Miracles of Jesus Table

5:1 After these things Refers to an indeterminate period of time. John shifts to a new scene in his narrative without giving specific chronological details (compare John 6:1; 21:1).

feast of the Jews Most likely one of the other two pilgrimage festivals besides Passover, either the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Tabernacles. See note on 2:13.

Israelite Festivals Table

Jesus went up to Jerusalem The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record only one trip to Jerusalem, but John has several. On Jerusalem, see note on 1:19.

5:2 Sheep Gate A gate on the northern end of the temple complex. It was part of the outer wall of Jerusalem rebuilt under Nehemiah (see Neh 3:1).

Aramaic The Greek term used here, hebraisti, refers to the Hebrew and Aramaic languages.

Bethzatha Greek manuscripts show a variety of renderings for this place name: “Beth-zatha,” “Bethesda,” or “Bethsaida.” The most common English rendering is “Bethesda.” John is the only nt writer to mention this pool.

five porticoes Evidence of a healing sanctuary and pool with five porticoes was found in Jerusalem just north of the Sheep Gate. Porticoes are covered walkways, with the roof supported by columns.

5:5 thirty-eight years The man’s age is unknown, but he had been sick for longer than many people lived in antiquity.

sickness The Greek term used here, astheneia, refers to any kind of debilitating condition. Since the man is unable to move into the pool on his own (v. 7), it’s assumed that he is either disabled or paralyzed.

5:7 whenever the water is stirred up The additional information provided in v. 4 explains this otherwise enigmatic statement as a divine stirring of the water that results in healing (compare note on v. 3). The pools at Bethesda probably were fed by springs that may have intermittently added fresh water to the pools.

5:8 Get up Compare Mark 2:11.

your mat Probably a lightweight straw mat on which the man was lying.

5:9 immediately The Gospels regularly emphasize the immediate nature of Jesus’ healings. Compare Mark 2:12.

Sabbath The seventh day of the week, when Jews were to abstain from work (compare note on Matt 12:1; note on Exod 20:10).

5:10 it is not permitted Physical labor was forbidden on the Sabbath, but biblical law did not explicitly define what qualified as work.

5:12 Who is the man The religious leaders want to find the person responsible for leading this man to sin by working on the Sabbath.

5:14 lest something worse happen to you While nt teaching generally rejects the assumption that all suffering is a result of sin (compare John 9:1–3; Luke 13:2–3), Jesus seems to imply here that the man’s affliction was related to sin. The worse fate that could happen is likely a reference to the eternal consequences of sin and failure to be reconciled with God.

5:16 doing these things on the Sabbath The religious leaders regularly quarreled with Jesus over His apparent lack of respect for the Sabbath prohibitions (compare Luke 6:1–11; 13:10–17; 14:1–6).

5:17 and I am working Because Jesus is “lord of the Sabbath,” He is not limited by their interpretations of what was not allowed (compare Luke 6:5).

5:18 calling God his own Father The idea of God having “sons” appears within the ot. Spiritual beings are called “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 82:6; 89:6). Also, Israel is described as God’s son (Exod 4:23), as is Israel’s king (Psa 2:7). The offense of Jesus’ claim must be the allusion that Joseph was not His actual father but that He had divine parentage.

5:19 Truly, truly See note on John 1:51.

Son can do nothing from himself Jesus asserts His dependence on the Father and His distinct role subordinate to the Father’s will and plan. It is impossible for Jesus to act in any way that would somehow place Him in opposition to the Father.

5:21 the Son makes alive whomever he wishes Jesus claims delegated authority over life and death; this authority is given to Him by the Father. See v. 17 and note.

5:22 judgment The ot depicts Yahweh as the judge of all peoples (Isa 41:1; 51:5; Jer 25:15–38) but sometimes foreshadows the transferal of that role to the Messiah (Isa 11:3; 16:5).

5:25 an hour is coming See note on John 4:23.

Son of God See note on 10:36.

5:29 a resurrection of life Refers to Jewish beliefs on the resurrection rooted in ot passages such as Isa 26:19; Ezek 37:1–10; Hos 6:2; Dan 12:2–3. Compare John 11:24; 1 Cor 15:52. The various Jewish sects in the first century ad had conflicting beliefs on the concept of resurrection (Matt 22:23; Acts 23:6–9).

5:31 testify See note on 1:7.

my testimony is not true In the legal sense of “true” as evidence for trial. One who testifies about himself needs supporting witnesses to validate his testimony. Biblical law requires two witnesses for testimony to be legally valid (Deut 17:6; 19:15).

5:32 another who testifies Refers to the testimony of God the Father (John 5:36–37). The initial appeal to John’s testimony is simply a segue to the greater divine testimony.

5:33 John The testimony of John the Baptist is recorded in 1:29–35.

5:35 the lamp which was burning and shining The metaphor indicates John’s ministry was a dim reflection of the true light (compare 1:6–9). The reference may also allude to Psa 132:17, where God says He is preparing “a lamp for my anointed.”

an hour John’s ministry was a temporary precursor to the salvation Jesus was bringing to the world.

5:36 works Refers to everything He says or does in public ministry. The signs Jesus has performed are only part of His earthly works that testify to His identity as Messiah and Son of God.

5:37 Father who sent me Compare John 3:2. All the miracles and teaching Jesus has done (His “works”) are also part of the Father’s witness since God the Father guided and empowered all of that activity. The Father’s witness also includes the revelation through Scripture (vv. 45–47).

heard his voice at any time The current generation of God’s people knew God only through the tradition and teaching of their ancestors, not their own experience. Compare Deut 4:12. At Sinai, Israel heard from God but accepted the revelation through Moses as intermediary (Exod 20:19).

5:38 in this one you do not believe The people are rejecting the testimony of God Himself by rejecting Jesus.

5:39 You search the scriptures Studying sacred texts was a central part of ancient Judaism. Jewish scribes meticulously copied the biblical text and developed detailed interpretations.

Jesus’ Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy Table

5:41 I do not accept glory from people Jesus is not seeking fame and honor from other people. His motivation was selfless, not self-seeking.

Doxa Word Study

5:43 in his own name Alludes to Israel’s tendency to accept false prophets who tell them what they want to hear (compare Jer 14:14; 29:25, 31).