Chapter 5:1-17 The Healing at Bethesda

5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
A feast - This is generally supposed, by the best critics, to have been the feast of the Passover, which was the most eminent feast among the Jews.

5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
A pool - Pearce thinks the word κολυμβηθρα should be translated bath, and that this place was built for the purpose of bathing and swimming in.

5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

waiting for the moving of the water - hereafter mentioned: and so it is in providence, and a wonderful thing it is, that the hearts of so many unregenerate persons should be inclined to attend upon the outward means of grace, and should be waiting at Wisdom's gates, and watching at the posts of her door.

5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Only one was cured, he that stepped into the pool first after the angel had troubled the water. It was but a scanty power that was left to the troubled water; but it was quite enough, if only one in a thousand was healed, to bring a crowd of people to wait around the pool. If only one person in a year were saved, I should not wonder if you thronged the place to hear the gospel that saved him; but your privilege is much greater.

5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
which had an infirmity thirty and eight years - The man had lost the use of his limbs thirty-eight years. Shall we, who perhaps for many years have scarcely known what it has been to be a day sick, complain of one wearisome night, when many others, better than we, have scarcely known what it has been to be a day well?

5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

Note that it does not say, “When the man saw Jesus,” but “when Jesus saw him.” He did not know Jesus; possibly he had not even heard of His healing power and compassionate love. He was not seeking Jesus; but Jesus was seeking him. 

It was so with many of us;

5:7 The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

but while I am coming; in a slow way, by the help of his crutches, or in the best manner he could:
another steppeth down before me; not so much disordered, or more active and nimble: so among those that wait on the ministry of the word, some are sooner in Christ than others; some lie here a long time.

5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

take up thy bed and walk - these words were spoken by the same power, as those to Lazarus, which called him out of his grave;

5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

And immediately the man was made whole - As soon as ever the words were spoken by Christ, such power went with them, as restored the man to perfect health; and he finding himself to be quite well, rose up directly:
and took up his bed and walked - which may be expressive of a sinner's rising from the bed of sin. 

The same day was the sabbath - Mr. Toynard supposes that this miracle was wrought on the 11th of Nisan, the sabbath before the Passover, which was celebrated the 14th of Nisan, or 28th of March.

5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

it is the sabbath day - do not you know it? surely you forget yourself, or you would never be guilty of such an action as this;
it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed - It was forbid by the law, to carry any burden on the sabbath day.

5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

He that made me whole - The poor man reasoned conclusively: - He who could work such a miracle must be at least the best of men: now a good man will neither do evil himself, nor command others to do it: but He who cured me ordered me to carry my bed - therefore, there can be no evil in it.

5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

They asked, “What man” had given this command. Why, if it had been a mere man who had said it, the impotent man could not either have taken up his bed, or have walked!

5:13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place.

He never sought notoriety; but avoided popular demonstrations in His favor. The man who had been healed had exercised faith in Jesus, but he knew very little about Him. 

How small may be your knowledge, and yet you may be saved by true faith!

5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Jesus findeth him in the temple - The man being conscious that it was through the mercy of God that he was restored, (though he did not as yet know distinctly who Christ was), went to the temple to return thanks to God for his cure.
Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee - Our Lord, intending to discover to this man who He was, gave him two proofs of the perfection of his knowledge.
1. He showed him that He knew the secret of the past - sin no more: thereby intimating that his former sins were the cause of his long affliction.
2. He showed him that He knew the future - lest a worse thing come unto thee: if thy iniquity be repeated, thy punishment will be increased.

5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

The man departed, and told the Jews - He did not say it was Jesus who had ordered him to carry his bed, but it was Jesus who had cured him; and he left them to draw the inference.

5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus -With their tongues, reproaching and reviling Him, as a sabbath breaker, a destroyer of the law, and a sinful wicked man:
and sought to slay Him - either in a violent way, by setting the zealots, a sort of ruffians under the pretense of religion, upon Him; or rather in a judicial way, summoning Him before the Sanhedrim, in order to condemn Him to death for the breach of the sabbath, which by the law of Moses was punishable with death.

5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

The whole work of nature is continued on Sabbath-days as well as other days. Stars shine through the Sabbath-night, and the sun rises and sets on the Lord’s-day as on all the days of the week. God’s work continues. “My Father worketh,” saith Christ, “and I work.” 

Chapter 4:46-54 Healing a Nobleman's Son

4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
A certain nobleman - An officer of the king's court: for this is the meaning of the original word, βασιλικος, which the Vulgate translates regulus, a little king.

4:47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

This officer, whoever he was, appears to have had his ordinary abode at Capernaum, and hearing that Christ was at Cana, he came express from Capernaum thither, to entreat Him to heal his child.

4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe - This was the cast of the Jews every where, both in Judea and Galilee; they required signs and miracles to be wrought, in confirmation of Christ's being the Messiah, and which indeed was but right; and Christ did perform them for that purpose: but their sin of unbelief lay in this, that they wanted still more and more signs.

4:49 The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, - Notwithstanding this reproof, and seeming denial, he presses Him again, and addressing Him entreats Him, saying: come down ere my son die; here was faith with a mixture of unbelief; he believed that Christ was able to heal his son, but he still thought that his going down with him was necessary; that he must be corporeally present, and must lay his hands on him, or touch him, or speak, and command the distemper off, or something of this kind, and which must be done before he died; for otherwise, should he die first, all hope was then gone; he had no notion of Christ being able to raise him from the dead.

4:50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

thy son liveth; he is now recovered of his disease, and is well, and in perfect health, and lives, and will live:
and the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him; such power went along with the words of Christ, 

as not only cured the son at that distance, 

who lay at the point of death, 

but also the father of his unbelief; 

and he no more insisted on his going down with him, but firmly believed that his son was alive, and well, as Christ had said He was:
and he went his way; he took his leave of Christ, and set out for Capernaum; very probably, not the same day, it being now in the afternoon of the day; but the next morning, as it should seem from what follows.

4:51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
his servants met him, and told him, saying, thy son liveth; as soon as this cure was wrought, though it was not known in the family how, and by whom it was done, immediately some of the servants were dispatched to carry the news to their master.

4:52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

Yesterday at the seventh hour - At the time we would call one o'clock.

4:53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
Himself believed, and his whole house - He and his whole family became true converts to the doctrine of the manifested Messiah.

4:54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

This is again the second miracle that Jesus did -That is, in that place, in Cana of Galilee.