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Exegesis of John 5:1-14

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Exegesis of John 5:1-14

Introduction
The Gospel of John is very unique in gospel studies in that its contents differ from the
synoptic gospels. Here, John presents the first record of Jesus, confronting his enemies. It has
a distinguished history of all that Jesus had begun doing and teaching. What Jesus taught
explained precisely what he did, and this confirmed what he taught. In John's Gospel, chapter
5, we have a miracle and a sermon. The Miracle was the cure of a paralyzed man who had
been ill for thirty-eight years. The sermon, on the other hand, was Christ's proof of himself
before the Sanhedrim when he was prosecuted for breaking the Jewish laws by healing the
man on a sabbath day, where he proclaimed his authority as a Mediator between God and
man, and as Messiah.1 This paper attempts to do an exegesis of the passages in John 5:1-14
by considering other aspects of the text and whether Jesus suggested a constant use of water
in healing. My view is that Jesus did not advocate a continuous use of water in recovery, and
this noticeable in that Jesus did not use the pool water to heal the sick man.
The scripture passages cannot be considered in isolation to the language, cultural,
religious, and social contexts. Therefore, a proper interpretation of the Bible must consider
the conditions in which the scripture was written and received. The meaning of a biblical
passage does not always lay in the physical reference that it makes but the idea and concept
that serve as the passage's undercurrents. The historical-critical exegesis has been the primary
method of identifying a biblical author's original intention, the response of the targeted
audience, and its relevance for contemporary society.2 The scripture's work is not complete
until the interpreters and their communities respond to its message and are transformed. This
can take place in the interpretive journey atmosphere that takes cognizance of historic-
cultural settings of the passage and that of contemporary society.
The Gospel of John was not written in one piece, but we name John to be responsible as
we read the scripture now. The context of this Gospel is split within the community. John
belongs to the group that insists on being the faithful follower of Jesus. In the other gospels,
Jesus proclaims Himself as the only son of God right from the beginning. John's Gospel is a
kind of religious meditation about Jesus. It reflects the experiences of the believers with Jesus
as savior. This is the core perspective of the Gospel of John. The Gospel takes some
narratives about Jesus and his miracles and other older texts.3 The texts are incorporated into
the concept of John's Gospel. They are shared in a certain way to highlight the unique
theology, which relies on the salvation that is still to come, the waiting for the last judgment,
and the need for love, expressed in participating in the eucharistic meal.
If one reads the Gospel of John as religious poetry, then the statements of John's Christ
are, first of all, arguments about Jesus; they are the words of believers telling about their
experiences with Jesus as Redeemer and Savior. Until now, it is not clear where and when the
Gospel was written. It was known about 150 A.C.4 It is written on a Papyrus dating back to

1
. Jacobus Kobus Kok, "The Healing of the Lame Man: An Exegetic Study of John 5: 1–9.
" In New Perspectives on Healing, Restoration and Reconciliation in John’s Gospel, (Brill,
2017), 110.
2
. Ibid., 113
3
. Ibid., 121
4
. Craig R Koester, "The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-18): A Study in Light
of the Archaeological Evidence from Bethesda, Jewish and Greco-Roman Practice, and the
Johannine Narrative." (2019), 243.
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this age. The community was speaking Greek, and the Jewish origins were long gone as the
Gospel has to explain now and then expressions in Hebrew or Jewish customs.
Literary Context
Talking about the scripture about the healing at Bethesda's pool, one has to heal with the
text. The story seems to be easy, but looking closer reveals the problem. The beginning of the
story is clear; something new begins with John 5:1.5 Jesus sets off, indicating that a different
narrative begins, there is a unique place reached, and that is Jerusalem, and there is a change
of time where the feast of the Jews indicates that a new scene starts. However, there is a
problem in defining the end of the text. The healing story ends with the paralytic man taking
up his mat and walking around while healthy, but we are aware that the story goes on. The
ending of the story is significant because it determines the interpretation. Therefore, one has
to determine where a text begins and where it ends.
Troubling the waters (John 5:3-4)
The man healed in John's scripture demonstrates that he was the most ungrateful of all the
people healed by Jesus in John's Gospel. The healing setting is a pool called Bethesda,
located in Jerusalem, near the sheep’s gate. It had five porticoes or entrances as well (John
5:2). Bethesda has been translated to mean "House of Mercy" by most English translations.
Lying in the entrances around the pool is a large number of blind, lame, and crippled (5:3).
From the explanations, the sick believed that an angel of the Lord would come and move the
waters slightly. Anyone who enters the pool first when the water moves will be healed of his
or her sickness.6 This belief of healing at the pool after an angel stirred up the waters was a
superstition believed by many ill people in the city. Instead of seeking help from Jesus, who
came to Jerusalem to save and offer healing, they just lay near this pool and attached their
hopes to the chance of getting into the pool first.
A man ill for 38 years (John 5:5-9)
When Jesus notices the man, who had been sick for thirty-eight years, lying next to the
pool (5:5), he asks him, "Do you want to be made well?" (5:6). The Bible gives us little detail
on the conversation between Jesus and the ill man. It is interesting to see the man's response
when Jesus asks about healing. We expect an emphatic answer like "Yes" here, but the sick
man complains to Jesus by replying that he had no one to put him into the pool when the
water is stirred up, and while he tried to make his way to the waters, someone else would step
down ahead of him (5:7).7 Jesus responds to his complaint by telling him to stand up, take his
mat, and walk (5:8). We are not told what the man’s problem was, but we assume that he was
paralyzed and not lame because he spent time lying on a mat and could not get into the pool
water very quickly by himself. So, we can guess that someone else carried him to the pool
and back home every day.
The trouble with the Jewish Religious Authorities
Immediately the man is healed, he takes up his mat and walks away (John 5:9). At the end
of the passage, the narrator adds that the man was healed that day was a Sabbath. As is
always the case, Jesus healing the sick on the Sabbath creates problems.8 As the story goes

