Jesus Heals the Man at the Pool of Bethesda

5 Some time later, there was a religious gathering of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ² In Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches called Bethesda near the sheep gate. ³ Inside these porches lay many sick people. Some were blind. Some could not walk. Some could not move their bodies. ⁴ (*An angel of the Lord came at certain times and made the water move. All of them were waiting for it to move. Whoever got in the water first after it was moving was healed of whatever sickness he had.)

⁵ A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Jesus saw him lying there and knew the man had been sick a long time. Jesus said to him, “Would you like to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man said, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is moving. While I am coming, another one gets in first.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your bed and walk.” ⁹ At once the man was healed and picked up his bed and walked. This happened on the Day of Rest.

¹⁰ The Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Day of Rest. It is against the Law for you to carry your bed.” ¹¹ He said to them, “The Man Who healed me said to me, ‘Pick up your bed and walk.’ ¹² Then the Jews asked him, “What man said to you, ‘Pick up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ The man who had been healed did not know Who He was. Jesus had gone away while many people were there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found the man who had been healed in the house of God. He said to him, “Listen! You have been healed. Stop sinning or something worse will come to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had healed him.

The Jews Want to Kill Jesus

¹⁶ Because Jesus did these things on the Day of Rest, the Jews made it very hard for Him. ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “My Father is still working all the time so I am working also.” ¹⁸ The Jews tried all the more to kill Him, not only because He had worked on the Day of Rest, but because He had also called God His Own Father. This made Him the same as God.

Jesus Tells How He Works

¹⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does also. ²⁰ The Father loves the Son and shows the Son everything He does. The Father will show Him greater works than these. They will surprise you. ²¹ The Father raises up the dead and makes them live. The Son also gives life to anyone He chooses. ²² The Father does not say who is guilty. He gives this to the Son to do. ²³ He does this so that all people will honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.

²⁴ “For sure, I tell you, anyone who hears My Word and puts his trust in Him Who sent Me has life that lasts forever. He will not be guilty. He has already passed from death into life.

The Good People and the Sinful People Are Raised from the Dead

²⁵ “For sure, I tell you, the time is coming. Yes, the time is here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear will live. ²⁶ The Father has life in Himself. He has given power to the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ God has given Him the right and the power to say if people are guilty, because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not be surprised at this. The time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice. ²⁹ They will come out. Those who have done good will be raised again and will have new life. Those who have been sinful will be raised again and will be told they are guilty and will be punished.

Jesus Tells of John and of Himself

³⁰ “I can do nothing by Myself. I say who is guilty only as My Father tells Me. That way, what I say is right, because I am not trying to do what I want to do. I am doing what the Father, Who sent Me, wants Me to do. ³¹ If I tell about Myself, My words are worth nothing. ³² There is another One Who tells about Me. I know the words He says about Me are true.

³³ “You sent to John the Baptist and he told you the truth. ³⁴ I do not need words from men to say I am right. I say this that you might be saved from the punishment of sin. ³⁵ John the Baptist was a burning and shining light. You were willing for awhile to be glad in his light. ³⁶ I have something greater than John which tells of Me. I am doing works the Father has given Me to do and they are proving that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷ The Father has told of Me and has sent Me. You have never heard His voice. You have never seen Him. ³⁸ You do not have His Word living in your hearts because you do not put your trust in the One He sent.

³⁹ “You do read the Holy Writings. You think you have life that lasts forever just because you read them. They do tell of Me. ⁴⁰ But you do not want to come to Me so you might have life. ⁴¹ I do not take any honor from men. ⁴² I know you and you do not have the love of God in your hearts. ⁴³ I have come in the name of My Father. You do not receive Me. If another person comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe when you are always wanting honor from each other? And yet you do not look for the honor that comes from the only God.

⁴⁵ “Do not think that I will tell the Father you are guilty. The one who says you are guilty is Moses. You trust him. ⁴⁶ If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me. For Moses wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ If you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe My Words?”