“A Healing in Jerusalem”

K. Adrian Scott

January25, 2026

Contextual Introduction.

The book of John which is built upon the premise that Jesus Christ is the “Word made flesh” and more clearly and outrightly declares Jesus to be God in the flesh (1.14). The book of John also from its beginning records John the Baptizer declaring Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1.29)

In chapter two we have the historical record of Jesus’ first public miracle when at a wedding He attended, He turned water into wine (2. 1-10). Then in chapter three, we have Jesus' meeting with a ruler of the Jews, a man by the name of Nicodemus. In that conversation with Nicodemus Jesus explained to him the truth about the necessity of the ‘new birth’ and what it means to be reborn by the Holy Spirit which is the only means by which a person can enter the kingdom of God (3.5).

Then in chapter four we have the dramatic episode of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. It was there that Jesus revealed to her that He is the source of ‘living water’ (v. 10) and that whoever drinks of the living water He provides will never thirst again (v. 14)! The woman responded to Jesus by asking, “sir, give me this water” (v, 15).

After this meeting with the Samaritan woman and witnessing many of the Samaritan people believing in Jesus, he leaves the city and goes to Galilee stating, “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (v. 44) referring to the city of Sychar (v. 5). Entering Galilee, the Scriptures tells us, “The Galileans received Him” (v. 45).

The Text, Telling the Story.

v. 1-3; “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

While verse one provides an appropriate reason Jesus was in Jerusalem, His appearance there also presented an equally appropriate purpose for Jesus being there on the Temple grounds - “there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed.”

It is here in this pool where it is reported and apparently confirmed that some sick people who climbed into this pool at just the right time; that being the time of the swirling of the pool's water, were healed of their infirmities. A multitude, actually, a “great multitude” of sick people, people physically incapacitated, laid at this pool; some blind, some lame, and some paralyzed – and as Matthew Henry says of them, “all powerless people” presumably all wanting to step into this water when it mysteriously began to stir and be healed by the power of this natural spring. That pool is called ‘Bethesda’ which in English means, ‘house of mercy.’

v. 5-6; “One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, do you want to be healed?

There is a man there who is paralyzed and his paralysis would not allow him to go very far for help, and even at that, he could not move quickly, which was a distinct disadvantage to him since only a few people could get into the pool fast enough before the water stopped swirling. This man could not go far enough fast enough to get into the water before others would get into the pool before him and the water would stop swirling and stop healing those needing to be healed. He is not quick enough to beat the other people, sick like he is, but either had a less crippling condition or another illness which did not affect their legs so they could get into the pool without hesitation.

Not to discount the physical misery these persons endured, but there is also a spiritual reality here that we simply cannot ignore. That being said, here is a clear picture of the paralysis of humanity’s (spiritual) condition without the intervention of Christ! Self-help and other remedies will only go so far, offer hope or relief, deliver some confidence, but lack the ultimate power to heal. Jesus found and saw a particular man, who did not know who Jesus was, but Jesus knew the man had been there at this pool a long time – 38 long years to be exact. Jesus approaches the man and asks him, “do you want to be healed?” First, since there is a multitude of people there, why did Jesus choose this man rather than someone else? Did you ever ask why the Lord chose you? Why did the Lord call you to Himself? Don’t you wonder in amazement, Lord, why me? Without getting into a deeper theological conversation about it, suffice it to say God is sovereign and does whatever pleases Him to accomplish His will. This is a point of great praise; that our God found us and approaches us for the purpose of addressing our needs. Praise God’s name!

On another note, Jesus askes this man, “do you want to be healed?” From our human perspective, far too often we want people to have something, healing for example, they may not want. We assume everyone wants to be healed, wants to live in “our” neighborhoods, drive the kind of cars we drive or frequent the same sort of restaurants we eat at, but they may not. That is what we want, and it may not be what they want! Everyone does not want my life or your life, so Jesus asks the man, “do you want to be healed?” When the man responded he answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.” The man immediately thinks Jesus is talking about the powers of this natural spring, so the man’s faith is misplaced. He is looking to be healed by a phenomenon of nature. He does not know who he is talking to! But the swirling of the water is unpredictable, not regular in its stirring and cannot be timed so he could get a head start and make it to the pool in time to get in. When the water is stirred up, other people, apparently healthier than he is but still needing healing, get into the pool before he does! So, this tells me that the healing waters was not sufficient to accommodate everyone who was sick and needing its healing powers because the water was not stirred very long or the pool was not large enough to hold the entire host of sick people who were waiting. Was not there room for this one man who had been waiting for thirty-eight years? Why did not someone say over these nearly four decades, ‘go ahead of me and get in. I can get in the next time.’ Apparently, no one cared enough about the man to say that. We see something else here in our text, and that is this – Jesus cares when no one else does! The pool on occasion can heal one person at just the right time, but for the paralyzed man, this is his day; because he is talking to Jesus who can heal everyone and anyone at any time. But the sick and afflicted gathered there are looking for help from a source other than Jesus! It is very appropriate that the very place where the paralyzed man was lying poolside at the waters called Bethesda or “house of mercy.” Because this is what it is going to take for him to be helped and healed, the mercy of the Lord! It would be nothing short of the mercy of God if this once unstable man can stand upright again instead of not being carried about.

And this is our story; the story of a person or people who were once spiritually immobilized, helpless to receive meaningful and wholistic healing that would represent hope, much less find our way to Jesus whom we, like this man, did not know or recognize. Jesus is our Savior, the only Savior, who goes out of the way seeking those who disappointed by other sources of help and cannot come to Christ by themselves! Aren’t you glad Jesus just appeared in your life like He did in this man’s life and made Himself know to you? And offered you the kind of healing nothing or no one else you had tried to bring?

v. 7; “The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another person steps down before me.”

Where are we placing our trust? Ultimately, if it is in other people, they will let you down, often in the most critical times of your life. Where is this man’s family? There is no one who could sit with hi and make certain he was in the water when the water was stirred? Where is his help? His friends? Where are his relatives or his former co-workers? Did he attend Temple services? And if so, where is his church family? You mean no one in all of these thirty-eight years would help this man? Obviously, no.

v. 8; “Jesus said to him, Get up, take up your bed, and walk. 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”

With no one there to help the man, Jesus stopped by and in a matter of minutes one day, Jesus did more than his family, his friends, co-workers and doctors did for him in thirty-eight years! Enough of your misery, sir. Enough laying by this pool looking for help that never comes! Help is not helpful if it is not accessible. Enough waiting for someone who would attempt to do what only Jesus can do! “Rise up”! “Pick up your bed!” Instead of the bed holding you, “pick up your bed!” “And walk!” Do not crawl like before but walk! You are no longer confined to a bed; you’re now able to carry your bed!Walk, sir! Saints, let go of what has held you down for so long! Get up and walk!! The bed is what identified the man before Jesus showed up! But now he is to be seen in a new light because he can walk! You are stronger than your illness! You are stronger than your bad habits! Stronger than weak finances! Stronger than your temptations! Stand up and walk! Jesus said, “Rise up and walk!” It is confirmed that the power of Jesus is greater than the power of nature. What the swirling water could not do, Jesus can and will do! No diagnosis or essays are needed; no lab tests needed sir, just “take up your bed and walk!”