. Harold Willmington, "The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Lame Man at the Pool of
5

Bethesda." (2018), 47

. Robin Thompson, "Healing at the Pool of Bethesda: A Challenge to

6

Asclepius?." Bulletin for Biblical Research 27, no. 1 (2017), 66

7
. Ibid., 68
8
. Ibid., 69
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on, the Jewish authorities confront the man, who tells him that it is unlawful to carry his mat
on a Sabbath (5:10). In his response, the man directs the blame to Jesus by saying that he was
doing what the man who healed him had told him to do (5:11). When asked about the man
who healed him, he says that he does not know (5:12-13). Later Jesus meets the healed man
in the Temple, who proceeds to tell the Jewish authorities that it was Jesus who healed him
(5:14). Jewish law was clear about how the Sabbath day was supposed to be observed. The
Fourth Commandment says: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you
shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your
God." The meaning intended here is that people should rest on the Sabbath instead of
undertaking their everyday tasks.
This healing story offers a very strong corrective to the thinking that God's healing
depends on the extent of a person's faith. Here, the man healed by Jesus did not show any
sign of faith in Jesus or appreciation for the healing that Jesus had done for him.9 When
summoned by the religious authorities, he blames the "man" who healed him, whose name he
did not even bother to learn. And when he meets Jesus again and learns his name, he goes
ahead and tells the authorities the identity of the man they seek, thinking that if the police go
after Jesus, they will spare him. The Jewish authorities are entirely confident that Jesus broke
the law because he performed healing on the Sabbath. From John's Gospel, the most
significant sin is unbelief and the rejection of the one sent by God. When Jesus encounters
the healed man in the Temple, he tells him not to sin anymore so that something worse may
not happen to him (John 5:14). The sin that Jesus notes is the sin of unbelief. There are worse
things than being summoned by religious authorities for breaking the law. If the man persists
in his unbelief and indifference to Jesus, he risks incurring God's judgment, which is worse
than being confronted by religious authorities.
The man does not see the power and presence of God in Jesus, but he is more concerned
with his physical ability. He reports Jesus' identity to the authorities, without fear or shame,
assuming that they will turn their judgment on Jesus and release him. Whatever good thing
Jesus does is met with persecution, and not with faith or gratitude.10 Jesus continues doing the
life-giving work without minding the consequences that may occur to him. While reading this
passage, one might wonder why Jesus chose this particular man to heal him, yet there were so
many people lying next to the pool of Bethesda looking helpless. Jesus could have made a
better choice for the one to heal. However, by this, we see that healing power and compassion
of Jesus is not limited to those with great, or those who respond to healing by believing in
and following Jesus his teachings.
The ill man's character
From this John's Gospel account on healing, we can derive some understandings about the
ill man's character. We can conclude that the man is old. If this man had been affected since
his childhood, given that the life expectancy in those days was maybe 35, then the man might
have been between 40 to 50 years by this time.11 Secondly, he is dependent in that he relied
on other people to bring him to the pool, take him back home every day, and offer support to
him, be it financial or so. Again, if he could not take care of himself well, we can probably
conclude that he was probably dirty and smelly. The man is also a complainer when he
complains to Jesus about how long he has been afflicted and that he did not have anyone to
help him get into the pool when the healing angel moved the waters. Again, he is a blamer,
which is seen when he blames Jesus, the person he claims told him to carry his mat on a

