God sent an angel to the Bethesda pool because He loved His people and the city of Jerusalem. It was a testimony to His kindness and care for the Jewish people. Their sin had brought much sorrow and sickness among them. We read about a great multitude of these sick folk waiting for an angel to stir up the water. The first one in the water was healed. How could a man who couldn’t walk get there before others? One day, the Lord Jesus met one and healed that poor man. Do you know why the Jews got angry? They were angry because Jesus did this miracle on the Sabbath day. They would rather that this man remain lame than that the Sabbath be broken.
As a child, many of us have memorized this verse: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” What a good gospel verse this is! Notice that we don’t have to do any work (it was all done for us) to have everlasting life. We need only to believe, that is, to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts by faith.
John the Baptist bore witness to the Lord Jesus, but what greater witness could He have than the many miracles He did? The Father also bore witness to His Son (Matthew 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)), as did so many scriptures, from Moses and all the prophets.
1. There was a pool of water called Bethesda. What kind of people lay around the pool? __________ John 5:___
2. What day of the week was it when the impotent man was made whole? __________ John 5:___
3. The Jews sought to kill Jesus for two reasons. One was that they said that He had broken the Sabbath; the other was that He said that __________. John 5:___
4. What does one have who hears Jesus’ word and believes on Him who sent Him? __________ John 5:___
5. Besides the witness of John the Baptist and besides the works which Jesus did, there is Someone else who has borne witness to the Lord Jesus. Who is it? __________ John 5:___