Spoke 5

John 5 Life

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

John 5

Five Porches

The first occurrence of the Number 5 is found in John 4 when Jesus reveals His knowledge of the Samaritan woman's five husbands, but its appearance here in the opening passage of John 5 is still striking and significant. The association with the impotent, blind, halt and withered is particularly meanignful because Christians have since the earliest times associated the Number 5 with the wounds of Christ - his two hands, two feet, and side. The Catholics call them the Five Sacred Wounds. This has been memorialized in tradition Christian iconography with the pentagram. The specific association of the Number