JOHN CHAPTER 5

This is the key chapter in John. This chapter holds the strongest arguments for the deity of Christ.

Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda

The pool of Bethesda

1) Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2) Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3) Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 4) For an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
 

We don't know what feast this was, but it was probably one of the major three feasts in which attendance was required.

This pool has been excavated in the area just north of the temple mount, and found to have five porches, just as John says.

“Feast”: Some manuscripts say “the Feast,” so commentators believe it was Passover. Some scholars believe it was the Feast of Pentecost. (There were three required feasts, Deuteronomy 16:16.)

Bethesda: “House of Mercy.” The sheep gate mentioned here was probably the Sheep Gate of Nehemiah 3:1 (there are 10 gates; the last is called “judgment”). The Bethesda pool was a large rectangular pool for cleaning animals; about 2-3 ft deep and about 20 - 30 ft. across.

“Five porches or colonades”: Five is the number of grace or mercy. Benjamin’s “mess” (food) is five times as much as the others (Genesis 43:34); he also received five pieces of raiment (Gen 45:22). Multiples of five occur in the tabernacle; Jesus gives five loaves to the hungry; the fifth clause in the Lord’s Prayer is for the “daily bread,” etc.

“For an angel...and troubled the water”: There is no evidence of an angel ever being involved in miraculous healing. “The whole world lieth in the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).

There were usually about 300 people lying around the pool; probably around 2000 at feast time.

We don't know if the promise of healing was real (God perhaps honoring a release of faith) or if it was merely a hopeful legend.

Jesus asks a question of a lame man

5) One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6) When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

His question may seem rhetorical, but Jesus knew that not every sick person wants to be healed, and that some are so discouraged as to put away all hope.

One commentator points out: "An eastern beggar often loses a good living by being cured of his disease".

The man's reply; Jesus heals him

7) "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." 8) Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9) At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, Calvin speaks well of his response: "The sick man does what we nearly all do. He limits God's help to his own ideas and does not dare promise himself more that he conceives in his mind".

In this miracle, Jesus does it all. In this case, He could not say your faith has made you whole (Matthew 9:22).

An allegorical bent on the story (for mere consideration): The man represents Israel; the five porches represent the law; 38 years are wilderness wanderings; waters are baptism.

In early Christian art, a man emerging from baptism was often shown carrying a bed on his back.

The Sabbath controversy

The Jews ignore the miracle and take offense

10) and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."

11) But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.' "

12) So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"

13) The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

Remember that John uses the Jews in the sense of the Jewish leaders, not every Jew in Jerusalem.

Carrying a bed (actually a sleeping mat or bed-roll) was in fact a violation of the rabbinic interpretation of the commandment against doing work or business on the Sabbath.

Jesus warns the healed man of a greater danger

14) Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." 15) The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Jesus found him because He was concerned for his spiritual health, not just his physical health.

We might deride this man as a notorious tattle-tale, but his violation of the Sabbath tradition could be punished by death.

Jesus defends His Sabbath actions

16) So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17) Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18) For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

The anger and hatred of the Jews is hard to explain, apart from seeing that it has a real spiritual root.

In our terminology, Jesus would say: "My Father works on the Sabbath, and so do I". Aren't we glad that God doesn't take holidays?

This bold claim to Deity was not missed by His enemies.  Augustine says well: "Behold, the Jews understand what the Arians (or Jehovah's Witnesses) do not understand".

Jesus explains His relationship to the Father

The language used by Jesus here is very Rabbinic, so it may sound strange in our ears.

The works of the Son

19) Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21) For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22) Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23) that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

The Son does nothing independently; He is fully submitted to the Father's will - by choice, not by coercion.

The Son has the same power as the Father - even to raise the dead.

The Son even has the right of judgment - a prerogative of God only.

The result: all should honor Jesus just as they honor the Father; this shows if one really does honor the Father.  A.T. Robertson: "Jesus claims the same right to worship from men that the Father has". There are many groups that pretend to honor God; but they dishonor Jesus, who is the perfect revelation of God.

The relationship is not one of master and slave, nor of employer and employee, but of Father and Son, united by love.

Jesus: power in submission

24) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25) I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26) For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27) And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28) "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29) and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30) By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

These are either the babblings of an insane man or the words of God Himself! There is no neutral ground to be found here.

None of us has life inherent in ourselves; our life is derived from our parents. Jesus claims that His life is derived from no one; it is inherent and uncreated - a claim of deity due to God alone.

Jesus is qualified as a completely righteous judge, because His power is in submission.

Resurrection of condemnation - what a chilling thought!

Jesus' explanation shows that He did not claim identity with the Father as one person, but asserted His equality and relationship of love with the Father.

In this, He counters both Sabellianism ("Jesus Only") and Arianism ("Jesus is not God").

31) "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32) There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.

33) "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34) Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35) John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36) "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.

Validation from the Father: `My validation comes not from Myself. John the Baptist told you I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). If that's not good enough for you, look at the works I'm doing, the miracles happening. Yet even they aren't the issue, for ultimately the validation for what I do, comes from the Father Himself . . .'

 37) And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38) nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.

The Father validated the Son when He said, `This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased,' (Matthew 3:17). And that's the key. Jesus' validation came not from John the Baptist, nor even from His own works. It came directly from the Father. Is your validation coming from your own accomplishments, or from others patting you on the back? It'll never be enough. You'll always be one pat shy of satisfaction. Validation for your life will not come from someone pointing out how good you are. Nor will it come from your own achievements. True validation comes when you hear the voice of the Father in your heart, saying, `Well done, good and faithful servant.' That's the only validation which brings security, satisfaction, and stability. That's the only validation which will make your life attractive, fruitful, and effective.

39) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40) yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41) "I do not accept praise from men, 42) but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43) I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

`You study the Scripture doctrinally,' Jesus said, `but you've missed the point entirely because you've missed Me. You have big heads — but you lack burning hearts,' (Luke 24:32).

Here Jesus is referring to the peace-maker, the Middle East problem-solver, the anti-Christ who will come in his own name and who will be embraced by the world.

 44) How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

Concern about the Father: Jesus cared only about the honor which came from the Father — not from men. That's why He was free to fulfill the Father's will. Solomon was right: The fear of man will trip you up, but the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 29:25, 9:10). Jesus could say, `Father, I've finished the work You gave Me to do, and I've glorified You,' (John 17:4) because He sought honor from God rather than man.

45) "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46) If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

Silence before the Father. To those who were out to kill Him, Jesus said, `All of the sacrifices and prophecies Moses wrote of in the Pentateuch were about Me. Therefore, I don't need to accuse you before the Father. There is no need for Me to tattle; I don't need to whine. The Word has condemned you already. Moses nailed you totally.'

47) But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

I want to leave you with a simple experiment: Go through the next twenty-four hours saying, `I want to be a reflection of the Father in every conversation, in every encounter. I'm going to depend on the Father, making no decisions without prayer. My security is in the Father. I'm going to believe He loves me because He proved it on Calvary. I'm going to be in harmony with the Father, just doing what I see Him doing. I will be submitted to the Father, doing nothing on the basis of my own will. My validation will come only from the Father. I won't be fishing for compliments, or looking for approval from men. My only concern will be about the Father — not what the world says about me, not what my friends think of me, but only how the Father sees me. I will be silent before the Father, resting in the sufficiency and potency of His Word.’

Fellow adventurers on this spiritual pilgrimage, you who will try this will find tomorrow to be the most successful, wonderful, powerful, fruitful day of your life. My prayer is that some of us might make such a discovery and be set free from agendas, vision, and even ministry — to live for the Father, and for Him only.