SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 8, 1905

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

LESSON 8.—FEBRUARY 19.—JESUS AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA.

Lesson Scripture, John 5:1-16, A. R. V. (1) "AFTER these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (2) Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. (3) In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered. (5) And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity. (6) When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wouldst thou be made whole? (7) The sick 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 steppeth down before me. (8) Jesus saith unto him, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. (9) And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. "Now it was the Sabbath on that day. (10) So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed. (11) But he answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk. (12) They asked Him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk? (13) But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in the place. (14) Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. (15) The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. (16) And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because He did these things on the Sabbath." Golden Text.—"A great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased." John 6:2.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) After the things mentioned in last week's lesson, where did Jesus go? Note 1. (2) What prominent place in Jerusalem is mentioned in verse 2? Note 2. (3) What classes of people were congregated there? Verse 3. (4) What particular case is mentioned in verse 5? Note 3. (5) What did Jesus recognize as he noticed this man? What did he say to the afflicted man? Verse 6. Note 4. (6) What was the invalid's pathetic reply? Verse 7. Note 5. (7) How did Jesus respond to this appeal? Verse 8. (8) What was the result of this comforting word? On what day of the week did this occur? Verse 9. (9) When the Jews saw the man carrying his bed, what did they say to him? Verse 10. Note 6. (10) How did the man reply to this reminder? Verse 11. (11) Then what question did the Jews ask? Verse 12. (12) Why could not the man point out the One who had healed him? Verse 13. Note 7. (13) Where did Jesus afterward find the man He had healed? What counsel did He give? Verse 14. Note 8. (14) What did the man do after discovering his Benefactor? Verse 15. Note 9. (15) What evil course did the Jews then pursue? Verse 16. Note 10.

NOTES.

1. "After these things" evidently means after the things mentioned in last week's lesson, namely, the healing of the nobleman's son, and the subsequent conversion of the nobleman's family. "A feast."—Had it been a matter of importance to designate what particular feast, it would have been done. So it would be useless to speculate on that point. The point in the lesson is what Jesus said and did on that occasion.

2. "Bethesda" means, according to Thayer's Lexicon, "house of mercy," or "place for receiving and caring for the sick."

3. Thirty-eight years is a long period of illness, and is significant as showing the apparently hopeless condition of the man whose malady had so long baffled all efforts to overcome. The time emphasizes the value of the miracle.

4. The long affliction and consequently discouraging condition of the invalid seems to have especially attracted the attention of Jesus, as being the most needy one of all the multitude of sick folks.

5. Verse 7 indicates further why Jesus selected this case; it was, at least in part, because the poor man had no one to help him. "When the water is troubled."—This expression is left without explanation by the A. R. V., from which we take the lesson scripture. This version omits the latter part of verse 3 and all of verse 4 of the Common Version. The omitted part reads as follows: "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."

6. Adherents of human tradition always make a great show of religious zeal in defense of their dogmas, just as the heathen become very demonstrative in their religious orgies. Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was "exceedingly zealous of the traditions" of his fathers. It is worthy of note that the traditions of which the Jews were most zealous were those concerning the Sabbath—its manner of observance; while in our day the zeal is in behalf of the traditional Sunday—a day which God never recognized as His holy day. Yet there is no church tradition in our time in behalf of which opponents of God's Sabbath are so anxious to secure state legislation, that they may punish those who disregard the tradition.

7. "Jesus conveyed Himself away" because of the multitude. How different from what an impostor would do! When pretenders succeed in accomplishing some "wonderful work" (Matt. 7:21-23), they court the applause of the multitude. But Jesus slipped away, apparently with the intention of letting the case develop results without His presence.

8. The man's presence in the temple showed his appreciation of being able to engage in the worship of God, after being so long deprived of that privilege. The injunction to "sin no more" implies that the man's disease, whatever it was, was the result of some wrong course, which, if again indulged, would bring a return of the disease.

9. "Told the Jews that it was Jesus."—It was far better to have the once afflicted man tell who had healed him than for Jesus to ostentatiously parade the matter Himself. And the work that He wants every one to do who has been healed of sin is, to tell how great things the Lord has done for him. It will have a far better effect on the people and on you than it would if the Lord Himself should tell it.

10. It is always right to follow the counsel and example of Christ, both as to the manner of Sabbath observance and as to the day which He observed. Persecution did not cause Him to swerve from the right, and it should not cause us to do so.