at right time, he would be healed. The only problem was that he could not!
    • He did not even know who Jesus was. He was not looking for Jesus, Jesus came up to him.
    • Even after he was healed, Jesus found him again to warn about not sinning.
  5. What did Jesus ask him? And what was his reply? (John 5:7)

    • Since the lame man did not know Jesus, Jesus took an initiative to ask him for healing. Have you ever wondered, why did Jesus ask this person specifically for healing? After all, there were great number of disabled people, lying there. (John 5:3)
    • It was a strange question -”Do you want to get well?” He had been there all these years, desperately trying to be well. With this question, Jesus was offering him help. Perhaps, nobody would have asked him for help for years!
    • If we rephrase this man’s answer in one sentence, it would be, “Yes, I want to be well, I just can’t get there on my own!”

    What areas in your life have you been struggling for a long time? Do you ever wonder if God cares for you in the multitude?

  6. What was Jesus’ reply? What did Jesus offer him? (John 5:9)

    • “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” He didn’t have to go into the pool. His healing was right here, right at that moment. He didn’t have to wait for an angel to come to the pool.
    • The man was instantly healed. (After suffering for 38 years)
  7. Why were Jews not happy? (John 5:10)

    • The man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law had many laws regarding the Sabbath about how much to walk or work.
    • They were indifferent to the man who was healed after 38 years. They cared more about the Law than the people. (Bible study on Jesus Healing on Sabbath)
  8. What can we learn from the fact that he did not even know Jesus?

    • It was Jesus who came up to him.
    • Even after he was cured, Jesus found him again; it seems as if Jesus was literally following him.
  9. Why did Jesus warn him about not sinning? Do you think sickness is the result of sin? (John9:2-3)

    • He was physically healed, but he also needed a great healing, a spiritual healing. He needed his sins to be forgiven.
    • Jesus did not mean that his sickness or disability was the result of sin. Check out the surprisingly similar passage of the healing of a blind man in John 9:1-12.

      John 9:2-3 – His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

    • Jesus also gave the similar command to the woman caught in the adultery in John 8: 1-11.
    • The man took heed of Jesus’ instruction, thus proclaiming boldly about Jesus (John 15:15).
    • miracles ebook amazon

    Life Applications and Reflections

    Do you carry some deep hurt, physical or emotional suffering, or sickness for a long time? Has it just become a way of life? You may have tried everything in your power to get well, but you may have realized that you cannot do it on your own. The good news is that Jesus is asking the same question to you, “do you want to get well?”

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Check out our eBook, The Miracles of Jesus Christ – 7-part Bible Study Series on the Healing Miracles of Jesus Christ for Small Groups & Personal Study.

By Amit Christian

Founder and Author of BibleSEO (Bible Study Exposition Online), Bible study topics website, which offers free small group bible studies on various topics. His passion is to train, equip and inspire individual and small groups for life-changing bible study experience.
(Check my Google+ Profile at https://plus.google.com/u/0/108196373225656079903/)

21 replies on “Jesus Heals at the Pool of Bethesda | John 5:1-15”

The faith of Jesus overshadowed the situation of the man at the pool of bethesda. When we put our faithlesness to the faithfulness of Jesus who is the Anointed one, then all things are possible.

its awsome. it helped in knowing the words more clearly.
I dont know but do you have these studies from old testament also ?

why is that the man when Jesus asked him whether he want to get well he did not answer directly but deviated

this story is amazing. it is soo god , it teaches us about life and how God is soo amazing. it is very very very vrey very good. everyoe should read it. i love the Bible. its awesome.

The part about being near the sheep gate was very enlightening. It showed how disciples were lead to Christ. We come in dirty and leaved washed clean. That was a very good comparison for me, since I was studying the subject.

I woke up early in the morning with the word “Bethesda” in my head. I had no idea why. I found this article and it was very helpful. Thank you.

I don’t completely agree with you about him not trying enough. verse 7 says “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” He had been there for many years in hope that some day, he would be able to get into the water first!

Some times we all need help, you only need a helping hand to get where you want to.The man at the pool need help but they walked away and left him to depend on his on strength to get in the pool, he did’nt know all he needed was Jesus.Some times we have to get stirred upon the inside to get things done.Idid when i get sick i called on Jesus, and got the help ,heal from cancer.

NKJV states in v:4 that an angel went down,,,,and whoever stepped in first,,,was made well. Jesus did not tell the sick man who HE was, but simply asked him if he wanted to be made well followed by immediate healing. Later JESUS sees the healed man and tells him not to sin anymore ( the man then knows that he did not need the power of the water but that his healing came directly from JESUS….so that he might believe and bear witness to this miracle healing),,v:17 tells us that God the FATHER had been empowering the healing of the stirring water before,,,,and that now that same power was coming from the very SON of GOD,,,,standing right there for man to see and hear . My point of view is that when you are lost and don’t know where to go or what to do ( you have exhausted all your own powers to change your situation) just surrender (put away your sins) and believe in the miracles of this history book ( BIBLE). Hope always brings a spiritual healing ,, a sort of lasting peace which feeds one’s faith. All these miracles were done to reveal God’s presence to man and to make HIS SON known to us. FACT: Jesus is as REAL as you are,,He knows all about you and is patiently waiting for you to acknowledge Him in return,,,WORKS well for me,,a sinner.

Waiting on God, can be a journey the key is are we faithfull enough. This man waited by the pool 38 years, In hopes that he would be healed. It did pay off! Life isn’t going to be easy and the journey to things we asked of God is a process!

I have be so blessed by your teachings, and it has been so wonderful hearing from you.

When I encounters this story of John 5, I can”t but think of a picture of GRACE. Jesus our PASSOVER stopped by a pool that had 5 porches(grace)which laid peoples that couldn’t help themselves. GRACE didn’t care about his condition nor how long he had been like that, grace overrode his way of thinking and did what no other power could do setting the captive FREE, not even TiME could hold back grace.

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