Bible Stories for Adults

Jesus Heals a Man at Bethesda

John 5:1-18



Welcome and Announcements
    Next Week - The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
    Bible Words to Remember:
      The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

Opening Prayer


The Healing Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-4)
    Where did Jesus go at the beginning of His second year of ministry and why?
      John 5:1
    Where was the pool of Bethesda?
      John 5:2
    Where was the Sheep Gate?
      Nehemiah 3:1 (12:38-39)

    What did the name Bethesda mean?
      John 5:2
    What did Bethesda look like?
      John 5:2
    What kind of people hung out at Bethesda?
      John 5:3
    Why?
      John 5:4

Jesus Reaches Out (John 5:5-6)
    Who did Jesus choose out of all the disabled He saw at Bethesda?
      John 5:5
    Who claims they were chosen by God despite their hopeless condition?
      1 Timothy 1:12-14
    Why does Paul believe he was picked out?
      1 Timothy 1:15-16
    Who else has been chosen by God despite their hopeless condition?
      Romans 5:6-8

    What did Jesus ask the man?
      John 5:6
    Was this a stupid question?
      John 10:7-10
    How are we to respond when Jesus calls us and offers His grace?
      Hebrews 12:25
      John 12:47-50

Fruitless Efforts (John 5:7)
    Did the man answer Jesus with a Yes or a No?
      John 5:7
    How are we like the man in our ability to justify and save ourselves?
      Galatians 2:15-16
    Do our righteous efforts have any merit or are they useless like the man's efforts to get in?
      Isaiah 64:6
    How did Paul react when he heard that the Galatians were trying to be justified by the law?
      Galatians 3:1-5
    What works must we do to obey God and be considered righteous?
      John 6:28-29

The Grace of Jesus (John 5:8-9)
    How did this man differ from the man who needed healing in last week's study?
      Mark 10:46-51
    Since the man at Bethesda didn't ask Jesus to heal him, did Jesus pass him by?
      John 5:8
    What lesson from an earlier class explains Jesus' actions?
      Luke 19:10

    Did the man wait for Jesus to carry him to the troubled water for healing?
      John 5:9a
    What risk was there to the man by obeying Jesus?
      John 5:9a
    How do we respond when Jesus asks us to pick up our mat, even when others may laugh?
      Luke 9:23-26

Knowing Jesus (John 5:12-14)
    How was this man's response similar to that of Bartimaeus?
      Mark 10:52
    Was his saving faith in Jesus as the Messiah?
      John 5:12-13
    Don't we need to acknowledge and know Jesus before we can receive His blessings?
      Romans 9:15-16
    What parable did Jesus tell that makes this point?
      Matthew 20:12-15 (1-16)

    How did Jesus later reveal Himself and His purpose to the man?
      John 5:14
    What did Jesus mean by something worse may happen to you?
      Romans 8:5-6, 13

Jesus Works on the Sabbath (John 5:9-12, 15-18)
    How did the Jews respond to this great miracle of healing a 38-year invalid?
      John 5:9-10
    See Working on the Sabbath notes at end of lesson

    What excuse did the man give for his horrible sin of carrying his mat?
      John 5:11
    What became more important to the Jews than getting the man to put down his mat?
      John 5:12, 15-16
    How did Jesus respond to their reprimand?
      John 5:17
    How did this make the Jews even more upset?
      John 5:18

    Did Jesus have any other conflicts with Jewish leaders because of healing on the Sabbath?
      Luke 13:10-17
      Matthew 12:9-14
    What else did Jesus do on the Sabbath that got the Pharisees mad?
      Matthew 12:1-8
    How did Jesus try to put the Sabbath in perspective?
      Mark 2:27

The Third Commandment - Luther's Small Catechism
    What is the Third Commandment?
      Exodus 20:8
    What does this mean?
      We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

    Does God require that we Christians of the New testament observe the Sabbath?
      Colossians 2:16-17
    Did God command us Christians to observe any day?
      Romans 14:5-6 (Galatians 4:10-11)
    Why, then, do we observe Sunday and other church festivals?
      Hebrews 10:25 (Acts 2:42)
    What does God require of us in the Third Commandment?
      1 Thessalonians 2:13
      Luke 11:28
      Galatians 6:6-7
      Mark 16:15

Closing Prayer


Working on the Sabbath Notes:
    Jews identified 39 works which were prohibited on the Sabbath by the Scripture
      Each of these father-works had many descendant-works defined by rabbis

    Examples Father-Work
    		 Descendant-Works
    Plowing
    		 Digging (dragging a chair might make a rut)
    (rubbing foot on pavement is ok, not on dirt)
    Carrying a burden
    		 Wearing false teeth or extra clothing
    Walking on stilts (crutch or wooden leg ok)
    Tailor carrying needle, Scribe carrying pen
    Reaping
    		 Plucking a head of wheat
    Pulling out a gray hair (don't look in mirror)


Copyright © 1997 by Kurt Rosenhagen

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