9
. Ibid., 70
10
. Ibid., 71
11
. Kok, The Healing of the Lame Man: An Exegetic Study of John 5: 1–9, 129
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sabbath. This is after the Jews confront him. Furthermore, he is a sinner, ungrateful, and
disloyal. When Jesus confronts the man in the Temple, the man reports him to the religious
leaders instead of being thankful and loyal to his healer. Lastly, this man is unrepentant since
there is no sign that he accepted what Jesus told him or even acted when Jesus rebuked him
about his sin.
Historical Background
In the early times, there exist many spellings of the pool’s name. Most translations give it
as "Bethesda," which refers to "House of Mercy," as per the Copper Scroll discovered at
Qumran which gave reference to the same. The pool of Bethesda was found in the 19th
century under the ruins of a Byzantine Church. The archaeological evidence shows that the
pool measured between 165 to 200 feet wide by 315 feet long and was divided into two
pools.12 The southward pool had steps and landings, an indication that it was used for rituals,
similar to Siloam's pool, where pilgrims from Jerusalem gathered and purified themselves for
worship. The northward pool provided a reservoir that continually replenished and repurified
the southern pool with fresh water.
Whoever visited Jerusalem might have seen the compound of Bethesda. Today it is at the
beginning of the Via Dolorosa, on the compound of the White Fathers' order. A huge arch of
stones stands there and remains of the walls. The arch is the rest of the five halls John is
talking about and that here Jesus healed the paralyzed man. However, it is not obvious as it
seems. Many manuscripts refer to the place as Bethesda or Bethsaida, so this is not clear at
all. The huge arch arc is the rest of a basilica, and it can't be one of the halls John is talking
about.13 What is known is that from the north side, there were some structures to lead water
up the Temple. The sites of the pools of Bethesda and Siloam were actually not the invention
of the Gospel authors. They were also historical sites of the first century during Jesus' time.
The stories of the Gospels, as demonstrated by miracles, were such strength that they required
repression, which led to the construction of pagan shrines above them.
Healing places with water are widespread in former times in the Middle East. They are
typically connected with gods or Goddesses, to whom healing powers are attributed. John
does not name a God or Goddess for the pool of Bethesda. Bethesda is located not far from
Temple Mount.14 It is usual to find a healing point near a temple, even if it developed into a
healing place after the destruction of the Temple. But only later this place was identified with
the story of John 5, and the notion of a place for people seeking healing was transferred to
John. But again, John is not talking about history and reconstructing history. John's setting is
told to make apparent the signs of Christ and to unfold the increasing conflict with the Jews
because of these signs, the works that show that Christ is the Son of God.
The story of the pool at Bethesda clearly shows that there was a healing tradition that was
practiced. Disabled people lay next to the pool and wait for the healing spirits to slightly
move the waters. Therefore, the person who would enter the pool first would be healed of
their illness.15 The healing from an angel stirring up the water can be seen as a tradition
believed by many ill people in the city. Seneca, a Roman Philosopher, stated that where water
flowed, or a spring rose, there ought to build altars and offer sacrifices. The sacred springs
draw attention to the water's sacredness, pointing out that the water symbolized grace.
Therefore, the pool at Bethesda served as a place for purification practices.

