“When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’”
John 5:6 (NLT)
At the pool of Bethesda, a crowd of sick people waited for healing that depended on competition—only the first to the water would be made whole. Jesus stepped into that scene and offered something better: a word that carried healing without striving.
Those lying under the five covered porches weren’t just waiting for healing—they were also beggars sustained by their community. Their spot at the pool was their livelihood, a way to receive help for themselves and their families. If healed, everything would change. They’d lose their place of dependence and need to learn a trade, work again, and provide in new ways. Healing meant losing an old identity.
When Jesus asked the crippled man if he wanted to be well, it wasn’t a surface question. The Greek phrase reveals He was asking if the man was ready to receive the identity of someone already made whole. Healing required more than restored legs—it required renewed faith and surrendered identity.
The man obeyed and was instantly healed, yet his heart didn’t fully change. Instead of showing gratitude, he reported Jesus to the Pharisees. His actions proved he valued his reputation more than his Redeemer. Physical healing without spiritual transformation leaves us stuck between two identities. Today, Jesus still asks, “Are you ready to be made whole?” Wholeness means letting go of the labels that once defined us and walking in the new life He’s already spoken over us.