The third Sign... part 1...

There really isn't anything listed between 2 and 3, so I'm just going to jump right in.  It is worth pointing out that during the time between Signs 2 and 3, though, a trip was made from Cana to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival.  Festivals brought huge crowds, and the religious elite were definitely present en masse, certain to be seen participating and acting according to the traditions and customs to which they held so dearly.  I often wonder, if only they had their hearts in the right place, what would have been different... but it is of no matter, because that is not the way it was, and Jesus knew it.

Sign #3 - Healing the Sick Man

"By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades.  Within these lay a multitude of the sick - blind, lame, and paralyzed - waiting for the moving of the water, because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water.  Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had."

John 5:2-4, HCSB

For starters, we need to look to Nehemiah (3:1) to see that the Sheep Gate was, literally, the gate where people brought in their sheep for shearing or sale or slaughter.  It was also the first gate to be listed in the rebuilding process.  Wait a second... a sheep is also referred to as a lamb, right?  And the Messiah, the Lamb of God, went to the Sheep Gate where this Sign would be performed, right?  Clearly, I exaggerate to make a point, and that is that while we read any text... ANY text from God's Holy Word, we must know that it does all tie backwards, forwards and side-to-side, all together into itself perfectly.  The symbolism here shouldn't be lost on anyone, frankly, because the Lamb went to the gate that (if you look into the gates as they're named and follow their progression around) shows the beginning and the end of a Christian's life: with the Lamb of God.

Christ goes specifically to this one gate, and no other, and sees a vast number of people who are all in need of healing and restoration.  All of them are looking to a pool of water (again the symbolism of water is brought forward for healing), hopeful that an angel come to stir it up.  This stirring then makes the water super special, and it now is a onetime fix for a single person, whoever races in the fastest and the rest of the folks there are just out of luck.

Umm... I'm gonna go out on a limb here... and just say no.  I see nothing in Scripture to back up this idea that the waters would be stirred and make one person well, which leads me to think that it was something invented by people.  Further, since the healing is only available for a single person, and it has to be the first person into the water, there is limited healing based upon performance... and that is NOT from God.  So, again, I'm just gonna stick with no.

On another hand, though, it is interesting that the water would be chosen as a form of healing.  Water is a constant throughout these Signs so far, and so at least we can take some solace in the fact that we humans tend to almost get it right... but it is Jesus who heals, and Jesus who saves, and as we'll soon see, there is no need at all for anything but Him.  No water is necessary, no race is necessary, and no day is too special for Him to ignore someone in need.  

God bless you all!!!