Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep-market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches. (3) In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. (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. (5) And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. (6) When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? (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. (8) Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. (9) And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked, and on the same day was the sabbath. (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. (11) He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk. (12) Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk. (13) And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. (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.
Concerning this Pool, if we consult the Old Testament, we shall find some light thrown upon it, as to its situation, near the field of Kidron. John 18:1. Nehemiah; and Jeremiah, seem to have had it in view. See Nehemiah 3:32; Nehemiah 3:32; Jeremiah 31:38-39. It was not a market for sheep, but rather a sheep gate, or fold, near it; where, probably, the cattle were pent up for sacrifice. And the Pool, probably formed from the waters of Shiloah. Isaiah 8:6. But I would rather call the attention of the Reader to some of the very interesting subjects, which are proposed to us, in our Lord's visit to the Pool, and the miracle Jesus wrought there.
Is it not highly probable, (for I do not speak decidedly), that as this pool possessed this miraculous quality John describes, when excited by the ministry of the angel, that during the long dark night, in which no open vision was made, from the time of Malachi to Zacharias; the Lord was pleased to appoint this pool, as a standing monument in his Church; that the Lord was still watching over them, and had not cast away his people whom he foreknew? Romans 11:1-2. And was it not to keep alive in the minds of his chosen, by the miracle itself, that He would come, who was a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem? Zechariah 13:1
I admire the very interesting account John hath given, of the many diseased and miserable objects, which lay around the pool, in those cloisters, waiting for the moment of healing. Blind, halt, withered; all descriptive of the totally blind, halt, and helpless state of our fallen nature: yea, dead in trespasses and sins. Reader! surely in beholding this groupe of miserable objects, we discover the whole race of Adam-nature. And though those five porches might contain the whole of that neighbourhood, yet the globe itself is but as one great hospital of human woe. But what a mercy, when Jesus the Angel of the Covenant descends in the midst, under that endearing character, Jehovah Rophe, to heal, Malachi 3:1; Exodus 15:26
It were needless to ruin over the several particulars enumerated in the account of the Bethesda: neither of the one, the Lord singled out to manifest his mercy more particularly upon. No grace like distinguishing grace: neither are there any mercies which come home to the heart, with sweetness of so high a nature, as those which are personal and direct. How it must have struck every beholder, when the Lord Jesus singled out this man? And though he had been eight and thirty years in waiting for a cure; yet it was well worth waiting for, when the Lord Jesus thus came at length in person, to heal him; and chose him from among all the crippled, and sinew-shrank objects of misery around, to manifest his grace upon. And, Reader! if it be so, in natural things; what must it be in spiritual?
If the blessing, from its distinguishing nature, be so valuable to the body; what must it be to the soul?
I will only detain the Reader, with a short observation on what the Lord Jesus said to this man, when he afterwards found him in the temple. Sin no more, (said Christ), lest a worse thing come unto thee. Did this precept of Jesus refer to his bodily complaint, as if, (which is indeed the case), both sickness and death are the effect of sin? In this sense, our Lord's words will be, to avoid everything which in its nature is sinful, and which hath a tendency, in the present state of things, to induce disease in the body. But, under an impression that this man was a child of God, of which there appears nothing to the contrary; and though not expressly said, (as in some other miracles Jesus wrought, is taken notice of: See Luke 13:16 and Luke 19:9) seems probable, I should rather be inclined to think, our Lord referred to the case of his soul. And then the subject becomes more abundantly interesting, to discover what was the express object of our Lord's caution to him.
We cannot suppose that the Lord meant to say, that if he fell into a single transgression, he would lose thereby the Lord's favor, and come under condemnation, not to be pardoned. For James saith, in many things we offend all. And John adds, that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. James 3:2. Neither could the Lord mean, that such an after act of transgression, when a soul had been regenerated by the Holy Ghost, would destroy that renewing of the Spirit, and subject the soul to everlasting death. For there is not a just man (that is, a truly justified soul in Christ), upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. Ecclesiastes 7:20. And a just man falleth seven times a day, and riseth up again. Proverbs 24:16
But though a child of God cannot forfeit, by any act of his, what was never bestowed upon him, for any deservings of his; but is the result of God's grace, and not man's merit; yet he may have a much worse thing of soul befall him, than any calamity of the body. Though he cannot, when justified freely, lose God's favor, yet he may be under great sorrow of heart, from the want of the light of God's countenance. Holy men of old, groaned bitterly under such a state, in their seasons of soul exercise. While I suffer thy terrors, (said one of them), I am distracted. Psalms 88:15. And another cried out in anguish of spirit; The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. Job 6:4. And who that reads David's groans under sin, will conceive, that any bodily pain could equal them. Psalms 51:1 throughout. Reader! do not such views form the best comment to our Lord's advice to his patient in the Temple.