At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus demonstrated divine compassion by healing a man who had been invalid for 38 years. This act challenged religious traditions and revealed Jesus’s unique relationship with God the Father. The healing sparked controversy as religious leaders focused on Sabbath law violations rather than celebrating the miracle. Through this event, Jesus demonstrated His divine authority and showed that true faith transcends religious rules, emphasizing the importance of genuine compassion and God’s unconditional love.

Discussion Questions:

• What does Jesus’s question ‘Do you want to be healed?’ reveal about human nature and our approach to healing?

• How does Jesus’s approach to healing challenge superstitious beliefs both then and now?

• In what ways might we build up religious structures that supplant the gospel in our own lives?

• How does Jesus’s statement about His Father working demonstrate His divinity?

• Why were the Jewish authorities more concerned with Sabbath rules than the miracle of healing?

• How does this passage demonstrate the difference between God’s law and man-made religious traditions?

• What does Jesus’s compassion toward the invalid man teach us about showing compassion to others?

• How can we ensure we’re focusing on the ‘weightier matters of the law’ in our own faith walk?