The story of the man at the Pool of Bethesda evokes a sense of wonder and raises many thoughtful questions.
Aside from the healing of the man with the infirmity, which we will look at in this message, the Pool of Bethesda itself, and the ideology surrounding it, is an aspect we will discuss extensively.
I am hopeful that you will have a great time as we take a brief walk back thousands of years through the scriptures.
The Pool of Bethesda Scripture
Before we see the man at the pool of Bethesda, let us look at the scripture that talks about the pool itself.
The details of the Pool of Bethesda are in John 5:2, but for the sake of this study, we will look at both the pool called Bethesda and the ideas surrounding it.
“After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel went down at certain times into the pool, and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.” (John 5:1–4 WEB)
I did not mention the person of Jesus at the start, but His introduction in this passage is significant to the account.
If one were to ask, "Where was the Pool of Bethesda?" the scripture tells us that the pool was by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament, we learn how people offered and sacrificed animals for sins. The knowledge about the Sheep Gate is that it was the very gate through which the sacrificial lambs were brought.
Secondly, the Sheep Gate was known to be an area where abandoned or helpless people, like the ones listed above, were found. Keep this in mind as a reason why the man at the pool of Bethesda might have been there.
There is a beautiful picture here if you look closely. Since this gate was specifically used to bring in lambs for the temple sacrifice, when Jesus entered Jerusalem through it, He wasn't just using a shortcut. He was stepping in as the ultimate 'Lamb of God' entering the place of sacrifice. He came in through the door of the lambs to save the sheep who were stuck.
There were other pools recorded in the scriptures, but interestingly, this pool called Bethesda in the Hebrew tongue seems to be the only place in scripture known by that name. It is said to mean "House of Mercy" or "House of Grace," and you can link that with the activities behind the Sheep Gate.
And here is a fascinating fact to ground your faith: this isn't just a fairytale location. For centuries, skeptics doubted this pool existed because of its unusual 'five porches' design. But in the late 19th century, archaeologists actually excavated the site near the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem and found it, complete with the five porticoes exactly as John described. It is a real place you can still visit today."
However, a profound idea about the pool of Bethesda is that it was a place where an angel came at certain times to stir up the water. Afterward, the first person who entered the water received healing from any disease they had.
Healing At The Pool Of Bethesda
When looking at the healing at the Pool of Bethesda, two common questions people ask are: Did the Pool of Bethesda really heal? and Who was the angel at the Pool of Bethesda?
To the first question: the pool itself did not really heal. You will see why along the way. For the second, some people suggest that the angel at the pool of Bethesda was Raphael, as he is traditionally known as the angel of healing.
However, something is puzzling about the healing at the pool of Bethesda, especially regarding the angel troubling the water. When I looked at the scripture in different translations, I discovered that some of them did not include that part. Why?
Usually, when situations like this come up in a scriptural text, two things to consider are:
- Either the point was an addendum (added later), or
- It was omitted later.
Bible translations like the KJV, NKJV, AMP, WEB, and YLT include the angelic healing idea. But translations like the ESV, NLT, MSG, NIV, and ASV do not include it in the main text.
I think it is fair to note that there is an equal split between translations that do and do not have the part about an angel stirring the water.
However, as I probed deeper, I discovered that some people believe the idea was pagan. Some even suggest that it was the devil who stirred the water. (Smile).
I understand that there were pagan activities in those days, just as there are today, and introducing them into Jerusalem was not impossible. But let us continue this journey within the scriptures.
A metal-cover New Living Translation (NLT) I own provides a footnote on the case, saying that some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verses 3 and 4. Here is how it puts it:
“Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.” (John 5:3 NLT)
That reminds me, I forgot to emphasize the five porches. Many people who were sick and impotent were either lying or staying on those porches (or doorways).
Moving on, I noticed something the New American Standard Bible (NASB) did with that passage. Take a look:
“In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]” (John 5:3–4 NASB)
The use of brackets before 'waiting' in verse 3 and closing at the end of verse 4 indicates that the information within them was probably not in the original text.
That brings me to the second part of my discovery: the idea was not in the oldest manuscripts of the account. This knowledge is common among Bible scholars and reflects what we find in modern translations.
So, how did the idea get into the passage?
Here is the most likely explanation: In the ancient world, scribes copied the scriptures by hand. Scholars believe that an early scribe, knowing the local tradition, wrote a note in the margin of the page to explain why the water moved. Years later, another scribe copying that manuscript likely assumed the note was part of the original verse and included it in the main text. It started as an explanation and eventually merged into the scripture itself.
