There was a pool in the city of Jerusalem near the sheep gate called Bethesda (John 5:2), and five porches or porticos (G4745 – stoa) were placed close by. Porches or porticos served as covered gateways or entryways to buildings, or courtyards, where folks could gather and talk, conduct business or rest in solitude protected from the heat of the sun etc., as they took in their surroundings. This pool seemed to have special significance for those who were ill or handicapped in some manner. The text claims that the waters of Bethesda were stirred from time to time by an angel, and the first person to get into the pool would be cured by the troubled water, if he suffered from an infirmity (John 5:4). Consequently, the porches were filled with folks who were physically weak, folks who were blind, lame or lost the use of a limb etc., and they waited for the angel to stir the pool.
We need to keep in mind that the Gospel of John is witnessing about only a certain number of signs. Jesus’ resurrection was the seventh sign, and there the narrator claims there were many others, but these were recorded to show Jesus is the Christ, or Messiah, and that in believing we might have life (John 20:30-31), and in the next and final chapter the narrator records the eighth sign or miracle of the fish caught in the net. The point is: in chapter five of John’s Gospel Jesus heals an impotent man suffering from paralysis of what appears to be the lower part of his body. The text implies he was unable to help himself do anything. In the context of the Kingdom being spiritual (cp. John 3:2), which a physically oriented person thinks is foolish (cp. John 3:3; 1Corinthians 2:14), the five porticos or porches could be understood as one’s five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and scent, which ordinarily take in all we know of our world (1Corinthians 2:11), but, nevertheless, are impotent or paralyzed with respect to the Spirit.
Without a healing touch from Christ, we are dead to spiritual matters. Jesus once told the Apostles that the people in the world—all of us—are “waxed gross” (Matthew 13:15). That is, we have grown fat, thick or callous (G3975). Jesus was speaking of our spiritual sight and hearing (Matthew 13:15). Only those who have been spiritually raised from the dead (cp. Ephesians 2:1-5) would be able to see or understand things about the Kingdom of God with their hearts (Matthew 13:16; cp. John 3:3; Deuteronomy 29:4; Jeremiah 5:21).
The man at the pool was physically desensitized for 38 years because of sin (John 5:14; cp. Ephesians 2:1). This is the spiritual condition into which all have been born due to the sin of Adam (Romans 5:17-19). The spiritual side of our five senses is dead to the things of God, until Jesus heals us. The Jewish authorities persecuted Jesus (John 5:16), because they were insensitive to the things of God. It didn’t have to be this way, because they had received five witnesses to Jesus’ true identity, but they rejected each one.
First, they had the witness of John (John 5:33), and for awhile they were willing to receive his testimony (John 5:35). Nevertheless, when he pointed to Jesus (John 1:29-30), John’s witness was rejected. Secondly, the works that Jesus did—the miracles that no other man could do (cp. John 3:2)—these witnessed that Jesus was sent by God (John 5:36), but the Jewish authorities still refused to believe. Third, they had the witness of the Father, himself (John 5:36), at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16-17), but they refused to believe his witness. Fourth, they had the witness of the Scriptures, which they studied so carefully, believing through them they could have eternal life (John 5:39), but though they pointed to Jesus, the Jewish authorities refused to believe (John 5:40). Finally, Moses, in whom they claimed to trust, also testified of Jesus (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Nevertheless, believing Moses would have led to believing Jesus (John 5:45-47), so they refused to believe Moses’ words.
Thus, it all comes down to whether or not a man is sensitive to the things of God, because, if we are not, we shall not believe the one who comes preaching Jesus in God’s name. On the contrary, if a man would come in his own name, vis-à-vis for his own glory (and there are many today who do), people will follow that one, because left to ourselves we do not appreciate the heart of God (John 5:43).
Smoodock's Blog 