1 AFTER this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 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 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 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 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 saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 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 answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 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 departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 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 worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 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 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 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 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 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 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 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 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 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 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.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 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 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 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 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 ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

1After this there was a feast of the Iewes, and Iesus went vp to Hierusalem.

2Now there is at Hierusalem by the sheepe market, a poole, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, hauing fiue porches.

3In these lay a great multitude of impotent folke, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the mouing of the water.

4For an Angel went downe at a certaine season into the poole, and troubled the water: whosoeuer then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoeuer disease he had.

5And a certaine man was there, which had an infirmitie thirtie and eight yeeres.

6When Iesus saw him lie, & knew that hee had beene now a long time in that case, he sayth vnto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I haue no man when the water is troubled, to put mee into the poole: but while I am comming, another steppeth downe before me.

8Iesus sayth vnto him, Rise, take vp thy bed, and walke.

9And immediatly the man was made whole, and tooke vp his bed, and walked: And on the same day was the Sabbath.

10 The Iewes therefore said vnto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day, it is not lawfull for thee to cary thy bed.

11He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said vnto me, Take vp thy bed, and walke.

12Then asked they him, What man is that which said vnto thee, Take vp thy bed, and walke?

13And he that was healed, wist not who it was: for Iesus had conueyed himselfe away, a multitude being in that place.

14Afterward Iesus findeth him in the Temple, & said vnto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sinne no more, lest a worse thing come vnto thee.

15The man departed, and tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus which had made him whole.

16And therefore did the Iewes persecute Iesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day.

17 But Iesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, & I worke.

18Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill him, not onely because hee had broken the Sabbath, but said also, that God was his father, making himselfe equall with God.

19Then answered Iesus, and saide vnto them, Uerily, verily I say vnto you, The sonne can doe nothing of himselfe, but what he seeth the Father doe: for what things soeuer he doeth, these also doth the sonne likewise.

20For the father loueth the sonne, and sheweth him all things that himselfe doth: & he will shew him greater works then these, that ye may marueile.

21For as the Father raiseth vp the dead, and quickeneth them: euen so the Sonne quickeneth whom he will.

22For the Father iudgeth no man: but hath committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne:

23That all men should honour the Son, euen as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not þe Sonne, honoreth not þe Father which hath sent him.

24Uerily, verily I say vnto you, Hee that heareth my word, & beleeueth on him that sent mee, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death vnto life.

25Uerily, verily I say vnto you, The houre is comming, & now is, when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God: and they that heare, shall liue.

26For as the Father hath life in himselfe: so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe:

27And hath giuen him authority to execute iudgement also, because he is the Sonne of man.

28Marueile not at this: for the houre is comming, in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice,

29And shall come foorth, they that haue done good, vnto the resurrection of life, and they that haue done euill, vnto the resurrection of damnation.

30I can of mine owne selfe doe nothing: as I heare, I iudge: and my iudgement is iust, because I seeke not mine owne will, but the will of the Father, which hath sent me.

31If I beare witnesse of my selfe, my witnesse is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witnesse of me, & I know that the witnesse which he witnesseth of me, is true.

33Ye sent vnto Iohn, and he bare witnesse vnto the trueth.

34But I receiue not testimonie from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saued.

35He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to reioyce in his light.

36 But I haue greater witnesse then that of Iohn: for the workes which the Father hath giuen me to finish, the same workes that I doe, beare witnesse of mee, that the Father hath sent me.

37And the Father himselfe which hath sent me, hath borne witnesse of me. Ye haue neither heard his voyce at any time, nor seene his shape.

38And ye haue not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye beleeue not.

39 Search the Scriptures, for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life, and they are they which testifie of me.

40And ye will not come to me, that ye might haue life.

41I receiue not honour from men.

42But I know you, that ye haue not the loue of God in you.

43I am come in my Fathers name, and ye receiue me not: if another shall come in his owne Name, him ye will receiue.

44How can ye beleeue, which receiue honour one of another, & seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely?

45Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, euen Moses, in whom ye trust?

46For had ye beleeued Moses, ye would haue beleeued me: for he wrote of me.

47But if ye beleeue not his writings, how shall ye beleeue my words?

 

1 After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.

4 Verse four removed after discovering new Manuscripts.

5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" 7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me." 8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat." 11 He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'" 12 They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?" 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. 14 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. 19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. 20 For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, 23 so that all may 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 say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 "I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 31 "If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. 32 But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. 33 You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37 Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. 40 But you do not want to come to me to have life. 41 "I do not accept human praise; 42 moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" 

