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. |
5
5:1 A feast - Pentecost.
5:2 There is in Jerusalem - Hence it appears, that St. John wrote his Gospel before Jerusalem was destroyed: it is supposed about thirty years after the ascension. Having five porticos - Built for the use of the sick. Probably the basin had five sides!Bethesda signifies the house of mercy.
5:4 An angel - Yet many undoubtedly thought the whole thing to be purely natural. At certain times - Perhaps at a certain hour of the day, during this paschal week, went down - The Greek word implies that he had ceased going down, before the time of St. John's writing this. God might design this to raise expectation of the acceptable time approaching, to add a greater lustre to his Son's miracles, and to show that his ancient people were not entirely forgotten of him. The first - Whereas the Son of God healed every day not one only, but whole multitudes that resorted to him.
5:7 The sick man answered - Giving the reason why he was not made whole, notwithstanding his desire.
5:14 Sin no more - It seems his former illness was the effect or punishment of sin.
5:15 The man went and told the Jews, that it was Jesus who had made him whole - One might have expected, that when he had published the name of his benefactor, crowds would have thronged about Jesus, to have heard the words of his mouth, and to have received the blessings of the Gospel. Instead of this, they surround him with a hostile intent: they even conspire against his life, and for an imagined transgression in point of ceremony, would have put out this light of Israel. Let us not wonder then, if our good be evil spoken of: if even candour, benevolence, and usefulness, do not disarm the enmity of those who have been taught to prefer sacrifice to mercy; and who, disrelishing the genuine Gospel, naturally seek to slander and persecute the professors, but especially the defenders of it.
5:17 My Father worketh until now, and I work - From the creation till now he hath been working without intermission. I do likewise.This is the proposition which is explained Joh 5:19-30, confirmed and vindicated in Joh 5:31 and following verses.
5:18 His own Father - The Greek word means his own Father in such a sense as no creature can speak. Making himself equal with God - It is evident all the hearers so understood him, and that our Lord never contradicted, but confirmed it.
5:19 The Son can do nothing of himself - This is not his imperfection, but his glory, resulting from his eternal, intimate, indissoluble unity with the Father. Hence it is absolutely impossible, that the Son should judge, will, testify, or teach any thing without the Father, Joh 5:30, etc; Joh 6:38; Joh 7:16; or that he should be known or believed on, separately from the Father. And he here defends his doing good every day, without intermission, by the example of his Father, from which he cannot depart: these doth the Son likewise - All these, and only these; seeing he and the Father are one.
5:20 The Father showeth him all things that himself doth - A proof of the most intimate unity. And he will show him - By doing them.At the same time (not at different times) the Father showeth and doth, and the Son seeth and doth. Greater works - Jesus oftener terms them works, than signs or wonders, because they were not wonders in his eyes. Ye will marvel - So they did, when he raised Lazarus.
5:21 For - He declares which are those greater works, raising the dead, and judging the world. The power of quickening whom he will follows from the power of judging.These two, quickening and judging, are proposed Joh 5:21-22. The acquittal of believers, which presupposes judgment, is treated of Joh 5:24; the quickening some of the dead, Joh 5:25; and the general resurrection, Joh 5:28.
5:22 For neither doth the Father judge - Not without the Son: but he doth judge by that man whom he hath ordained, Act 17:31.
5:23 That all men may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father - Either willingly, and so escaping condemnation, by faith: or unwillingly, when feeling the wrath of the Judge. This demonstrates the EQUALITY of the Son with the Father. If our Lord were God only by office or investiture, and not in the unity of the Divine essence, and in all respects equal in Godhead with the Father, he could not be honoured even as, that is, with the same honour that they honoured the Father. He that honoureth not the Son - With the same equal honour, greatly dishonoureth the Father that sent him.
5:24 And cometh not into condemnation - Unless he make shipwreck of the faith.