Bible Reading
John 5:1-9 “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be healed?' The sick man answered him, 'Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.' Jesus said to him, 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk.' And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.”
[43:59]Mark 2:1-12 “And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 'Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?' And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, 'Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he said to the paralytic—'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.' And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!”
[50:47]Mark 5:25-34 “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, 'If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.' And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my garments?' And his disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’’ And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
[48:15]Observation questions
- In John 5, where does Jesus find the man who had been unable to walk for many years, and who takes the first step toward the conversation?
- What question does Jesus ask the man at Bethesda before healing him, and how does the man respond? [44:21]
- In Mark 5, what had the bleeding woman experienced before she came to Jesus, and what did she believe would happen if she touched His clothing? [48:15]
- In Mark 2, what does Jesus say to the paralyzed man before telling him to get up and walk, and how do the people respond after the man leaves carrying his mat? [51:21]
Interpretation questions
- Jesus went to Bethesda, a place where disabled and hurting people gathered, and He approached a man who did not yet know Him. What does this show about Jesus’ compassion for people who feel overlooked, isolated, or far from faith? [44:51]
- Why might Jesus ask, “Do you want to get well?” when the man’s physical need seemed so obvious? What deeper kind of wholeness might Jesus be inviting him to consider? [45:45]
- The bleeding woman came to Jesus after every earthly resource had failed her. How does her story show the difference between trusting Jesus and treating Him merely as a last option when nothing else works? [49:38]
- Jesus forgives the paralyzed man’s sins before healing his body. Why is forgiveness the greater healing, even when physical suffering remains very real and painful? [51:39]
Application questions
- Is there a physical burden, illness, limitation, or concern for a loved one that you need to keep bringing honestly to Jesus in prayer? How can the group support you without making you feel pressured to “have more faith”?
- Jesus’ question, “Do you want to get well?” reaches beyond physical health. Is there an area of your heart—such as bitterness, fear, hidden sin, hopelessness, or isolation—where you need Christ’s deeper healing? [46:50]
- When pain lasts a long time, it can be tempting to believe that God has forgotten or ignored us. What helps you remember that God is present with you even when physical healing has not come? [55:00]
- The man at Bethesda and the bleeding woman both experienced isolation in different ways. Who in your life may be suffering quietly, feeling excluded, or carrying a burden that others do not see? What is one practical way you could move toward them with Christlike compassion this week? [44:51]
- Jesus did not make healing a reward for spiritual performance, money, or personal power. How can you guard your own heart against blaming suffering people—or yourself—when healing does not happen as hoped? [43:33]
- Physical healing is a good thing to pray for, but Christ’s forgiveness and spiritual healing last forever. How can you make room in your prayers this week both to ask for physical relief and to seek a deeper trust in Jesus? [53:57]
- Complete healing is promised for those who belong to Christ, though it is not fully experienced in this broken world. How does that future hope change the way you walk through present pain, grief, or uncertainty? [55:42]
