Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Healing School #20 | The Pool Of Bethesda | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
Air Date: July 22, 2021
Host/Speaker: Nancy Dufresne

Overview:

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne explores the healing miracle at the Pool of Bethesda as described in John 5. This teaching is part of the ongoing “Healing School” series, aimed at helping believers understand and receive healing through faith in Jesus Christ. The discussion reveals both the biblical and practical aspects of healing, the role of faith, and lessons from the response of Jesus at the pool.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Pool of Bethesda  (00:08–03:40)

• Nancy encourages listeners not just to passively observe but to participate and bring their faith:

  • "Don't just be an observer that says, oh, that's a good sermon ... No, receive what is being taught to you today." (00:18, Nancy Dufresne)

• The Pool of Bethesda was located by the sheep gate—a significant site symbolizing Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial "Lamb of God" (00:50–01:27).
• Five porches surrounded the pool, housing people with severe physical conditions (blind, lame, withered, etc.), all waiting for the “moving of the water.”
• These were “critical, impossible” cases, not minor ailments, indicating their desperate need and willingness to wait indefinitely for healing.

2. The Angel and Healing Power  (03:40–08:30)

• Verse 4 explains an angel would stir the water, and the first person in would be healed.

• Nancy clarifies:

  • Angels are not healers but cooperate with healing power, depositing a "measure" into the water.
  • There was only enough healing power for one person at a time, showing the measurable nature of God’s healing power.

• Nancy shares a striking testimony about Mom Hagin (the wife of Kenneth E. Hagin):

  • She persistently listened to healing scriptures; after a year, she saw an angel (in a spiritual vision) bring her a new heart, confirmed by her doctor as a true supernatural healing (06:15–07:20).

  • “He said, this isn’t just a heart that got better. This is a completely different heart. Well, that's what she saw.” (07:16, Nancy Dufresne)

• The point: Heaven has “extra parts,” and angels can cooperate with God’s healing plan.

3. The Purpose Behind the Miracle  (08:30–11:30)

• The miracle at Bethesda wasn’t about exalting the pool or the water, but about stirring faith in those watching.

  • “God was trying to stir faith in all those people in the porch. He was giving them an example of what he would do for anyone who would believe.” (10:10, Nancy Dufresne)

• God's emphasis was always on faith, not methods. The first healing was meant to inspire faith for others.
• Practical lesson: “Don’t get your eyes on the method, but on the God who heals.”

4. Jesus and the 38-Year Infirmity  (11:30–15:00)

• Jesus singles out a man who had been crippled for 38 years.
• Jesus, operating by a “word of knowledge,” understands the man’s history (12:00).
• Jesus asks, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (Do you want to be healed?)
• The man responds not with faith, but with excuses about lacking help to get into the water (13:00).

  • “He did not even answer the question ... he starts talking about the water.” (13:30, Nancy Dufresne)

• Nancy underscores that people can be in the right place but not expect or believe for anything.

5. The Healing Command and Immediate Result  (15:00–17:00)

• Jesus gives the man a direct command: “Rise, take up thy bed and walk.”
• Despite having misplaced faith (in the pool, not God), the man acts on Jesus’ word and is instantly healed (15:25).
• Nancy highlights the importance of obedience, even if understanding or faith seem incomplete:

  • “That’s who receives—the ones who do what Jesus told them to do.” (16:50, Nancy Dufresne)

6. Religion vs. Revelation—Sabbath Controversy  (17:00–19:40)

• Religious leaders criticize the healed man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath, missing the miracle entirely due to their legalistic mindset.

  • “This man has been unable for 38 years to walk. Bless God, I’m carrying my bed, right?” (17:30, Nancy Dufresne)

• Nancy points out that healing is a holy act and worthy of the Sabbath; Jesus intentionally heals on the Sabbath to make that statement.

7. Retaining Healing and the Danger of Sin  (19:40–24:00)

• Jesus later finds the healed man in the temple and warns: “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)

• Nancy teaches:

  • Healing can be lost if one “gives place to the devil” or returns to a lifestyle of sin (Ephesians 4:27).
  • She relates Peter’s miracle and subsequent failure walking on water to this principle (21:15–22:30).

  • “You can receive something from God, but if you don’t continue in faith, you can lose it.” (22:10, Nancy Dufresne)

• The key is not earning healing, but protecting and safeguarding it through obedience and continuing in faith.

• Reference to Jesus' teaching: If a delivered person remains “empty” (not filled with the Word and God’s presence), evil can return and worsen the situation (23:00).

8. Healing as the Father’s Work  (24:00–26:50)

• Not everyone is happy with healing—opposition comes from religious leaders (24:30).
• Jesus responds: “My Father worketh hitherto and I work.”—He equates healing with the direct work of God the Father (25:00).
• Jesus acted only in step with the Father—healing flows from God’s love and intention.

  • “Healing is the Father's flow. And healing is the flow of love. It belongs to you ... Healing belongs to us.” (26:10, Nancy Dufresne)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Participating in Faith:
  • “Faith is what you choose to do, and faith is that we choose to believe. We're not just waiting for feelings of faith, but we're choosing to believe.” (00:32, Nancy Dufresne)
• On Angels and Healing:
  • “No, angels aren’t healers, but they cooperate ... They will bring body parts. ... If you need a part, heaven has parts.” (05:30, Nancy Dufresne)
• On Faith vs. Method:
  • “God just wants you to get your eyes on him and not on the method that's used.” (10:48, Nancy Dufresne)
• On Obedience:
  • “That's who receives—the ones who do what Jesus told them to do.” (16:50, Nancy Dufresne)
• On Retaining Healing:
  • “If you don’t continue in faith, you can lose it. This is what Jesus was telling the man. He wanted him to not only receive a miracle, he didn’t want him to lose it.” (22:10, Nancy Dufresne)
• On Healing’s Source:
  • “My Father worketh hitherto and I work. ... Healing is the Father's flow. And healing is the flow of love. It belongs to you.” (25:00–26:10, Nancy Dufresne)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Intro to healing school & faith: 00:08–01:27
• Scene at Pool of Bethesda description: 01:27–03:40
• Role of the angel, measure of healing: 03:40–07:20
• Testimony: Mom Hagin’s new heart: 06:15–07:20
• Purpose of healing for faith: 08:30–11:00
• Jesus questions the crippled man: 11:30–13:30
• Command and healing: 15:00–16:40
• Religious opposition: 17:00–19:20
• Retaining your healing: 19:40–24:00
• Healing is the Father’s work: 24:00–26:10

Conclusion

Pastor Nancy's message is a rich, faith-filled teaching grounded in scripture and personal anecdotes. Listeners are challenged to bring active faith, not fixate on the "how," but to trust the Healer. Healing is presented as God’s will and love, available and to be safeguarded through continued obedience and faith.