 

v 1. Which feast is not stated. John lists Jesus going to Passover 2:23; 6:4; 11:55.
v 2. Bethesda, house of mercy, had two adjacent spring fed pools northeast of the temple area, five porches, or five porticoes of covered colonnades, with five arches. Some think like a primitive hospital.
v 3,4. This is not in the original manuscripts, but is certain, or it would have been refuted by people of the time.  It is only a guess when this began or ended, probably no more after Christ’s death. People waiting in the porches apparently did not know when or how often the angel would come to do this. Apparently just one individual, but possibly the first ones (Matthew Henry) who immediately stepped in were healed.
v 5. Apparently paralyzed 38 years, at least in his limbs, in a hopeless state.
v 6. Jesus knew, but called attention to Himself and the man’s helplessness. We were helpless in sin and should be willing to take gospel to others helpless in sin.
v 7-9. After admitting helplessness, the man’s obedience showed he believed, to be healed, but according to v 13, he did not yet know it was Christ who healed him. He acted on belief of healing. We had a dog that still limped after splint was off, and we had to put splint on the other leg to make him believe he was healed.
v 10-13. Jewish leaders were not interested in the man who healed, but in the man who told him to carry his bed. They, not Moses, made carrying his bed home on the Sabbath illegal. God even told Joshua to march around Jericho on the Sabbath. Jesus chose to heal him on the Sabbath to prove Christ is Lord of Sabbath. His priority, not origin in Col. 1:15 is Lord of all. He is Lord of Sabbath, so He is Lord of the Law. Sabbath does not mean “7” but repose, cessation or rest. He is Lord that said all is done, finished.  Once we find rest in Christ, salvation is done. Heb. 4:9.
v 14. The man did not return to the temple to find Jesus but to honor God, which he had not been able to do for 38 years. Whether or not this man’s illness was because of a particular sin, he is not to take his healing lightly and return to sin, or he would face punishment. Jesus did not state what that would be.
v 15. It is not known if he thought it great to go witness of Christ, or if he  told the Jewish leaders out of duty to them and to save his own skin. Probably the latter.
v 16. At least six other times Jesus deliberately healed on the Sabbath. Usually the leader’s response was to want to kill Jesus instead of being thankful.
v 17. God not only created but keeps the world going daily, so Jesus also works.
v 18. Breaking Sabbath and equating Himself with God were inexcusable to Jews then. They still reject Christ being equal with God. Part of verse 16 was not in some manuscripts, but is properly there as “they sought the more to kill Him”.
v 19,20. Jesus and the Father don’t work independently, but together.
v 21. Just as Jesus healed one man of many, He has the right over life and death.
v 22,23. Jesus is likewise given authority in end time judgments. To reject God the Son is to reject God the Father.
v 24. To trust the message of Christ and the Father is to have eternal life now.
v 25. Jesus has power to call dead from the grave and spiritually dead to life.
v 26,27. Jesus rules both life as Divine and judgment because He is Son of Man.
v 28,29. Christ will resurrect all who died. Believers at the Rapture: Tribulation and Old Testament saints at the end of Great Tribulation. Millennial saints at close of the Millennium. All wicked dead after the battle following the Millennium.
v 30. Summary: Jesus and the Father are One, and He does only Father’s will.
v 31,32. A. Jesus’ own witness. It is contrary to Moses Law for Jews to accept only one to witness, but in the verses that follow, Jesus will present four other witnesses.
v 33-35. B. John the Baptist had witnessed that Jesus was the Lamb of God, and the Son of God. John was like a lamp that stirred the people briefly, but Jesus was the true light. He was the Light of the world, 8:12 and 9:5. 
v 36. C. The works Jesus did were even greater than the witness of John, because the were specific works God the Father had assigned the Son to do, Isa. 35:5,6.
v 37,38. D. The Father bore witness of Jesus 1. At Jesus Baptism, Mt. 3: 17;  2. At the transfiguration, Mt. 17:5;  3. At the triumphal entry, Jn. 12:28;  4. In Jesus’ works, Jn  3:2 5. In peoples minds and hearts, Jn. 6:45. Particularly in regard to the last point, Jesus’ opponents did not believe what God had said so they had rejected Jesus.
v 39,40.  E. The Scriptures testify of Christ. (just a few listed)
Serpent  Jn. 3:1-----------------------------Num. 21:9
Manna  Jn. 6:31 ----------------------------Ex. 16:4
Bethlehem Jn. 7:42-------------------------Mic. 5:2
Triumphant entry Jn. 12:12-15 ---------Zech. 9:9
Jesus rejected Jn 12:37,38 -------------Isa. 53:1
Jews studied the Old Testament and some people today study the Bible as though that was an end in itself. The Scriptures are to lead us to understand so we can receive Christ. As the Jews in 2 Cor. 3:15 had a veil over their heart, so these only knew Scripture from rote memory, not in the heart. Therefore, they were rejecting Christ. Theirs were excuses, they didn’t want to receive Him.
v 41,42. The problem was not that Jesus was jealous for honor. It was their rejection because they did not love God as commanded, Ex. 20:4.
v 43,44. There were two evidences for their lack of love for God. 1. They rejected Jesus, the one God sent.  2. They readily accepted false teachers and false prophets.
v 45-47. Jesus came to save, not to judge or accuse the people at this point. It was Moses who accused them, in spite of their extreme rules to keep the law.  Moses wrote of Christ, so if they had believed him, they would have believed Christ. Jesus did not mention any specific thing Moses wrote of Him, but there were so many things that did point to Him. The Passover, the manna, the rock, the offerings, the high priest and many of the colors and materials of the tabernacle all pointed to Him. Scriptures that specifically pointed to Him could have been, Gen. 3:15; 22:18; 49:10; Num. 24:17; Deut. 18:15 and others.