Jesus was again at Jerusalem. Walking alone, in apparent meditation and prayer, He came to the pool. He saw the wretched sufferers watching for that which they supposed to be their only chance of cure. He longed to exercise His healing power, and make every sufferer whole. But it was the Sabbath day. Multitudes were going to the temple for worship, 202 and He knew that such an act of healing would so excite the prejudice of the Jews as to cut short His work.

Jesus var atter i Jerusalem. Han vandrede alene omkring, øjensynligt fordybet i sine tanker og i bøn, da han kom hen til dammen. Han så de stakkels syge være på vagt efter det, som de mente var deres eneste mulighed for at blive helbredt. Han længtes efter at udøve sin lægende kraft og gøre enhver af de syge rask. Men det var sabbat. Mange mennesker var på vej til templet for at tilbede, og han vidste, at en sådan helbredelseshandling i den grad ville vække jødernes fordomme, at det ville komme til at standse hans gerning.