This implies that the stirring of the water was likely just a local legend or superstition people believed in, rather than a proven source of divine healing.
Regardless of this history, it is necessary to note that according to the gospel account, there was a man at the pool of Bethesda and that Jesus came around and saw him.
The Man At The Pool Of Bethesda
“A certain man was there, who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Arise, take up your mat, and walk.’ Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.” (John 5:5–9 WEB)
Previously, we looked at the case of this man concerning his infirmity, the probable cause, and Jesus healing him and telling him to "Sin No More." But in this session, we will look at him with a focus on his presence at the Pool of Bethesda.
When Jesus saw the man, the scripture says that He knew the man had been in that condition for a long time. Instead of just healing the man as we see in other cases, He asked him, "Do you want to be made well?"
The response from the man suggests something unusual happens at the pool. Let me outline his reply in two points:
- He was helpless in the sense that he had no one to help him into the water when it was stirred up.
- When he attempted to get in, someone else overtook him.
The man at the pool of Bethesda confirmed that he had seen the water stirred up but did not say who stirred it. Also, after the stirring or moving of the water, someone would get in and get out.
But Jesus did not listen to all of that. Instead, He told the helpless man to get up, take his mat, and leave that place. And immediately, he got up, took his bed, and began to walk. What happened? He was made whole.
At that moment, it did not matter whether the water was stirred up by an angel, a messenger, or a force; what mattered was that it was time for that man to be healed. It was time to go home.
We were not told if Jesus performed any other miracles in the scene, but this account exposes an idea that seemed common among the helpless people at the pool. Jesus showed up and changed the narrative. He showed up as both the Helper and the Healer.
However, the story of the man healed at the pool of Bethesda did not end there. Remember, it was on a Sabbath day that the man was healed.
So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.” He answered them, “He who made me well, the same said to me, ‘Take up your mat, and walk.’” Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat, and walk’?” But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.“ The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath. (John 5:10–16 WEB)
The Summary Is This:
Jesus Christ was going to Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate. By the pool of Bethesda, He met a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years.
He asked the man if he wanted to be healed, and after the man replied, Jesus spoke words of healing. Immediately the man responded, and he was made whole.
Jesus continued His journey and later met the man in the temple and told him, "See, you have been made whole. Sin no more, lest something worse come upon you."
As much as every other detail is important, we should not take our attention away from the two encounters that man had with Jesus Christ.
In the first encounter, Jesus made him well. In the second encounter, Jesus instructed him not to return to the lifestyle that put him in his previous condition.
Here are two questions I would love you to answer personally: Where are you expecting your help to come from? and Who do you trust?
If you are looking to God for something, I hope when it comes you will not make a mess of it.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the spiritual meaning of the Pool of Bethesda?The name Bethesda means "House of Mercy" or "House of Grace." Spiritually, it represents a place where human effort (trying to get into the water first) failed, but God’s grace (Jesus) succeeded. It shows us that while religion often requires us to "do" something to be blessed, Jesus simply asks us to believe and receive. Did an angel really stir the water at the Pool of Bethesda?This is a common question! Most Bible scholars believe the verses about the angel (John 5:3b–4) were not in the original text but were added later to explain the local tradition. That is why many modern Bible translations (like the NIV or ESV) put those verses in brackets or footnotes. Whether it was an angel or a natural spring, the people believed it had power, until Jesus showed up with the real power. Why did Jesus ask the man, "Do you want to be made well?"It sounds like a strange question to ask someone who has been sick for 38 years, doesn't it? But Jesus was likely addressing the man's mindset. After suffering for so long, a person can lose hope or become comfortable in their condition. Jesus was inviting him to look past his limitations and ignite his faith again. Where is the Pool of Bethesda located today?The Pool of Bethesda is a real historical site in Jerusalem. It is located near the Sheep Gate, just north of the Temple Mount. You can actually visit the ruins today near the Church of St. Anne. Archaeologists excavated it in the late 19th century and found the five porches exactly as the Bible described. What does the Sheep Gate represent in the Bible?The Sheep Gate was the entrance used to bring sacrificial lambs into the temple. It is significant because Jesus entered through this gate to heal the man. It paints a beautiful picture of Jesus as the ultimate "Lamb of God" entering the place of sacrifice to save those who could not save themselves. |
