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Jesus Goes To Jerusalem For a Feast, And Heals a Man On The Sabbath

After these things there was a Feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem near the Sheep gate, there is a pool— the one being called Bethzatha in Hebrew, having five porticos[a]. In these porticos, a multitude of the ones being sick were lying-down— blind ones, lame ones, withered ones. [b] And there was a certain man there having thirty and eight years in his sickness. Jesus— having seen this one lying down, and having known[c] that he already had a long time [in his sickness]— says to him, “Do you want to become healthy?” The one being sick answered Him, “Sir, I do not have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred-up. But while I am going, another goes down before me”. Jesus says to him, “Arise, pick up your cot and walk!” And immediately the man became healthy, and picked up his cot and was walking.

They Want To Kill Jesus Because He Breaks The Sabbath And Makes Himself Equal To God

Now it was a Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the one having been cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to pick up your cot”. 11 But the one answered them, “The One having made me healthy, that One said to me, ‘Pick up your cot and walk’”. 12 They asked him, “Who is the man having said to you, ‘Pick up and walk’?” 13 But the one having been healed did not know who He was. For Jesus withdrew, a crowd being in the place. 14 After these things, Jesus finds him in the temple. And He said to him, “See— you have become healthy! Do not be sinning any longer in order that something worse may not happen to you”. 15 The man went away and reported to the Jews that Jesus was the One having made him healthy. 16 And for this reason, the Jews were persecuting Jesus— because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and[d] I am working”. 18 Therefore, for this reason the Jews were seeking more to kill Him: because He was not only breaking[e] the Sabbath, but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal[f] to God! 19 Therefore Jesus responded and was saying to them—

Jesus Responds Regarding His Work: The Son Does Only What The Father Does

“Truly, truly, I say to you— the Son can do nothing from Himself except[g] something He sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One is doing, these things the Son is also likewise doing. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing. And He will show Him greater works than these, in order that you may marvel.

The Son Raises And Judges The Dead, And Thus Is Due Equal Honor With God

21 “For[h] just as the Father raises the dead and gives-life-to them, so also the Son gives-life-to the ones whom He wishes[i]. 22 For the Father does not even judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just-as[j] they are honoring the Father. The one not honoring the Son is not honoring the Father having sent Him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you that the one hearing My word and believing the One having sent Me has eternal life. And he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

The Son Has Life In Himself And Gives Life To The Spiritually Dead

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones having heard will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He gave to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a son[k] of man.

The Son Will Give Life To The Physically Dead

28 Do not be marveling-at this, because an hour is coming in which all the ones in the graves will hear His voice, 29 and will come out— the ones having done the good things to a resurrection of life; the ones having practiced the bad things to a resurrection of judgment.

I Am Doing The Will of The One Who Sent Me

30 I can do nothing from Myself. Just as I am hearing[l], I am judging. And My judgment is righteous, because I am not seeking My will, but the will of the One having sent Me.

Jesus Responds Regarding His Identity: Others Testify About Him

31 “If I am[m] testifying about Myself, My testimony is not true. 32 There is Another— the One testifying about Me— and I know that the testimony which He is testifying about Me is true.

John The Baptist Testified

33 You have sent out messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth[n]. 34 But I do not receive[o] testimony from a human. Nevertheless, I am saying these things in order that you may be saved. 35 That one was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to be overjoyed in his light for an hour.

Three Greater Witnesses Testify: My Works, The Father, And The Scriptures

36 “But I have testimony greater than John’s. For the works which the Father has given to Me that I should accomplish them— the works themselves which I am doing are testifying about Me, that the Father has sent Me forth. 37 And the Father having sent Me— that One has testified about Me. Neither His voice have you ever heard, nor His form have you seen. 38 And you do not have His word abiding in you, because the One Whom that One sent-forth— this One you are not believing! 39 You[p] search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life— and those Scriptures are the ones testifying about Me! 40 And you are not willing to come to Me in order that you may have life.

