Manfred Diefenbach - THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS, THE CHRIST AND THE SON OF GOD, ACCORDING TO JOHN

2.3.1 His Second Journey 378(to Jerusalem) (v. 1) and the Healing at the Pool (vv. 2–18)

- The Setting (vv. 1–3/4)

Who:Jesus, a lame man, other blind people, lame men, (v. 3), “the Jews” (vv. 10, 12, 15–16, 18)

Where:the “ Pool of ‘ Beth -…’” in Jerusalem (v. 2)

When:“ a Jewish feast ” (v. 1a), “ on the Sabbath ” (vv. 9d, 10b, 18c)

v. 1:“ After ” (in Greek “ metà ta ũ ta ” in vv. 1a, 14a and 3.22; 6:1; 7:1; 19:38; 21:1) the healing of the royal official’s son (cf. 4:43–54), Jesus, the Jew, “ went up … to Jerusalem ” (between 606 and 826 metres above sea-level – in Greek “ e ɩ s Hierosóluma ” in 2:13; 11:55; 12:12), the religious centre of the Jews, to visit a “ feast of the Jews ” (in Greek “ heortè t õ n ’Ioudaías ” in v. 1a and 6:4; 7:2) as a pilgrim (cf. Exodus 23:14–17; 34:23–24).

v. 2:The scene of His healing of a lame man took place “ in … Jerusalem ” (in Greek “ en to ῖ s Hierosolúmo ɩ s ” in John 2:23; 4:20–21, 45; 10:22) by the so-called “ Sheep 379 Gate ” (cf. Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39) where is the “ so-called ” 380“Pool” 381(cf. John 9:7) of “Bethesda” 382(= “house of mercy” 383), “Bethsaida” 384, “Bethzathà” 385, Belzethà 386which has “ five ” roofed/covered “ colonnades ” 387to divide the pool into sections.

v. 3:The Fourth Evangelist relates that there “lay 388 a multitude of invalids 389”. He lists: “ blind 390 , lame 391 paralyzed 392” – note the allusion to the prophet Isaiah 26:19; 29:18; 35:5–6; 61:1 in Luke 7:22/Matthew 11:5 – who were [“ waiting / for / ( moving ) of the water ( )”.

v. 4:“/ For an / angel of the Lord, went down at certain seasons into the pool , and stirred the water : Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease s/he had ] – note the text-critical remarks by Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece.

- The Healing of a Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (vv. 4–9)

+ The Diagnose (v. 5)

One “ man ” was “ there ” who “ had ( his ) sickness 393( )” about “ thirty-eight years ” (cf. Deuteronomy 2:7, 14).

+ Jesus’ Initiative (vv. 6–7)

v. 6:Jesus realized/“ saw ” (in Greek “ horáo ”) this man “lying” (vv. 3a, 6a) there and “ knew ” (cf., for example, John 6:15; 13:1) of his 38-year-long (cf. John 9:1; Mark 5:21; 9:21; Luke 8:29; 13:11, 16) suffering, “ saying ”: “/ Do / you want / to / ( be ) healed 394( )”?

v. 7:The answer of the “ sick ” man emphasizes his necessity for help: “ Lord , ( ) [ ] I have [ no ] ( person ) to “{ } put me into the pool { when / / the water / is stirred up/} and while I am going another /goes /steps down/ before me / /”

+ Jesus’ Healing by Word (v. 8)

Then Jesus said to this man in the form of an order (cf. Mark 2:9d–f, 11; Matthew 9:6d–f 1; Luke 5:25) – note the three imperatives 395:

“Rise/get up” (in Greek “ egeíro ” in Mark 2:9d, 11b/Matthew 9:6d/Luke 5:23c 1, 25)

“pick/take up (your) bed 396”/stretcher ( ), “ and

walk away” – note the parallel with verses 9b–c, 10d, 11c–d, 12c–d and Mark 2:9e–f, 11c–d 1/Matthew 9:6e–f 1; Luke 5:23c 2.

+ Note on the Healing (v. 9)

“ Immediately ” 397the man was “ healed ” (vv. 6d, 9a, 11b, 14b, 15c) and

“picked /took up ( his ) bed ( )” (vv. 8c, 9b, 10d, 11c and Mark 2:12b; Luke 5:25b) – note the parallel with verses 8b, 11d, 12c – “and

walked away” – note also the parallel with verses 8c, 11d, 12d.

The Fourth Evangelist emphasizes that this healing was on “ the Sabbath 398” (vv. 9d, 10b, 16b, 18b and 7:23; 9:14, 16).

- The Reaction of “the Jews” as a Dialogue (vv. 10–18)

+ “The Jews” and the Healed Man (vv. 10–13)

v. 10:Because of “ the Sabbath ” (vv. 9d, 10b, 16b, 18b and 7:23; 9:14, 16), “ the Jews ” (vv. 10a, 15a 2, 16a, 18a) as “judges” of the Jewish authority in Jerusalem “ said ” to the “ healed ” 399man: “(/ It / is the Sabbath ( ),

and / it is / not allowed / lawful 400/ for / you ” (cf. Exodus 20:8–11; 31:12–17; 35:1–3; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12–15 and Mark 2:24/Matthew 12:2/Luke 6:2 401)

“ to pick /take up [your] bed [ ]” (vv. 8c, 9b, 10d, 11c).

v. 11:He answered them that his “Healer” (in Greek “ hug ɩó s ” in vv. 6d, 9a, 11b, 14b, 15c) had said to him:

“Pick/take up (your) bed ( ), and

walk away” (vv. 8c–d, 12c–d).

v. 12:“ The Jews ” (vv. 10a, 15a 2, 16a, 18a) “ asked him ”:

“ Who is the person

who said / to / you :

‘Pick/take up” [(your) bed ( ) ], and

walk away’”? (vv. 8c–d, 11c–d).

v. 13:The Fourth Evangelist explains that the “ healed ” 402man did “ not know ” the identity 403(“ who ” in vv. 12b, 13a 2and, for example, 4:10; 18:4, 7–8) of his healer because of the large “ crowd ”, Jesus “ slipped away ” 404from there.

+ Jesus and the Cured Man (v. 14)

“ Afterward ” (in Greek “ metà ta ũ ta ” in vv. 1a, 14a) “( Jesus ) found ( )” the cured man “ in the Temple and said / to / him ”:

“See” (in Greek “ horáo ”), “( you are ) well/healed ( ).

[ ] Sin 405[ no more ]” (cf. John 8:11; Luke 5:21; 7:49) – note the imperatives–,

“ that nothing worse 406[/ may / happen ] / to / you … ”

The Cured Man and “the Jews” (v. 15)

Then the cured man “ went away ” 407and informed/“ told ” (cf. John 11:46, 57) “ the Jews ” (vv. 10a, 15a 2, 16a, 18a) that “ Jesus ” was his “healer” (in Greek “ ho po ɩ ésas autòn hug ɩē ” = who did/made him well in vv. 11b, 15c). In contrast to the man cured blind in Chapter 9, the man healed here is not a witness of Jesus, but an informant for “the Jews” 408.

+ “The Jews” and Jesus (vv. 16–18)

v. 16:The phrase “… this was why … ‘ the Jews ’” (in Greek “… d ɩà toũto … ‘ hoɩ ’Ioudaῖoɩ ’” in vv. 16a, 18a 409) introduces and concludes the discussion in the form of an inclusion. Because of His breaking of “ the Sabbath ” (cf. Exodus 20:8–11; 31:12–17; 35:1–3; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12–15 – note vv. 16b, 18b and 9:16) “ the Jews ” were “ persecuting 410… Jesus ” (cf. John 15:20).