John 5 describes Jesus healing the lame man at the Pool at Bethesda. Read John 5:1-18, 21, 24-26, 39-40, 46-47 with give us a view of the whole scene involved. The scene of John 5 is set by the "sheep gate," signifying the entrance to the "sheepfold." (cf., Jn 10:1, Gal.3:22-25). The "sheepfold" is the place where the lost sheep are kept until the rightful "good shepherd" comes and "leadeth them out" (Jn 10:3) into the "green pasture (Jn 10:9)" by the living waters. The "sheepfold" represents "religion," much as the churches today are mostly places that warehouse believers... until they find that Christ Himself is IN THEM as the real life-giver and that He is all-sufficient, quite apart from religion's laws and performance requirements.

Recall that in John 2, at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus miraculously changed water to wine, symbolizing the transformed life. In John 2:11, the word "miracle" is the Greek. "simeion" meaning "signs," so the Cana miracle was "the beginning of signs" that were meant to demonstrate right before Israel a foretaste what will be normal for Israel's believers of in the Millennial Kingdom under the New Covenant.

Jesus healing the lame man exposed the inadequacy of Law-keeping Religion's demands to heal sick and dying mankind, in body and in spirit. Note that sickness is an evidence of waning life in all mankind since the fall of Adam. This was a demonstration of the power of the eternal life to come by the Lord's Spirit to dwell IN believers. All man needs is to do is receive the real, eternal, limitless LIFE that is only of the resurrected "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2a) to be regenerated in spirit and have the promise of a new, eternal, incorruptible, 'spirit-body,' as Paul describes in 1Cor 15:51-54.

The "impotent folk, blind, halt, and withered" (Jn 5:3) by the pool indicates the real condition of all mankind, bound by "sin and death." They were "waiting" at a "pool called Bethesda (mercy)" when;

"1... Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (John 5:1b) 2Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market (Gk., probatikos, "sheep fold") a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda (Gk. "mercy"), having five (5) porches.

The number "5" porches signifies the hope of "man in himself." We have 5 fingers to grasp and do the work of our hands. Consider that in this setting we have all the trappings of external religious practice. There was the Holy Setting; a Holy Feast/ on a Holy Day/ in the Holy City/ of the Holy Religion, but it was ALL ineffective to meet men's real needs. The people were totally needy even in that setting. The "pool experience" by the "sheep fold," speaks of the empty hope man's religious efforts offer men. We all need the power of Christ to intervene in our lives... with His love, grace and ...life!

Law-keeping religion depends on man's own effort to please God, "wishing" to be blessed, as seen in v 4 (below). The "great multitude of impotent folk" represents the many, all of us who may have been bound by dead religion… just waiting, in their sickness, weakness/ impotence. On occasion, the angel of the "mercy" of the Lord would heal some in spite of religion, much as He does today. These folks represented Israel (spiritually), needy of "the Lord who gives LIFE" to deliver them.

3In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4For 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.

"as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth (gives life to) them; even so the Son quickeneth (makes alive) whom he will." (John 5:21, cf., that is "to as many as received Him," John 1:12)

"Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (zao, have Christ's "Spirit of life"). (John. 5:25)

The man was lame just long the Israelites who wandered in the Sinai wilderness and then die in unbelief.  "a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight (38) years…" (v 5). "Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case... (v 6). Note that Jesus came to him, not the man to Jesus. Unlike religion, God knows our condition and He cares.

"The impotent man answered him (speaking according to religious law), Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, Another Steppeth Down Before Me. 8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk (v 8).

Religion often gives place to the independent self-abled, self-interested, unspiritual people. Here by the pool you had to be strong enough to be 1st. Yet, Paul says, we must be weak to be strong and be the last to be first. Yet, The healed man was made whole by Jesus on the Sabbath. "...immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on The Same Day Was The Sabbath." This healed man now carried the bed that had held him... now having the victory over his situation. After we meet Jesus, we may still have the same bed (situation) with us; but now we carry it with us... rather than it keeping us down.

Note that the Religious Jews didn't rejoice over the man's healing. No, they sought to kill Jesus (v17).

10The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11He answered them, He that made me whole, the same (Jesus) said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: 'SIN NO MORE,' lest a worse thing come unto thee... (This indicates that "Sin and death" are in fact linked; see Rom 5:12)

Religion's response to Jesus' claim to be "one with the Father," claiming God as His Father.

16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the 'sabbath day.' 17But Jesus answered them, MY FATHER worketh hitherto, and I work. 18Therefore THE JEWS SOUGHT THE MORE TO KILL HIM, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Thus, mankind is dead in Sin, due to "the spirit that work in the children of disobedience," according to "the prince of the power of the air" – the 'Sin-nature' that indwells man's flesh body (cf., Rom 7:17-24).

"And you (Gentiles) hath he quickened (made alive), who were Dead In Trespasses And Sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to The Prince Of The Power Of The Air, The (evil) Spirit that now worketh in the Children Of Disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation (manner of living) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were By Nature The Children Of Wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Ephes. 2:1-5)

"And you, being Dead In Your Sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He Quickened (Made Alive) Together With Him, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL Trespasses (sins);" (Col. 2:13)

John's Gospel reveals the real issue is for man to receive 'forgiveness of sins' and... the Resurrected, Eternal, REAL LIFE THAT IS ONLY OF CHRIST.

• Jesus - THE Life – "I am the way, the truth, and THE LIFE...." (Jn 14:6)
• Jesus - THE Light of Life  - "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
• Jesus is THE Water of Life  - "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall Flow Rivers Of Living Water."(John 7:38)
• Jesus - THE Bread of Life:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat (partake) of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh…" (John 6:51)

• Jesus - THE "life-giver" (life = Zoë, meaning God's eternal spirit of life). Study these verses.

"For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth (gives LIFE to) them; even so the Son quickeneth (gives LIFE to) whom he will." (John 5:21)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on (trusts in) him that sent me, hath everlasting LIFE, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto LIFE. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath LIFE in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have LIFE in himself;" (Jn 5:24-26)

"Ye (religious Pharisees) search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal LIFE: and they are they which testify of me. And (yet) ye will not come to me, that ye might have LIFE." (John 5:39-40)

"It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives LIFE to); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are LIFE." (John 6:63)