But You Are Not Receiving Me Because You Do Not Love God

41 “I do not receive glory from people, 42 but I know you— that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in the name of My Father, and you are not receiving Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive that one. 44 How are you able to believe while receiving glory from one another, and you are not seeking the glory from the only God?

Moses Will Be Your Accuser. For If You Believed Him, You Would Believe Me

45 Do not be thinking that I will accuse you before the Father. The one accusing you is Moses, in whom you have put-hope. 46 For if you were believing Moses, you would be believing Me, for that one wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe the writings of that one, how will you believe My words?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 That is, covered colonnades where people gathered.
  2. John 5:4 Some manuscripts add as verse 4, For an angel in due season was going down in the pool and stirring up the water. Then the one first having stepped in after the stirring up of the water was becoming healthy for whatever disease he was indeed being afflicted.
  3. John 5:6 Or, learned.
  4. John 5:17 Jesus places His working on the Sabbath on an equal plane with God’s doing so.
  5. John 5:18 That is, annulling the authority of the Sabbath over how people should live.
  6. John 5:18 If God is His own Father, then Jesus has the same nature and essence as God, as do all fathers and sons, and thus is Himself God. Jesus was killed for claiming this, 19:7.
  7. John 5:19 That is, the Son does only and always what the Father does, explaining v 17. They are in perfect harmony.
  8. John 5:21 Jesus gives the ultimate example of ‘whatever things’ the Father is doing.
  9. John 5:21 Or, wills, wants, desires.
  10. John 5:23 Or, in the same manner. Only one claiming to be equal to God would say such a thing.
  11. John 5:27 That is, a human. Or, the Son of Man, the one mentioned in Dan 7:13.
  12. John 5:30 That is, hearing from the Father, complementing the seeing in v 19.
  13. John 5:31 That is, If I alone am, apart from God.
  14. John 5:33 See 1:34.
  15. John 5:34 That is, do not merely receive.
  16. John 5:39 Or, this may be a command, Search.

Healing at the Pool

After this, there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda[a] in Aramaic,[b] which has five colonnades. Within these lay a large number of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—who were waiting for the movement of the water. For an angel would go down at certain times into the pool and stir up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.[c] One man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been sick a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the sick man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I’m going, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Instantly the man was healed. He picked up his mat and walked.

That day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews told the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! You are not permitted to carry your mat.”

11 He answered them, “The one who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

12 Then they asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Look, you are well now. Do not sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you.”

15 The man went back and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who made him well.

God’s Son

16 So the Jews began to persecute Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working right up to the present time, and I am working too.”

18 This is why the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he was not merely breaking the Sabbath, but was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus answered them directly, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: The Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. Indeed, the Son does exactly what the Father does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. And he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to those he wishes.

22 “In fact, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen, Amen, I tell you: Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He is not going to come into judgment but has crossed over from death to life.

25 “Amen, Amen, I tell you: A time is coming and is here now when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out. Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned. 30 I can do nothing at all on my own. I judge only as I hear. And my judgment is just, for I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

31 “If I were to testify about myself, my testimony would not be valid. 32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. 33 You sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 The testimony I receive is not from man, but I am saying these things so that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that was shining brightly, and for a while you wanted to enjoy his light. 36 But I have testimony greater than John’s. For the works that the Father gave me to carry out, the very works that I am doing, these testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 The Father who sent me—he is the one who has testified about me. You have never heard his voice or seen his form. 38 And you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them. They testify about me! 40 And yet you do not want to come to me in order to have life.

41 “I do not accept honor from people. 42 But I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, yet you do not accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe while you continue to accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe what I say?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 A few witnesses to the text have Bethzatha; a few others have Bethsaida.
  2. John 5:2 Or Hebrew
  3. John 5:4 Some witnesses to the text omit the text from verse 3b who were waiting. . . to the end of verse 4.