12
. E. W. G. Masterman, "The Pool of Bethesda." The Biblical World 25, no. 2 (1905): 90
13
. Koester, "The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-18), 243
14
. Masterman, The Pool of Bethesda, 93
15
. Ibid., 94
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People in the times of Jesus accepted that He performed supernatural acts. However, four
separate sources claim Jesus' works were miraculous. The accounts about Jesus' encounters at
the Bethesda pool are in line with both the archaeological and historical records and should
be regarded as historical accounts rather than religious myths.16 Further archaeological
excavations revealed other sites that show Bethesda's location continued to serve as a healing
space across generations. This historical context makes us understand why sick people chose
to lay close to the pool, waiting for the water to be stirred up so they might have the
opportunity to experience the pool’s healing power. Such a mindset indicates superstitious
thinking that came from the convergence of religions and cultures. The same is very similar
to some Christians today who mix Christianity and cultural traditions.
Contextual and Theological Analysis
According to this passage, people claim that healing has roots in ancient superstitions
rather than the Biblical concept of miracles.17 These observations seem to have missed
occurrences in the Bible, where physical objects were given healing power. For example, in
John 9:6, Jesus healed a blind man using clay that was made from saliva and mud. Therefore,
there is nothing superstitious about angels performing miracles inside the pool water since the
Bible is full of examples of angels performing supernatural acts. 
Another protestation is that the method of healing stated in this passage is thought to be
going against the good character of God. According to this healing story at the pool of
Bethesda, only the first person to the pool gets healed. Consequently, those who need healing
most cannot be healed, because maybe for one reason or another, they may lack the energy to
struggle for the first position. Such idea does not diminish God's grace or his good character.
The story of healing at the pool has a remarkable analogy to the Samaritan woman's story in
John 4.18 Semi-pagan Samaritans needed healing the most, as with the sickest individuals by
the pool. However, Jews prevented Samaritans from approaching God, the same way as the
non-disabled by the pool. It is evident throughout the Bible that some individuals appear to be
given more significant opportunities to approach the place of salvation/healing than others.
People born as Jews had a more substantial chance than those taken from Samaritans. Same
way, the non-disabled had a more significant opportunity to approach the pool than the
disabled. In both stories, Jesus opted to give healing to the less privileged.
As per the traditions, Jews were supposed to go to Jerusalem three times a year for
religious functions. The significance of the feast in John 5:1 implies the going to Jerusalem,
which was the epicenter of Jesus's miraculous works. God had chosen Jerusalem to be His
dwelling place.19 Since the ancient times of Solomon, the Temple signified the mercy and
power of God. There is a striking contrast explained by John when he introduced the attitude
of Jesus. Jesus asks the ill man lying there for a long time, if he would like to be made well.
The contrast indicates a clear behavioral pattern of the Lord, that he first saw and the learned.
Jesus is actually wants to know the man because his seeing scrutinizes the most profound
spaces of the human soul. Understanding the person with paralysis gives Jesus the motivation
to ask the most essential question: "Do you want to be made well?". The term well is
translated to mean wholesome, sound, and safe. From these meanings, we can then conclude

. Patricia Bruce, "John 5: 1-18 The Healing at the Pool: Some narrative, socio-historical
16

and ethical issues." Neotestamentica 39, no. 1 (2005), 43

17
. Ibid.
18
. Ibid., 47
19
. Ibid 48
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that Jesus was not concerned with the man’s physical state but the totality of his person,
which includes both the physical and spiritual. 
After the optimistic answer of the person with paralysis, Jesus command the man. "Get up!
Pick up your mat and walk" (John 5:9). The authority of Jesus' instruction is sufficient as it
was created when God created everything by his word. The man gets healed immediately,
proving there is no need to get into the pool believed to contain the miraculous water. The
whole person's restoration can come only from God, who gives a new gift of life to the
person with paralysis. In this, Jesus demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the pool.20 The
healing comes directly from Jesus and command. In this case, Jesus is seen as the living
water and source of it. Therefore, there is a critical theological connection with the Temple's
holy water, as in Ezekiel's vision. The author of this Gospel portrays the sign of healing the
person with paralysis as an event that explained what was being proclaimed.
Interestingly, John states that there "is a pool called Bethesda" using the present tense. The
dating of this Gospel was before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.21 Scholars use this
verse as evidence of this earlier dating since there were no pools that existed after then. If
John was writing after the fall of Jerusalem, then scholars would argue that the pools used to
exist before the destruction. However, he uses the present tense an evidence that the pools
still existed by the time he was writing this Gospel. Bethesda's pool symbolized the promise
of Christian baptism. The pools only cured physical illnesses and only cured one person per
time. But baptism, heals the soul and is available to everyone who comes to Christ in faith. In
both cases, God's power is shown through the healing power of the water.
There is an odd striking description by the length of time the man suffered. The man
suffered 38 years due to some unknown sin, and he is compared to the children of Israel who
suffered for 38 years in the wilderness because of their sins. In both cases, God did not
abandon them despite their sins22 After they repented, God gave the children of Israel Joshua
to take them to the promised land. Jesus represents the new Joshua who would heal Israel and
restore the old covenant to anew if they don’t sin again.
Jesus heals the man on a sabbath day, which, according to the authorities, was unlawful.
However, Jesus does not violate or break any law. He demonstrates the real meaning of the
Sabbath.23 His teaching is that we are expected to refrain from the material and sinful works
on Sabbath. The Jewish priests still performed their daily duties on the Sabbath. People
continue to be born and still die on the Sabbath, an indication that God still works on the
Sabbath since He has power over life and death.24 The concept of resting on the Sabbath was
that people should put aside their works on the Sabbath, and worship God. This is the that
will ensure that our faith to God is expressed, and in turn he will provide for our needs. The
Sabbath means God’s manifestation into our lives. In turn, we should reflect His love by
doing acts of mercy in other people’s lives.
Jesus seems to warn the healed man that the worse may happen if he sins again. What
could be worse than suffering for 38 years? To neglect the relationship with God is to risk
something worse than his disease.25 In this case, the man's sin was related to his suffering.
Old covenant believers thought every physical illness resulted from some sins committed by
20
. Ibid., 52
21
. Masterman, The Pool of Bethesda, 94
22
. Bruce, The Healing at the Pool, 53

