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Lesson Five

John 5:1-29

John 5: 1- After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
John 5: 2- Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
John 5: 3- In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt,
withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5: 4- 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.

Lesson Notes:

(John 5:1-2) – The verse opens with a timestamp reference to the feast of the Jews. The
timestamp in John 2:13 signaled the Passover Jesus and his disciples celebrated in the first year
of his public ministry. There are two major feasts left in the remaining year that would require
the Jews to make the journey to Jerusalem: Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
(Leviticus 28:34) This feast is likely the latter one occurring in the Jewish month of Tishri (Sept-
Oct). It is a celebration of final harvest and demonstrated by sheltering in small temporary
structures to remind God’s people of their brevity in the present world awaiting for the eternal
world to come.

The text describes a nearby pool, “beth-hesda”, (Hebrew) meaning house of mercy, shame, and
grace. The pool is in Jerusalem but not inside the temple mount, its geography is just outside of
the north gates.
(John 5:3-4) – The colonnade of five porches are open arch ways suspended by tall columns
with people laying inside each opening, some impotent and others blind or halt (lame). The
folklore of the time suggests that at certain seasons an angel troubles the pool of water below
the rows of porches allowing the first one to step into the pool to healed from their disease.

John 5: 5- And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and
eight years.
John 5: 6- When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long
time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
John 5: 7- The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the
water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another
steppeth down before me.
John 5: 8- Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5: 9- And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed,
and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

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