The story of Jesus healing a paralytic man at the Pool of Bethesda is a powerful example of Jesus’ compassion and miraculous power. This event is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 5, and shows how Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for many years.
The Pool of Bethesda
Bible Verse: John 5:2-3
“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.”
The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem was a place where many disabled people, including the paralyzed, blind, and lame, gathered. It was believed that an angel would occasionally stir the water of the pool, and the first person to enter the water after this would be healed.
The Paralyzed Man
Bible Verse: John 5:5
“One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.”
Among the people at the pool was a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. He had been waiting a long time for a chance to be healed.
Jesus’ Question and the Man’s Response
Bible Verse: John 5:6-7
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.'”
Jesus approached the man and asked if he wanted to be healed. The man explained that he had no one to help him into the pool and always missed his chance.
The Healing
Bible Verse: John 5:8-9
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”
Instead of helping the man into the water, Jesus simply told him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. Immediately, the man was healed and able to walk.
The Significance of the Miracle
Bible Verse: John 5:9-10
“The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.'”
This miracle occurred on the Sabbath, a day when work, including carrying a mat, was not allowed by Jewish law. The healing led to a discussion about who Jesus was and the nature of His authority.