The Infirmity of the Infirmed

John 5:1-16

INTRODUCTION: The nation of Israel were God’s physical and earthly people and much of His dealings with them involved physical problems and physical solutions. Much of what we see in Israel physically in the past, we now see spiritually, mentally, or emotionally in us.

I. THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (John 5:1)

A. The Origin of the Journey (John 4:43-54)

1. The place – Cana of Galilee (John 4:46)
2. The event – the healing of a nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54)

B. The Destination of the Journey

1. The place – Jerusalem (John 5:1)
2. The event – a feast of the Jews (John 5:1)

II. THE POOL OF PROBLEMS (John 5:2-4)

A. The Details of the Place (John 5:2)

1. At Jerusalem by the sheep market
2. Called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, meaning house of mercy
3. Having five porches

B. The Details of the Event (John 5:2)

1. Supposed to be a time of feasting
2. However, this place was filled with the infirmed

C. The Details of the People (John 5:3a)

1. Their number – “a great multitude”
2. Their conditions (impotent, blind, halt, withered)

D. The Details of the Practice (John 5:3b-4)

1. People waited for the moving of the water (John 5:3b).
2. An angel went down to the pool at a certain season and troubled the water (John 5:4a).
3. The first to step in after the troubling of the water was made whole of whatsoever disease he had (John 5:4b).
4. It is not known how many opportunities were available, but the person least infirmed actually stood the greatest chance of being healed.

III. THE CANDIDATE FOR CURING (John 5:5-9)

A. The Man’s Condition (John 5:5-7)

1. The condition of his body (John 5:5-6)
a. He had an infirmity (John 5:5) – one that caused him to lie (John 5:6).
b. He had been in this case for thirty-eight years (John 5:5).
2. The condition of his mind (John 5:6-7)
a. The question asked by Christ (John 5:6)
1.) The reason for the question
i. He saw the man lie.
ii. He knew the man had been this way a long time.
2.) The content of the question – “Wilt thou be made whole?”
b. The answer by the man (John 5:7)
1.) I have no man to help when the water is troubled.
2.) While I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

B. The Saviour’s Solution (John 5:8)

1. Rise.
2. Take up thy bed.
3. Walk.

C. The Man’s Healing (John 5:9)

1. The immediacy of his healing – “immediately”
2. The fulness of his healing
3. The problem of his healing – “the same day was the sabbath.”

IV. THE PROSPECT OF PAIN (John 5:10-16)

A. The Source of the Pain (John 5:10)

1. The people – “the Jews”
2. The problem – “it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed”; Surely his bed was carried by someone to the pool.

B. The Simplicity of the Man (John 5:11-13)

1. He simply did as he was told (John 5:11).
2. He knew not who Christ was (John 5:12-13).

C. The Encouragement of Christ (John 5:14-16)

CONCLUSION: The pool of Bethesda, the house of mercy, was surrounded by hurting individuals. Each passing opportunity for mercy only served to prolong the pain for most. That is until Christ passed by.