Inductive Bible Study Form
Text: The Healing at the Pool, John 5: 1-15 (Attridge, 2006)
Facts
What: Jesus has the power to heal. He healed a sick man near the pool of Bethzatha. Upon healing the sick man, Jesus asked him to get up and carry his mat. In addition, Jesus does not like it when people engage in sin. He asked the sick man to stop sinning when He found him at the temple (Attridge, 2006).
Who: Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. He had stayed by the pool for this long time as he did not find someone to help him get to the pool.
Where: The healing took place near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where there was a pool with five porches. The pool was considered to be sacred and when it was stirred up by an angel, “the blind, lame and paralyzed bathed in this pool so that they could be healed” (Alexander & Alexander, 1999)
When: The healing took place on a Sabbath. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for a religious festival and that was when he found this man who had stayed by the pool for such a long time waiting for someone to help him get into the water.
Interpretation
Context
Jesus is Lord and Savior. It is because of the love and mercy he had, that he healed the sick man by the pool. The fact that it was on a Sabbath, thus healing was not in accordance with the Jewish law, Jesus showed that there are no limits for love and kindness. Jesus was love and he came to the world because of salvation of mankind (Alexander & Alexander, 1999). This is seen by the fact that he asked the sick man to stay away from sin when He found him in the temple.
Compare Scripture
According to the Jewish law, the Sabbath was a holy day and no one was allowed to do anything during that day. Jesus, who is Lord, proved to the Jewish that it was not an offence to show an act of kindness and love towards others on a Sabbath. The Jewish law symbolized the old covenant while Jesus came to bring the new covenant, which He summarized into two parts. These are:
- Love for your God
- Love for your neighbor
When Jesus healed the sick man, it was an act of love. While the Old Covenant preached punishment to sinners, the New Covenant brought by Jesus preached forgiveness and repentance.
Consecrated Common Sense: The act portrayed by Jesus when he healed the sick man is an act of kindness and is part of worship. The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews during which, worship was carried out. Therefore, when Jesus chose to heal the man on a Sabbath, he implied that healing was part of the Sabbath and worship. In addition, Jesus came into the world for the sake of mankind and especially the sinners. That is why He asked the healed man to stay away from sin.
Christ
Christ Jesus showed the people that it was not wrong to heal on a Sabbath. He brought the New Covenant to the people and with regard to the New Covenant; Jesus taught people how to love.
Application
The situation of the sick man is similar to most situations in people’s lives. Many are the times when people will sit back in sorrow waiting for someone to come to their aid. It may be that they are seeking for employment, love or peace. The Bible advocates that people should put their whole trust in God as He is capable of helping them where fellow men fail.
The sick man healed by Jesus was alone meaning that he had been abandoned by his family, friends and relatives. That is what happens when someone is in trouble. Everyone leaves but, Jesus assures the people that He is there, ready to help if called upon. The only problem is that people do not realize this and instead rely on unreliable fellow men. The Bible asks the people to put their trust and faith in Christ Jesus as He is the only one who will be there by their side, when everyone else turns away.
The very same verse is preaching love. Jesus portrayed an act of love despite the fact that working on a Sabbath, for instance healing as performed by Jesus, was against the law. Therefore, by following Jesus’ example, people are asked not to limit their selves in loving other people. In addition, this verse calls on people to stay away from sin as it can bring about dire consequences.
References
Alexander, D. & Alexander, P. (1999). Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Canada: Zondervan.
Attridge, H. W. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. Yale: Harper One.