The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-05-22
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS.
BY REV, F. B. HARGREAvEs.
LESSON MAY 3.
JESUS AT BETHESDA.

JESUS AT BETHESDA.
John V, 5-1S. Golden Text, John
V, 6. Time, A. d. %, probably about
the Passover, though the exact time is
not settled question. Place, Jeru-
salem, at the pool of Bethesda.
The country was astir. 1t was the
celebration of one of their feasts and
the people had gathered from far and
near in the ancient city of Jerusalem.
Jesus was there. Walking through
the streets of the city, quietly watch
ing the crowds and noting the varied
incidents peculiar to such occasions,
He came TO large pool of water,
which was called Bethesda, ''house of
mercy" On its margin limiting its
steps, in the porches which charity
had built at its side, were numbers of
people afflicted with innumerable dis
eases. There was legend that at
certain seasons an angel came down
and troubled the water, and whoever
first stepped into the pool after the
troubling was healed of whatever dis
ease he had. Such legends were COM
mon and were eagerly believed by the
people and hence the great number of
those whom Jesus found waiting for
the moving of the water. He looked
pityingly upon them, His heart touch
ed with compassion. He could have
healed TENN all with word, but
that would have defeated the great
purposes He had in view Yet, turn
ing to one poor cripple, who hal been
diseased for thirty-eight years and who
was friendless and alone, He asked
him, "Wilt thou be made whole?"
The man knew nothing of the char
acter of his questioner and simply
told of his misfortune in having no
one to help him into the pool and how
that Others always got there before he
did, and SO, one chance after another
slipped from his grasp. "Rise, take
up thy bed, and walk" said the Mas
ter, and the poor cripple rose, gather
ed up his sleeping mat and went on
his way. 1t was the Sabbath day and
such an event naturally drew vast
crowd together in few minutes and
the miraculous cure was soon the all
absorbing topic of discussion in the
city. Jesus had quietly passed out
amongst the crowd and so escaped
Identification, but later in the day He
went into the Temple and there found
the man He had healed. Behold,
thou art made whole" He said "sin
no more, lest worse thing come unto
thee" The man at once went to the
authorities and told them who it was
who had healed him on the Sabbath
day.
The storm of opposition which had
been gathering in ecclesiastical circles
for many months now found ready ex-
preston. Here was a man who did
not work in harmony with them, and
hence was not to be tolerated. Ard
here was a man who healed the sick
on the Sabbath day in defiance of
their law. They gathered round Jesus
with their fierce denunciations and
brought Him before the authorities
on the charge of Sabbath breaking.
But His mastery defence threw them
into confusion, as He declared Him
self to be Divine, the Son of God, and
co-equal with God; and they were OBJ
liged to set Him free.
1t is a remarkable scene. There
are the judges and authorities eager
to convict the accused if possible.
There is the man who was healed of
his disease and then brought this
storm upon Jesus. There is the Mas
ter, calm, digniied, patient, divine.
This was, in sense, crisis in His
life. Up to this time He had been
practically unmolested, but from
henceforth His movements were care
fully watched, He was harassed, and
finally betrayed This was the begin
ming of the end.
LESSON THOUGHTS.
/. The spiritual Bethesda has a
cure for every one.
2. God gives us strength to do as
He commands US.
3. Do not wait for emotions or feel
ing, mere troubling of the water, bet
turn your eyes to Jesus, the savior Of
the world.
4. The Sabbath is yours. Make it
holy by your deeds and lives.
To RENT:-After May 10Th; a large
residence building on lower Second
Street and small residence on Cor.