The Cripple By The Pool

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The Cripple By The Pool
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John 51 Which Feast?

• Three of the feasts required attendance (Ex
  2314)
• Passover (Ex 2315 Lev 234-14).
• Weeks (Ex 2316 Lev 2311, 15-17)
• Ingathering, or Tabernacles (Ex 2316 Lev
  2334-43).
• Other suggestions include Trumpets (Lev 2324,
  25).
• But John calls the passover a feast of the Jews
  (RSV)
• 213 ... The passover of the Jews ...
• 64 ... The passover, the feast of the Jews ...
• Only other time a feast is called a Jewish feast
  is in John 72 referring to the Feast of
  Tabernacles.
• So well assume John 5 was a passover, the 2nd of
  4 in John, thus justifying a 3 1/2 year ministry
  for the Lord.

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A Time-Line for Jesus Ministry
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The Jews in John

• In Johns gospel, the Jewsmay mean different
  things
• 1 Any descendant of Jacob.For example, John 49,
  22.
• 2 The Jewish establishment, the sanhedrin, or its
  sympathisers. For example, cp John 1146-53 with
  John 1812, 14, 31.
• This is the usual meaning of the Jews in Johns
  gospel.
• The Jews often means the Pharisees. Cp John
  1146, 47 1814.
• 3 In a few cases it may mean an inhabitant of
  Judæa or Jerusalem.
• For example, John 71 1154.
• This application is difficult to distinguish from
  number 2, above.

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Bethesda / Bethzatha

• A pool near to Jerusalems Sheep Gate.
• Called Bethzatha in RSV.
• Called Bethesda in KJV and NIV.
• NIV footnote Some manuscriptsBethzatha others
  Bethsaida.
• Bethesda House of mercy Bethzatha house of
  olives Bethsaida house of fishing.
• Bethzatha A variant spelling for Bezetha -
  thename of that part of Jerusalem that lies
  north of the temple mount.

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Sheep/Lions/St Stephens Gate

• In the eastern wall of Jerusalem
• North of the temple mount

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Bethzatha Pool

• Scholars model.
• View looking south-west, showing theTower of
  Antonia
• And Herods Temple
• An 1888 Excavation in NE Jerusalem uncovered a
  5-porch pool with angel and water fresco.
• It may have been the pool of Bethesda.

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Text of John 53b, 4

• NAB has a footnote Toward the end of the
  second century in the West and among the 4th
  century Greek Fathers, an additional verse was
  known
• For from time to time an angel of the Lord
  used to come down into the pool and the water
  was stirred up, so the first one to get in
  after the stirring of the water was healed of
  whatever disease afflicted him.
• This verse is missing from all early Greek
  manuscripts and the earliest versions, including
  the original Vulgate.

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Troubling of The Water

• Modern versions omit John 53b, 4. However
• If spurious, at least the cripple thought the
  waterhad power to heal. See John 57(which is
  not contested).
• Some disturbance of the water isimplied for
  otherwise why were thesick folk merely waiting
  by the pool?
• If the curative powers were in thewater (rather
  than its disturbance),why should it matter to
  the cripple if another should step in before him?
• In which case
• Did an angel really stir up the water?
• Or should the text read, For it is said that an
  angel went down at a certain season ...?

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There Were Many Sick Folk ...

• But the Lord chose only one ...
• So his purpose must have been to teach!
• The cripple had been unable to rise for 38 years.
• Is this a reflection of Israels 38 years in the
  wilderness? Deut 214 (cp 2 Chron 1612, 13)
• The Lord went on to discuss resurrection John
  521-29.
• So the man may be regarded as representing
  Israels prostration due to sin see John 514.
• The healing showed Jesus power to deliver from
  sin (vs 14) and to fulfil, for example, Ezek 37.

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Preconditions for Healing

• Prostrated by Sin (vss 6, 14).
• Chronic condition (vs 6).
• Do you want to be healed? (vs 6, RSV).
• Salvation depends on some effort of will.
• Greek Theleo indicates determined wish.
• AV made whole its not something we can do
  for ourselves.

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I Have No Man (vs7)

• He knew he was powerless to act alone.
• So why was he there?
• Doubtless unknowing, virtually verbatim quote
  from Isa 5916.
• Very similar to Ezek 2230, Jer 51.
• In fact, he had a man -
• Behold the Man! (John 195).

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Three Steps to Salvation (vs 8)

• Rise!
• Disciples aspire to higher and wider horizons
  (Col 31).
• Take up your bed
• Disciples are carriers, not merely the carried.
• If any man would come after me, let him deny
  himself and take up his cross daily and follow
  me. (Luke 923, RSV).
• Walk!
• Discipleship demands forward progress.

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Why Did Jesus Depart? (vs 13)

• Because of the crowd the man needed time and
  space to work out the implications of his
  healing.
• This is worked out in conflict (vss 10-13).
• Conflict is created by doing what Jesus asks!
• Jesus later found him in the temple
• Had he gone there to give thanks?
• It seems that Jesus was looking for him.
• If so, Jesus finishes what he starts.

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Thou art made whole (vs14)

• Made whole we are utterly dependent upon the
  Lords grace.
• Sin no more was this mans condition the result
  of a particular sin?
• Perhaps, but not necessarily.
• A worse thing as in the parable of the swept
  house (Luke 1124-26).
• Or Hebrews 1023-29.

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He went and told the Jews (vs 15)

• Was he keeping on side with them? Was this a
  betrayal of the Lord?
• It certainly had that effect! (vs 16)
• So was he still acting as a model of his people?
  (eg John 111)
• Or had he realised that the leaders needed help
  just as he had, and that they could only obtain
  that help from the Lord?

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Three Issues Arising ...

• It was the sabbath the man was carrying his bed
  the Jews objected vss 9-11, 16.
• They found fault with Jesus. But what of those
  who had carried the man there?
• The Jews challenged Jesus God-given authority
  vss 17-23 vss 30-47.
• Even Jews could see that only God had power for
  such a healing implication of vss 17, 18.
• Two aspects of resurrection vss 24-29.

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Two Aspects of Resurrection

• Vs 25 is about a here and now raising from
  death to (the new) life.
• The hour ... now is (vs 25).
• Refers to a present response to Jesus teaching
  (leading to baptism) - vss 24-27.
• Vss 28, 29 are about a future raising from the
  grave when the kingdom comes.
• The second raising depends on the first!

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Summary

• Only Jesus has the power to raise those who are
  prostrated by sin.
• Jesus has power over all things even over
  legalistic views of the laws of God.
• Salvation is available only to those who will
  exert some effort to attain it.

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The Cripple By The Pool