Although people had been skeptical about Jesus’ ministry, they were still willing to examine His claims; however, beginning in John 5, Jesus begins to experience some major opposition, which the writer details until John 12:50. Much of this conflict stems from the so-called religious leaders of Jesus’ day who rejected Him as the Son of God and adhered to Old Testament ceremonial laws, as well as man-made traditions, to find connection with God. The “religious” crowd of this time was consumed with the externals and completely ignored the condition of a person’s heart. Ultimately, they believed that their works brought favor with God.
With these things in mind, John writes about the third miracle or sign which should lead a person to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus departs Cana of Galilee in order to participate in a Jewish feast being held in Jerusalem (5:1). When Jesus entered the city gate, He came to the pool (probably a hot spring) at Bethesda, having five porches surrounding it, where many who were sick would lay (5:2-3a). It appeared the sick believed that this particular body of water contained some type of healing power so that the first person who entered the water after it began moving would be healed (5:3b-4). John writes about a particular man waiting at this pool who had been paralyzed thirty-eight years (5:5). Jesus sees this man lying there and asks, “Do you want to be made well? (5:6) Not knowing who was asking, the man replied saying, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me” (5:7). Then Jesus says to the paralyzed man, “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (5:8). John writes that “immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath” (5:9).
You would think that many would rejoice over the healing of this man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years; however, the Jews were nearby and said to the healed man, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed” (5:10). Instead of celebrating this miracle, they became consumed with this man keeping the law. Although the Old Testament law did forbid work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11), it seems to indicate that this meant a person should not be involved in their natural means of employment. Carrying one’s bed would not fall into the category of work; however, the Jews had developed some additional rules for the Sabbath, including not carrying an object from one place to another. These supplemental rules allowed the Jews to bring a charge against this man. The healed man responded to the Jews’ condemnation saying that a man had commanded him to “take up his bed and walk” (5:11), so he did. The Jews inquired about this man who had healed him, but he did not know his identity (5:12-13).
After this incident, Jesus found the healed man in the temple and said, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (5:14). Jesus’ statement to the man does not necessarily imply that his sickness was a direct result of sin, but it does indicate that Jesus was concerned about the man living a life without sin. The man left the temple and told the Jews “that it was Jesus who made him well” (5:15), so from this time forth “the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath” (5:16).
Jesus did not cause this man to break any Old Testament law, but only the man-made traditions which had become so prevalent in the Jews’ system of worship. Instead of repenting of sin and having faith in Jesus as their Savior, the Jews embraced obedience to rules as the thing which bound them to God. No matter how hard they tried or how many good deeds they performed, it still would not pay the penalty required for sin, which is death. The Jews, as well as all mankind, are in need of someone to die in their place so that they can have life. That someone was Jesus Christ. “For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us [sinners], that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Dear God, thank You for releasing me from the penalty of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. I know I could never earn Your favor on my own.
