Digging deep into John 5:1-18 to examine the historic nature of the passage, as well as the theological significance.

The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

An Unknown time has past since we last saw Jesus healing in Galilee. He has traveled from Jerusalem, and the Passover feast, to Galilee, and is now back in Jerusalem. In short, the feast is unknown, but if it's the Passover, it could be as much as a year that has passed.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

The location of the pool, near the sheep gate has been known for years but recent archaeology has been able to confirm it. The other important thing of note is the name of the pool means house of olives, or house of healing.

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

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.

KJV

Verse 4 is missing from manuscripts before the 400's AD, and isn't in most modern bibles. It's not that people are tampering with scriptures, but the King James translators put it in, when it wasn't originally there. It was likely added to offer a reason why the waters stirred. In later manuscripts, where the verse does appear, there are lots of variance in how verse 4 should read.

No doubt, many sick folks gathered for healing. The word for invalid, or impotent is one where we get the word strengthless.

5 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?"

38 years in bed. This man must have been thin, weak, frail, ridden with bed sores. Possibly elderly. After years of discouragement, his will may also have been broken. Was Jesus also offering to heal his will, his spirits? With such a long time in bed, even if he hadn't spent the entire time waiting near the pool, he certainly would have had plenty of folks who knew him, and could attest to his sickly condition.

At any rate, Jesus saw him, and asked an absurd question. Do you want to be healed? Who wouldn't want to be healed?

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 steps down before me."

The man described his plight. He believed his healing would come from being put into the water. As a disabled person, he had to rely on others. At their convenience, not his. he couldn't move under his own power. He had to rely on others who didn't have to suffer his constant troubles, and could come and go as they pleased. He was always bumped to the end of the line, so to speak, by others more abled. His hope was gone, and he was in despair.

8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

What is missing in this picture? Did the man ask for healing, or help to the water? No.

Did Jesus ask what the man might want from him, or about faith? No.

Jesus saw him. And commanded. Get up, take up, walk.

It was all on Jesus. The man already had Jesus attention. He supplied the physical healing, and the healing of the will.

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath,