One of the things that we often forget when reading the Bible is the culture in which the people lived. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Jewish people had already been influenced by a variety of bad ideas. The first influence was the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Sadducees were supposed to be teaching the people what God had revealed in the Bible. However, they chose instead to add their own regulations on top of what God had commanded. Their influence caused many of the people to turn away from God. The second influence came from other nations. The Greeks and Romans, who ruled over the world at different times, brought in a belief in the capriciousness of their mythological gods such as Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Neptune. As a result, the Jewish people were influenced by a false understanding of who God was and what He wanted. This led to some serious misunderstandings which will be addressed in today’s passage.
- What does it say? (John 5:1-14)
After these things, there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. At the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there was a pool which had five porches called Bethesda (in Aramaic). In these porches lay a multitude of feeble, blind, lame, and withered who were waiting for the moving of the water. For at a certain time, an angel would come down into the pool and stir the water. Then whoever first entered after the disturbance of the water became well from whatever disease affected him at the time. There was a man there who was himself an invalid for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knowing that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you wish to become well?” The feeble man responded to Jesus. “Lord, I do not have someone to thrust me into the pool when the water has been stirred. When I am going in, another person goes down before me.” Jesus told him, “Rise, pick up your mat, and walk.” Immediately, the man became well, picked up his mat, and walked. However, it was the Sabbath on that day. Because of that, the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath and is it not lawful for you to pick up your mat.” He responded to them. “The one who made me well was the one who told me to pick up my mat and walk.” So, they questioned him, “Who is the man who told you to pick up your mat and walk?” The man who had been healed did not know who it was because Jesus had withdrawn being that there was a crowd in that place. After these things, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Look here, you have become well. Do not sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you.” - What does it mean?
Some people were convinced that God was capricious (John 5:1-9).
The events of chapter five happened near the Pool of Bethesda. It was a pool near the Sheep Gate that was surrounded by five covered porches and an urban legend. The people believed that an angel periodically descended from heaven to stir the water and heal the first sick person who got into the pool. This legend was believed by many and led crowds of sick people to gather in the porches in the hope that they would be the first into the water when the angel descended.1
When Jesus arrived, he found a sick man who was waiting for the angel to stir the water. He had been suffering with his ailment for 38 years. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, the man could only think about the legend. He believed the legend and wanted to be healed. However, he had given up hope because he was too weak to move himself and didn’t have anyone who could throw him into the pool at the right time. To him, there was no hope of ever being healed.
The legend of the angel stirring the water and the sick man’s response to Jesus reveal something about the misunderstanding people had about God at that time. The Bible reveals the one, true God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and wisely controlling every situation. He is the One to be trusted no matter what happens in life. And He can heal the sick and raise the dead as seen multiple times in the Old Testament. However, the Greeks and Romans viewed their gods differently. According to one article, they would “act capriciously, frivolously, and even immorally”2 at times. Their gods could do miraculous things because they were powerful, but there was no way of knowing if and when they would help.
It seems apparent that this mindset had influenced the people of Jesus’ day. The crowds of people waited near the pool with the thought that God was a capricious deity whom no one could count on to answer prayer or help the sick. Instead, they came to believe that an angel would descend from heaven, stir the water, and heal the first person who was thrown into the water. What a terrible thing to think about God! This was one of the reasons why Jesus came to earth. He came to correct their wrong thinking by revealing the true God to them in person.
Thankfully, Jesus took care of the physical need of this sick man. He told him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. The change was immediate. The man’s body was healed, and he was able to do just as Jesus had said. This was evidence that God was not the capricious one who made people jump into a pool at the right moment. Instead, He was the One who could heal the sick and raise the dead at any time and who wanted to help.
Some people were convinced that God was malevolent (John 5:10-13).
At the end of verse nine, we are informed that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath Day. As you may recall, the Sabbath was designed by God as a day to rest from work. The first mention of a day of rest is found in Genesis 2:2-3. After creating the universe in six days, God chose to rest on the seventh as an example to us. Instead of working non-stop, people were to take time to rest periodically to recover from their labor. That makes sense, doesn’t it? God designed the Sabbath as a blessing for His people. But knowing how people would be, God made it one of the Ten Commandments to emphasize the need.
When the sick man was healed, he immediately did what Jesus had told him. He got up, picked up his mat, and began walking. For those who knew him, this would have been an incredible sight. “Hey, look over there! The old man got up and walked! How did that happen?” There is no mention of friends and family sitting with him. He seems to have been abandoned by his family. So, nobody shouted for joy when he stood up, pickup up his mat, and began to walk away from the pool. Nobody celebrated the fact that he could walk. Instead, they responded in another way.
Some of the Jewish people immediately confronted him about carrying his mat on the Sabbath. To them, this man was “working” when he should be resting. So, they told him to stop carrying his mat. This confused the man and he replied that the man who had healed him had told him to pick up his mat and walk. The Jews, who were adamant about not working on the Sabbath, asked him who had told him to do that. But the man didn’t know because, by that time, Jesus had disappeared in the crowds of people. The question on their minds was, “Who would tell someone to work on the Sabbath?” But this was actually the wrong question. They should have asked, “Who could heal a man who had been sick for 38 years?”
It seems to me that the religious leaders had a wrong view about God and His commands. They believed that He was a malevolent dictator who was eager to hurt anyone who disagreed with Him. Because of this belief, the religious leaders had devised extra rules and traditions to make sure people never did anything wrong. The idea is perpetuated by Jewish teaching today. In an article entitled, “How far am I allowed to walk on Shabbat?”, the author states that “Jewish law sets the maximum walking range from one’s city to 2,000 cubits (3,049.5 feet, 0.596 miles (960 meters). [However, this measurement starts 70 2/3 cubits (112.24 ft.) from the city limits.] Practically speaking, this means that you may not walk a straight line more than .598 miles (3161.74 ft.) in any direction in the wilds outside your city limits. … This can be complex, and a rabbi should be consulted before planning a long trek on Shabbat.”3
Sadly, this way of thinking makes God look like a malevolent dictator who is very concerned about the minute details of His people’s obedience. But is that what He intended? I don’t believe so. And neither did Jesus. On multiple occasions, Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day to show that good could be done on that day. God’s ideal was that the people would take time to rest from their work each week. It was for their good not as a test to prove their complete obedience in every inch of their movements. But the Jewish people of Jesus’ day had other ideas. They were so concerned about following the traditions, that they made the day of rest one to be kept with a calculator or smart watch. Instead of looking at how many steps they had walked, they should have thanked God for the opportunity to rest after a long week of work.
Some people were convinced that God was unconcerned (John 5:14).
Sometime later, Jesus found the man on the temple grounds. We are not told what he was doing there, but this is where Jesus found him. Perhaps he was thanking God for what had happened or was just happily walking around with the others who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. As you recall, he had been sick for 38 years, so walking was a treat for him. When Jesus first spoke to the man, he addressed his physical need, but now he was concerned about his spiritual need. Jesus noted that the man was now whole. That was a good thing. But he needed to consider the consequences of his own sinfulness.
According to Kent, what Jesus said to the man seems to “imply at least that his physical ailment had been the result of sin in his life. This is by no means always the immediate cause of calamities, as Jesus himself declared on another occasion (9:2-3), but at times it may be so. Alcoholism, narcotics addiction, and sexual promiscuity are just a few examples of sins which often carry their own physical penalties.”4 Jesus was trying to show the man that being sick for 38 years is not the worst thing that could happen. If the man continued in sin, there would be worse consequences that would affect his life.
Some people are so focused on their physical needs that they fail to recognize their spiritual needs. They cry out to God for help for their immediate needs but don’t recognize what God thinks about their sins. This seems to have been the case with this man. He was happy to be healed but was not remembering the sins that had harmed him earlier. Jesus made it clear that if he didn’t deal with those sins, there would be worse results ahead. While there are consequences for sin in this life, the future consequences are much worse. This man needed to repent of his sins and turn to Jesus before his sins led him to Hell. - How does it apply?
God is not capricious.
Some people think that God is “characterized by sudden irrational and unpredictable impulses.”5 They think that there is no rhyme or reason as to how He works, so they need to do extra things to get His attention. If only they jumped into the pool before everyone else, maybe God will heal them. But is that the God of the Bible? No, the Bible reveals a holy God who loves us and who is characterized by wisdom and mercy.
What do you think about God? Do you think that His care for you is based on unpredictable impulses that change all the time. Are you constantly wondering how God will deal with you from day to day? Or have you been convinced that God’s mercies are new every morning and that He is faithful?
God is not malevolent.
Some people view God as a heavenly kill joy who is constantly looking for ways to hurt people. In today’s message, we saw how the religious leaders added extra regulations to what God said in the Bible. These extra requirements caused people to be afraid to take a walk out of their house for fear of offending God. This made the people think that God was like that—but they were wrong. God is not a malevolent dictator watching our every failure with glee.
What do you think about God? While He did give us commands to obey, we need to think about why He did. The God who tells us not to get drunk, knew what would happen if we did. The God who told us not to steal, knew how much better if would be for us to work. God wants what is best for you. And the more you know about Him, the easier it will be for you to understand that.
God is concerned.
Some people view God as a grandfatherly figure who always smiles and never rebukes us when we do wrong. They are happy to receive God’s blessings but are not concerned about their own sinfulness and how that affects their relationship with Him. The fact is that God is concerned about our sins. We must remember that His primary character is holiness which means that He is perfectly sinless and much different than we are. So, when we sin against Him, it causes Him grief.
What do you think about God? Some people pick and choose what God is like until their conscience no longer bothers them when they sin. But the Bible reveals a God who hates sin. He will one day judge all people. And at that time, your thoughts, words, and actions will be judged according to His standard not your own. How do you think you will do? Like all other people who have ever lived, you will fall short of the glory of God and be found worthy to be cast into the lake of fire.
However, God has provided a way for you to escape the coming judgment for your sins. That is where Jesus comes in. God became a man and lived a perfect life on earth. After living among us, He took our punishment on Himself when He died on the cross. Since Jesus paid the price for our sins, all who put their faith in Him will be saved from judgment and made right with God.
Conclusion
The people in Jesus’ day were influenced by a variety of wrong ideas. These influences led them to wrong ideas about God. They thought He was capricious, malevolent, and unconcerned. While these beliefs about God are not accurate, many people still think this way about God. How can they learn about the true character of the God of the Bible? Perhaps the Lord wants to use you to talk to others about Him. Be sure to take every opportunity this week to talk with others about our faithful, loving, and concerned God and the forgiveness He offers through faith in Jesus.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible as viewed in the Pocket Bible app.
Blum, Edwin A., “John” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
“Gods and Men in Greek Religion” as viewed at https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Gods&men.htm on 6/6/2026.
“How far am I allowed to walk on Shabbat?” as viewed at https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484235/jewish/How-far-am-I-allowed-to-walk-on-Shabbat.htm on 6/6/2026.
Kent Jr., Homer A., Light in the Darkness, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974. Reprint 1986.
Footnotes
- Some Greek manuscripts omit verse 4. However, if verse 4 is omitted, why would the sick man mention the water being stirred in verse 7? It seems more probably to me that verse 4 was the belief of the people at that time, although it was only an urban legend. ↩︎
- “Gods and Men in Greek Religion” ↩︎
- “How far am I allowed to walk on Shabbat?” ↩︎
- Kent 90. ↩︎
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capricious ↩︎