No Man to Put Me in the Pool - John 5:7

John the apostle wrote how, “there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 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. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Will you be made whole?”, and in chapter five and verse seven of his book, John shared how the man with the infirmity answered Jesus, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool” where we read:

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 steps down before me.

The verse reads, “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:”. John began with the words, “the impotent man” or “the weak, feeble, without strength and powerless male human being” “answered him” which means “responded and began to speak to Jesus”, “Sir” or “One to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord and the title given to God the Messiah”, “I have no man” which means “I, the man with the infirmity, do not have any person”, “when the water is troubled” or “at the time and moment the water in the pool is agitated and stirred”, “to put me into the pool” which means “ to cast or insert me, the man with the infirmity, into the place for diving, swimming hole or reservoir for bathing”. John shared how the man with the thirty-eight year infirmity told Jesus that he had no one who would insert him into the “pool at Bethesda” when it was “agitated”.

The verse continues, “but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” John added the words, “but while I am coming” which means “moreover at the time and during the moment I, the man with the infirmity, am arising and appearing”, “another steps down before me” or “one other person descends and comes down to the pool in advance and prior to me, the man with the infirmity”. John shared how the “impotent man” continued to explain to Jesus that he was unable to get to the “pool” fast enough when it was “stirred” because someone else would always reach the “pool” sooner than he.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how this man must have previously attempted to get into the “pool” when it was “stirred” but failed time after time because he had no one to help him and someone else was always faster. This man had the answer to his prayers and cure for his body standing before him, and rather than say “yes”, I want to be made whole, he gave Jesus reasons why being healed was so difficult. Many people attempt to be “cured” in various ways, and they daily seek to relieve their “sickness, ailment or troubles”. Jesus is the answer to their prayers, and He is able to do what no other person, religion or spiritual practice and ritual can do. Jesus can “free” them from their difficulties. God loves people, and He desires to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. When they yield their life to Him, He will forgive their sins, grant them everlasting life and make them “whole” when they simply say “yes” to Him.

Next time John shares how Jesus tells the man, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".