CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
John 5
Chapter 5 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in John 5
At the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, Jesus heals a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, sparking controversy because the healing occurs on the Sabbath. Jesus responds with an extended discourse on his authority as the Son of God, his unity with the Father, and the testimony that validates his claims.
Scripture
John 5
Healing at the Pool of Bethesda
Study note
At a pool in Jerusalem where the sick gathered hoping for miraculous healing, Jesus singles out a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Rather than waiting for the stirring of the water, Jesus commands him to get up, take his bed, and walk -- and the man is immediately healed. Because this occurs on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders confront the healed man, setting the stage for a major conflict about Jesus' authority.
1 Sometime later, there was a Jewish feast day, and Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 In Jerusalem, near the sheep gate, there was a pool with five covered porches around it. In the Hebrew language it was called Bethesda. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 A great crowd of sick people lay under those porches. There were blind people, people who could not walk, and people whose bodies were paralyzed. They were all waiting for the water to stir. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 Every so often, an angel would come down and churn up the water. The first person to step into the pool after the water moved would be healed of whatever was wrong with them. 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.
5 One man lying there had been dealing with his illness for thirty-eight long years. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus spotted him lying there and realized he had been sick for such a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to be healed?" 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?
7 The sick man sighed and said, "Sir, I do not have anybody to help me get into the pool when the water starts moving. Every time I try to drag myself over, somebody else jumps in ahead of me." 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.
8 Jesus said to him, "Stand up right now, pick up your mat, and walk." Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 Instantly the man was completely healed! He picked up his mat and started walking around. Now, this happened to be the sabbath. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had just been healed, "Today is the sabbath! You are not allowed to carry your mat around." The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He told them, "The man who healed me is the one who told me to pick up my mat and walk." He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 "Who is this man who told you to do that?" they demanded. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 But the healed man had no idea who it was, because Jesus had quietly slipped away into the crowd. And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and told him, "Look at you -- you are well now! Stop sinning, or something even worse could happen to you." Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
The Authority of the Son
Study note
When the Jewish leaders persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, he responds by claiming divine prerogatives: 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.' This assertion of equality with God intensifies their desire to kill him. Jesus then explains that the Son does nothing independently but mirrors the Father's works, including raising the dead and executing judgment. He declares that honoring the Son is inseparable from honoring the Father.
16 After that, the Jewish leaders began going after Jesus. They wanted to kill him because he did this healing on the sabbath. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father never stops working, and neither do I." But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 This made the Jewish leaders even more determined to kill him. Not only was he ignoring the sabbath rules, he was calling God his own Father, putting himself on the same level as God. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
19 So Jesus explained to them, "I am telling you the honest truth: the Son cannot do whatever he feels like on his own. He only does what he watches the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does the same thing. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 The Father loves the Son and lets him see everything he is doing. And the Father is going to show him even bigger things than this healing, things that will amaze you. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21 The Father raises the dead and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to anyone he chooses. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 On top of that, the Father does not judge anyone himself. He has handed over all judging to the Son, For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 so that everyone will give the Son the same respect they give the Father. If someone does not honor the Son, then they are also dishonoring the Father who sent him. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 I am telling you the truth: anyone who listens to what I say and puts their trust in the one who sent me already has life that lasts forever. That person will not face judgment but has already crossed over from death to life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 And here is something even more amazing -- the time is coming, and it is already starting, when dead people will hear the Son of God calling out to them. Those who hear his voice will come to life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 The Father has life inside himself, and he has given the Son that same kind of life -- life that comes from within. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 He has also given the Son the power to be the Judge, because he is the Son of man. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Do not be shocked by this, because a day is coming when everyone who is lying in their graves will hear his voice. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 They will all come out. People who did good will rise to life. People who did evil will rise to face judgment. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
30 I cannot do a single thing by my own power. I make my decisions based on what I hear from my Father, and those decisions are always fair, because I am not trying to get my own way -- I am doing what the Father who sent me wants. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Witnesses to Jesus
Study note
Jesus presents a fourfold witness to validate his claims: the testimony of John the Baptist, the miraculous works the Father gave him to accomplish, the Father's own testimony, and the Scriptures themselves. He confronts the religious leaders for searching the Scriptures yet refusing to come to the very one the Scriptures point to. He concludes by stating that Moses himself, in whom they placed their hope, wrote about Jesus and will be their accuser.
31 If I were the only one saying these things about myself, you would not have to accept it. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 But someone else is speaking up for me, and I know that everything he says about me is completely true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 You sent people to ask John, and he told them the truth. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 I do not need a human being to back me up, but I am mentioning John so that you might be saved. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 John was like a lamp that burned bright and gave off light. For a while, you were happy to enjoy that light. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have something that speaks even louder than John ever did. The Father gave me certain jobs to finish, and the very work I am doing proves that the Father sent me. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 The Father who sent me has also spoken about me himself. But you have never heard his voice or seen what he looks like. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 His message has not taken root inside you, because you refuse to believe in the one he sent. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 You spend so much time studying the scriptures because you think they are your ticket to eternal life. But those very scriptures are pointing straight at me! Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 Yet you still will not come to me to get the life you are looking for. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I do not need people to praise me. I receive not honour from men.
42 I can see right through you, though -- you do not love God deep down. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 I came representing my Father, and you will not accept me. But if some random person shows up representing only himself, you will roll out the red carpet for him. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can you ever truly believe when all you care about is getting praised by each other? You never even think about the approval that matters -- the approval from the one true God. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think I am going to be the one pointing my finger at you before the Father. No, Moses -- the one you have pinned all your hopes on -- he is the one who will accuse you. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 If you truly believed what Moses wrote, you would believe me too, because he was writing about me. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
47 But since you do not even believe his writings, how are you going to believe what I am saying?" But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Key Themes
Themes in John 5
Jesus' authority over the SabbathUnity of Father and SonResurrection and judgmentThe testimony of ScriptureFaith versus religious legalismDivine initiative in healing
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
John 5:45-47 Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Jesus declares that Moses wrote about him, pointing to the Pentateuch's messianic promises including the prophet like Moses whom God would raise up, making Moses himself the accuser of those who reject Christ.
Apply This Today
Living John 5
The healing at Bethesda shows that Jesus does not wait for us to meet certain conditions before he acts -- he takes the initiative to meet us in our helplessness. His discourse on authority challenges us to examine whether we honor the Son as we honor the Father. The warning about searching the Scriptures yet missing their true purpose reminds us that Bible knowledge without a living relationship with Christ falls short of God's intention.
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