Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-02-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY 10.
Subject: Jesus at the Pool Of bethesda
John W, 1-15-Goldcn Text. john ri.r
a-Memory Verses, 4, 9-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

a-Memory Verses. 4, Documentary
ON the Days Lesson.
/. Jesus at the feast Tvs l.4). |. al
Ter this" after these things Il. V.
Some thinl, that when John is telling some
event which follows Immediately after the
asst thing narrated, he uses the expression
after this thing" (chap. 2:l2), but that
chen there has been an interval OF time
he uses the expression latter these things"
IA feast" There has been much differ
ence Of opinion as TO what feast this was,
but il is the opinion now Of the best writ
ars that it was the Passover. 2. by the
sheep gate" (R. W We know from Neh.
81. 50; 1888 that there was sheep gate;
so called probably from sheep for sacrifice :1bla
SThe Hebrew tongue" Hebrew here
means Aramaic, the language spoken at
he time, not tie old Hebrew Of the Scrip
lures. bethesda" This name does not
occur elsewhere. 1t means "house Of mer'
~" The site is not identified with GER
taipty. The traditional spot is near Castle
Antonio. But Dr. Robinson thinks "the
fountain of the Virgin" an intermittent
spring in the southeast of the city, near
the pool of Silaom, was Bethesda. Five
porches." These porches were probably
covered arcades. colonades or verandas;
open at one side to the air, but protected
against the sun on rain overhead. In not
country like Palestine such buildings are
very necessary. 3: Multitude; Inc SICK
,ongregated here in great numbers.
IL Jesus heals an impotent man Tvs.
5-9). 5. Gan infrmity." The original i'm
plies rather loss of power than positive
disease; probably it was nervous disease
If paralytic type. Thirty. and eight
years" The duration of the illness IS
mentioned. either to show how inveterate
and difficult it was to heal, or rather. ac'
.ording to verse 6, to explain the deep
compassion with which Jesus was affected
On beholding the unhappy man. From
verse IA we may infer that his disease was
the result OF the sins OF his youth. d,
6. "Knew." The word "knew" in the
original indicates one of those instantan'
eous perceptions by which the truth be.
came known to Jesus according as the task
If the moment demanded. Verse IA Will
show that the whole life OF the sufferer Is
| present to the eye of Jesus, as that OF the
| Samaritan woman was in chapter 4. Saith
unto him." usually Christ waited until
He was asked before He relieved the sui
| fering, but in this and few other cases
He healed without being asked. He read
| .he mans past life and present condition
| Of mind, and saw that he was IN a state
| 10 receive spiritual good from the healing.
! hWilt thou?" Why does He ask ques-
| tion to which the answer was so obvious!
| Probably in order to rouse the sick man
out of his lethargy and dependency. -,
7. "No man." He was friendless as well
as sick. SIS troubled" This spring, prob
ably the fountain of the Virgin, Is inter-
mittent to this day, and various travellers
have seen it suddenly rise from five inches
1 Goo WhpnDn
that the moving of the waters arose from
an underground connection or the pool
with the city water works. The occasional
and intermittent disturbance OF the water
| is not to be understood as a regular occur.
renee but as something sudden and quick.
" passing away. Hence the mans waiting
and complaint. "Put me into the pool"
Literally. Sin order to throw" me into the
pool; perhaps implying that the gush Of
water did not last long, and there was, no 7,
time to be lost in quiet carrying. Wmle
am coming" Thus picturing the extreme
haste and rapidity with which the favor
able opportunity, was seized. Ihere was d
| rush and scramble for the one chance.
s. Rise" etc. Commands like these
would test the mans faith and obedience.
As in the case of the paralytic Mark 2:9!
| Christ made no enquiry as to the man
| faith. Christ knew that he had faith, and
the mans attempting to rise and carry his
bed after thirty-eight years OF impotence,
was an open confession OF faith: BED.
| Probably only a mat or rug, still common
in the East. 9. "And walked With the
command was given the power OF ODE
dience. So the sinner who Is hidden to
commit himself to Christ need not wait
for any cUmpulsion. As he makes the Ell
fort he will find divine power. within HIM
| 4. oOfh HaU
week. the Jewish Sabbath.
III Persecution of the Jews Tvs. 1913
10. "Not lawful" jeremiah had com.
manded, "Take heed to yourselves. and
bear no burden on the Sabbath day III;
| 2l). and the Jews interpreted this as Tor
bidding the carrying of the lightest weight.
But Jeremiah's meaning Is made clear hy
Neh. 1915: Threading wine presses on the
Sabbath, and bringing i'll sheayes, and lad
ING asses" etc go forbid this man from
carrying his bed was like forbidding mod
crn man to move camp stool or char;
II. "He-said." Unquestionably the
words seem to say that one who could dc
such wonder az healing me must certain
IL have the right to tell me what to do
He had been authorized by one endorsed
the very ground which Christ Himself
| took. II. "Who is the man" (R. W
They ignore the miracle, and attack the
command They ask not, WHO cured
thee. and therefore must have divine au
thoritv?' hut, "Who told thee to break
the Sabbath, and therefore could not have
81" IL. Knew not" (R W Jesus had
been in Jerusalem but little, and the mar
who was healed had probably never seer
Him. Conveyed himself away Better
withdrew. Literally Slipped aside" be
came suddenly lost to sight. "A multi
tude." etc This may be understood al
explaining either why he Withdrew
avoid the crowd. or the manner IN whlcl
he withdrew-by disappearing, IN th'
crowd. Either explanation makes gool
sense.
". Jesus gives advice and warning "
IA. IA. "Afterward." Probably soon al
terward; in day or So "Findeth HIM,
Jesus had His eye on the man; His worb
with him was not yet finished: this meet
ing was not accidental. In the temple.
A good place for the man to be. Sin M
more" God asks this of every sinner
And vet there are those who insist that ]
is impossible to live without sin IN th
life, but if such is the case then Jesu
asked this man to do the impossible. =
worse thing" A paralysis from which NJ
pool can restore and no Saviour, Will de
liver; the most tefrlDle cdtdeItophe VI '''
souls eternal history. 49,
Y. The man bears testimony ". l3)
L. '"Told the jews" etc. In reply to TIN
inquiry they had made of him short tim
before. partly in obedience to the authori
ties and partly to complete his apology TO
himself. He expected, probably, in tn
simplicity Of his heart, that the name o
Him whom so many counted as prophet
if not as the Messiah Himself, would hav
been sufficient to stop the mouths OF gain
| savers, -'----~-