See, you have become well
He did not say this when he began to walk; rather, he said it the moment he came to know Him

Previous Chapter: You have seen him

The "feast of the Jews" mentioned in the Gospel of John refers to the Passover, during which a spotless lamb was sacrificed; in this verse, we see that Jesus Christ—the sinless Lamb of God—came to Jerusalem as the fulfillment of that symbol - 1.After this 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 great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4.For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had - John 5:1-4

The healing Pool of Bethesda—with its five porticoes, located near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem—symbolizes our Savior, Jesus Christ. To the wealthy and the healthy of Jerusalem, this pool was of no consequence; they never even visited it. Yet, for the sick gathered there—the blind, the lame, and the withered—the pool was a tree of life, representing their future and their hope.

They were a small group of people—forsaken by the world, lacking its recognition, esteem, or respect—yet these were the very ones sitting around that pool. That is the essence of the Christian life: finding no recognition from the world, while Jesus Himself remains their hope.

The healing power from the Pool of Bethesda would manifest only when the water was stirred—a word that, in the original Greek, implies "troubling" or agitating the water. When those clear waters were stirred, they resembled grape juice flowing from a winepress; this served as a long-standing prophetic declaration that forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life are found solely through the blood of the Lamb.

Near the Pool of Bethesda, there was a man who had been bedridden for thirty-eight years; he longed to step into the pool and be healed the moment the water was stirred, yet he faced the pitiful predicament of being unable to reach it in time. In another miracle performed by Jesus Christ, a man begging near the Pool of Siloam was blind, yet he was able to make his way to the pool; the Lord Himself became the "Siloam" pool and restored his sight—an event we examined in the previous segment.

Yet, he longed to go to the pool but found himself in a pitiful situation where he could not do so. It was then that the One who was the essence of the Pool of Bethesda appeared to him on the day of the festival as Jesus Christ and asked what he desired. The man, who had been bedridden for thirty-eight years, expressed his wish to enter the pool; immediately, the Lord—who was the true Bethesda—granted him complete healing - 5.Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6.When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7.The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8.Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9.And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath - John 5:5-9 

When people are recovering after medical treatment in a hospital, they often cannot immediately get up or walk—nor would doctors permit it; they are allowed to walk only after undergoing specific exercises. If such a situation applies even to those who have been bedridden for just a few days, imagine the condition of a man who had been bedridden for 38 years—he would not even be able to sit up on his own. Yet here, Jesus Christ healed the man who had been bedridden for 38 years in a single instant, graciously enabling him to rise immediately and carry away his mat—a feat impossible for any medicine or physician to achieve.

The man who received his sight after washing in the Pool of Siloam knew the name of the One who healed him—"Jesus"—yet he had never actually seen the Lord; because he was blind, he could not see Him during their first encounter. In contrast, the other man *did* see Jesus during their first meeting but did not know who He was; that is why, when questioned, he could only refer to Him as "the One who made me well," unable to identify Him specifically as "Jesus, the One who made me well." - 10.The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11.He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” 12.Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13.But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place - John 5:10-13

He enjoyed perfect physical well-being, yet he did not know "Jesus," the source of that well-being; however, the Bible states that knowing Jesus Christ is eternal life—that is, eternal well-being - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent - John 17:3

He had been bedridden for 38 years and had been healed, yet he did not yet know Jesus. Physically, he was restored to health, but he had not yet received the wholeness required for the Kingdom of Heaven; that is why Jesus Christ appeared to him again. Upon hearing the Lord's voice, he recognized the Jesus who had healed him, and it was then that the Lord said, "See, you have been made well." - 14.Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have become well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15.The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well - John 5:14-15

It is not stated how much time passed before Jesus Christ met him again in the temple; he had received healing at their very first encounter. When he picked up his bed and walked, Jesus Christ did not say, "See, you have become well" nor did He say so when the Jews questioned him—for at that time, the man did not know who had healed him. It was only when he finally came to know Jesus Christ that He said, "See, you have become well."

Sin no more

When the Lord said, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you," it served as a call to a holy life, a mark of his transformation into a child of God, and a sign that we are set apart from this world.

Furthermore, regarding the command "sin no more," it is worth noting that the man—who had lain on a bed for thirty-eight years—had not been living in a tavern or a brothel; rather, he had simply not known Jesus. This reveals that, in God's eyes, not knowing the Lord constitutes sin. Since He is our Creator, and we lack eternal life if He does not dwell within us, failing to know Jesus Christ is indeed a sin.

What did he do next? Immediately upon hearing the Lord's command, he became a proclaimer of Jesus. This teaches us that failing to serve the Lord is also a sin. A holy life is an essential mark of God's children; alongside holiness, we must be filled with Christ and serve Him.

Next Chapter: Are there not 12 hrs in the day?