John 5

a feast of the Jews: Jesus returned to Jerusalem for this celebration. Because of this, it was likely one of the three main pilgrimage festivals (special festivals when people traveled to Jerusalem).

In the Old Testament, God commanded Israel to celebrate three such festivals each year (see Exodus 23:14–17; Deuteronomy 16:16). These were the Feast of Unleavened Bread (also called Passover), the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Each of these festivals lasted about one week. During that time, many people gathered in Jerusalem to worship God.

This chapter is structured like a courtroom case (a legal trial). It begins with a description of the event that led to the conflict (5:1–15). This is followed by the decision of the Jewish leaders to take action against Jesus (5:16). Next comes a statement of the charges against him (5:18). The chapter then presents the defense given by Jesus, where he explains his authority and his relationship with the Father (5:17, 19–40).

In this section, Jesus attends several Jewish feasts and uses their imagery to reveal deeper truths about himself.

He appears at:

• a Sabbath feast (chapter 5),

• Passover (chapter 6),

• the Feast of Tabernacles (chapters 7–9), and

• the Feast of Dedication (also called Hanukkah; chapter 10).

In each case, Jesus himself replaces an important element in the ceremonies of the feast.

Greek copyists who had never been to Jerusalem had difficulty interpreting and spelling the name Bethesda, so there are several variants of this name in the manuscripts. The best choice is Beth-esda, which means “house of flowing.”

• The pool of Bethesda was a place for healing where many sick people gathered. They hoped God would cure them with a miracle.

• Some later manuscripts include an additional verse, John 5:4, which explains that an angel stirred the water. This verse is not included in the Berean Standard Bible because it does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of John. The added verse reflects an early tradition that helps explain why people gathered at the pool.

No organized care system existed to help this man. He had been sick for 38 years.

He likely could not keep himself clean. He probably could not move easily on his own. Most likely, he depended on begging from people who came to the pool (see 5:7). From a human point of view, his situation seemed hopeless.

• Jesus healed the sick man immediately and only asked him to obey. To prove that the man was healed, Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk.

• Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a weekly day of rest. The law of Moses said that no work should be done on that day (based on Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:8). Jewish tradition identified 39 types of work that were not allowed (Mishnah Shabbat 7:2). One rule said that a person could not carry an object, such as a sleeping mat, from one place to another (John 5:10).

  Jesus told the healed man to pick up his mat and walk. When the man obeyed Jesus, he broke this later Jewish tradition.

Who is this man who told you: The focus of the story now changes. It moves from the joy of a miracle to an accusation about breaking the Sabbath.

The religious leaders wanted to know who told the man to carry his mat. They asked for the name of the healer who had broken their tradition.

Stop sinning: Although Jesus healed this man physically, the man still needed to learn to obey the Lord. The man's next action (5:15) might indicate that he did not listen.

My Father is at His work, and I too am working: The Sabbath was a day of rest. People were not supposed to work.

However, Jewish teachers agreed that God still worked on the Sabbath. God gives life through birth. God also takes life in death. God’s work does not stop.

Jesus used this idea to explain his actions. He said that, like his Father, he was also working. By speaking this way, Jesus compared himself with God.

The Jewish leaders understood what he meant. They objected because they believed he was claiming a special right that belongs only to God.

Jesus claimed that his work on the Sabbath was the same as God’s work on the Sabbath. Jesus claimed to be equal with God, doing the things God does. Yet he submitted to God’s will, doing only what the Father wanted.

Most Jews firmly believed in resurrection but viewed it as something God alone could accomplish. Jesus claimed that he gives life.

In addition to giving life, Jesus claimed the absolute authority to judge, which belongs to God alone.

the Father who sent Him: In the ancient world, a person could send an authorized representative to seal a contract or make an authoritative decision. Jesus claimed to be God’s representative, so obeying Jesus is the same as obeying God, and dishonoring him is dishonoring God.

Jesus is the giver of life as well as the judge (see 5:21–22), but he never works independently of the Father.

God's law requires more than one witness in a trial (Deuteronomy 17:6). A single person’s word is not enough to prove a case.

Jesus recognized this principle. He said that his own testimony needed support from others.

So he presented several witnesses who confirmed who he was. These witnesses supported his claims and showed that his message was true.

The first witness who spoke in support of Jesus was God himself.

Jesus may have been thinking about the voice from heaven at his baptism, when God said that Jesus was his Son (Mark 1:11). He may also have meant the power of God that worked through him in his miracles.

In both ways, God gave testimony about who Jesus is.

The second witness of Jesus was John the Baptist. John pointed to Jesus and said that he is the Messiah (1:29–34).

The third witness of Jesus was his teachings and miracles. These were signs that revealed his true identity and indicated that the Father sent him.

The fourth witness of Jesus was the Scriptures. The Old Testament pointed to the Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled its prophecies (see Luke 24:25–27).

Jewish trials were meant to discover the truth. The goal was to decide whether the charges were true or false.

If people were falsely accused, they could show that they were innocent. He could also bring charges against those who had accused him. In this situation, Jesus did that.

Jesus said that the Jewish leaders did not have God’s love in them. They did not truly love God.

Because they did not love God, they could not understand what Jesus was doing. Without love for God, they were unable to recognize God’s work in him.

The Jewish leaders wanted honor and praise from one another. They cared about their reputation and status.

They loved religious activity, but they did not truly love God. Their actions did not match their claims. Because of this, God would judge them (5:45–46).

The fifth and final witness for Jesus was Moses, the central figure through whom God gave the law to Israel. Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus is compared with Moses, who gave the law, while Jesus brought grace and truth (1:17; see also 6:14–15). The Jewish leaders failed to accept the words of Moses, who spoke clearly about the coming Messiah, including the promise of a prophet like himself (for example, Deuteronomy 18:15).