What does John 5:6 mean?

Debates over the opening phrase of this verse are common. Some claim that if Jesus "learned" about the man's condition, as in some translations, then He was not truly omniscient, and therefore not really God. However, the Greek term here is gnous, from ginōskō, which implies the idea of "knowing." This is why most translations indicate that Jesus "knew" the man's plight. Such a translation would speak more to His omniscience. But translating it as "learned" does not present a problem for Jesus' divinity. Since Jesus had to limit the use of His own divine attributes to live as a man, there is no reason He could not have done so with His knowledge, as well (Luke 2:40).

Depending on how one interprets the crippled man, Jesus' words take on different tones. Is Jesus asking for confirmation: "Would you like me to make you well?" Or is He challenging the man's apathy and indifference: "Do you even want to be healed?" The man's response (John 5:7), interestingly, is not a "yes." Rather, it's a shift of blame onto others. The man will do the same when confronted about carrying his mat on a Sabbath day (John 5:11).

This raises the question of whether the man has simply given up hope. Or perhaps he's not particularly interested in getting well. Human beings have a habit of rejecting solutions to our problems when the problem gives us leverage. Having a "woe is me" story to trump other concerns is a common temptation. Sadly, we can act the same way towards our sins, preferring the pity of others over doing the right thing.

Whether or not the man at the pool was in such a mental state, we can't really say. We can be sure he was not looking for healing when Jesus found him. This tells us something about God's sovereign will.