. Ibid., 54
23

. Urban C. Von Wahlde, "The Pool (s) of Bethesda and the Healing in John 5: A
24

Reappraisal of Research and of the Johannine Text." (Revue Biblique, 1946-2009), 115

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either the individual or his or her parents. Jesus taught that this was not always the case.
Jesus' warning is a sign of spiritual resurrection promised in the New covenant.
Conclusion
The story of the healing at the Pool of Bethesda by John has been explained by many New
Testament scholars, engaging varied exegetical methods, which had led to various
elucidations. Scholars have examined critical issues such as identifying a particular festival
being referred to by the author, the name of the pool area, its inclusion or exclusion, ancient
traditional beliefs about spirits in water bodies, and water elements that could heal
sicknesses.26 The exegesis shows that Jesus did not engage in the conventional view of using
the water to heal the sick; instead, he sought consent from the ill man and commanded him to
walk.
The John’s Gospel was written many decades later than the other gospels books. The
author assumes that the readers are already familiar with the contents of these other works.
Jesus is the embodied word which has been revealed from ancient times through Moses and
the prophets.27 He was sent into the world to provide eternal life at the time that God has
decided. The Gospel of John was written to proclaim good news to all people at all the time.
The miracles in this Gospel are written to prove to the people that Jesus is the Messiah, and
the son of God. People are entitled to believe in Christ in order to have eternal life.
People with weak faith and unwavering spiritual growth are that way because they do not
seek divine help with their problems. They lack understanding that God is the provider and
savior of their lives. They never want to be helped by their weaknesses because that might be
their identity or comfort.28 They rarely seek help, perhaps due to pride or anger. They tend to
capture the attention of others through their helplessness. They result in failing to
acknowledge that Jesus is the one who can bring them comfort. True healing is all about the
transformation work done by Christ to our lives.

25
. Kok, The Healing of the Lame Man: An Exegetic Study of John 5: 1–9, 133
26
. Ibid. 127
27
. Willmington, The Miracles of Jesus Christ, 56
28
. Bruce, The Healing at the Pool, 54
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Bibliography

Bruce, Patricia. "John 5: 1-18 The Healing at the Pool: Some narrative, socio-historical and
ethical issues." Neotestamentica 39, no. 1 (2005): 39-56.
Koester, Craig R. "The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-18): A Study in Light of
the Archaeological Evidence from Bethesda, Jewish and Greco-Roman Practice, and the
Johannine Narrative." (2019): 243.
Kok, Jacobus Kobus. "4 The Healing of the Lame Man: An Exegetic Study of John 5: 1–9
within the Context of 5: 1–47: Macro-Analysis of John 5: 1–47." In New Perspectives on
Healing, Restoration and Reconciliation in John’s Gospel, pp. 95-149. Brill, 2017.
Masterman, E. W. G. "The Pool of Bethesda." The Biblical World 25, no. 2 (1905): 88-102.
Thompson, Robin. "Healing at the Pool of Bethesda: A Challenge to Asclepius?." Bulletin
for Biblical Research 27, no. 1 (2017): 65-84.
Von Wahlde, Urban C. "The Pool (s) of Bethesda and the Healing in John 5: A Reappraisal
of Research and of the Johannine Text." Revue Biblique (1946-) (2009): 111-136.
Willmington, Harold. "The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Lame Man at the Pool of
Bethesda." (2018).