1After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; 4for 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.] 5A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” 7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20“For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Interesting Words
multitude
pléthos – multitude, crowd, great number, assemblage, from pléthó (to be full) – Mark 3:7; Luke 2:13;
slipped away
ekneuó – escape, get clear of, deviate, withdraw, swimming away, only one use the the New Testament, here in John.
persecuting
diókó – put to flight, pursue, by implication to persecute, aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize), used positively (“earnestly pursue”) and negatively (“zealously persecute) – Matt 5:11-12; John 15:20; Phil 3:6, 12, 13-14 (press on = persecute).
working
ergazomai – search, examine, work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor, [middle voice – implying something I am doing to/with myself] – John 3:21, 9:4; Matt 25:16;
equal
isos – equal, equivalent, identical, equality; having the same (similar) level or value; equivalent, equal in substance or quality (J. Thayer) – Matt 20:11-12; Luke 6:34; Phil 2:6-7, 8;
do
poieó – make, manufacture, construct, do, act, cause, to labor, to do work – Heb 13:20, 21;
Cross References
▪︎ We are God’s creation, God’s workmanship – 2Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10;
▪︎ Jesus did exactly what the Father commanded – John 14:31;
▪︎ Jesus said exactly what the Father told Him to say – John 12:49-50;
Discussion Questions
1. What do you make of the events around the pool of Bethesda?
▪︎ A lot of people needed healing.
▪︎ The sick man was sick for 38 years, a long time.
▪︎ Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, showing that some want to stay in their predicament (e.g. sick, homeless, etc.)
▪︎ It was crowded enough for Jesus to get Lost in the shuffle after the healing.
▪︎ The man healed was apparently so caught up in the Jewish culture and religion that he turned in Jesus to the Pharisees, thinking Jesus, the man that healed him should be corrected by them.
2. Why did Jesus slip away after healing the lame man (John 5:13), and then finds him in the Temple?
▪︎ He may have wanted to control how and when the healing would be revealed to the Pharisees.
▪︎ He may have wanted to see how the sick man would respond after healing.
▪︎ The man may have felt set up by Jesus telling him to pick up his pallet and walk, followed immediately by the confrontation with the Pharisees.
▪︎ Jesus may have felt the timing or setting was not quite right.
▪︎ Jesus may wanted a quiet setting to discuss is sin issue with the man.
3. Analyze the response Jesus gave to the Pharisees in John 5:17 and compare it to John 5:19.
a. Who was actually doing the work?
▪︎ God and Jesus were both working
▪︎ Jesus’ action was supposedly worthy of death – Pharisees
▪︎ Therefore (in reference to the above) Jesus fought against them in a coordinated effort with God the Father in the lead.
▪︎ God and Jesus worked together as a team
b. How does this apply to us?
▪︎ We, like the Son of Man, Jesus, can do nothing from ourselves – John 15:4-5
▪︎ It all has to come from God.
▪︎ We need to abide in Him and foster growth in that relationship and to be able to follow His lead
▪︎ We need to be radar locked on God (see more on this).
c. Why did the Pharisee respond the way they did (John 5:18)?
▪︎ Originally, they may have been justified to question Jesus’ claims.
▪︎ However, over time and with the overwhelming evidence of God’s hand working, it became evident they were more interested in self preservation than finding and leading the children of Israel to their Messiah.
▪︎ They did not want to threaten the financial band wagon that they were currently enjoying.
4. What else do you learn about the relationship between the Father and the Son in the last section?
a. Again, what does this imply about our relationship with the Father?
▪︎ They were equal before the incarnation, but as a man Jesus was subservient to God’s leading. Phil 2:6,7… self imposed subservient.
▪︎ They were still both working, both equally active, but God the Father was in the lead
▪︎ You can’t be in a relationship with the Father without honoring the Son.
b. Why do you think Jesus brought up the fact that God raises the dead, gives life and judgement?
▪︎ I am not sure the Pharisees knew how serious this situation really was.
▪︎ Jesus reminds them that God holds the power of life and death, eternal life and death.
▪︎ And announces His own power to give life to anyone.
▪︎ Then Jesus makes the bombshell announcement that God has given their judgement into His Own hands.
▪︎ Secondarily, Jesus makes the statement that God has given all honor to Him, to be shared equally with the other members of the Trinity
▪︎ John 5:24 is the summary statement of Jesus’ critical role in the lives of every human being, including the Pharisees right there with Him.
▪︎ Jesus is the one who gives us light and life, removing the darkness of our hearts and cancels our sentence to judgement and death. If the Pharisees knew that gentiles would have a higher place in the Kingdom than they, they would be furious… but they didn’t know, they were blind. (2Cor 4:6-7)
5. If potential energy is defined as the ability or capacity to do work, how would you describe what the Holy Spirit brings to every believer when they are transformed into a new creature (II Cor 5:17)?
▪︎ We are called to a profound ministry in which God leads us and we follow by faith (2Cor 5:7), using the example Jesus left us.
▪︎ The Holy Spirit is actually bigger than that of capacity. He is the divine actor.
▪︎ We not only have the capacity, but God has called us to this ministry. It is basically a command.
▪︎ We have access to extreme power that is controlled by the God of the universe. We do not have command and control but have the right to interceed for ourselves and others to Him (Heb 4:16)
▪︎ This is similar to our call to fill up the sufferings of Christ, not suffering for sin like Jesus did, but suffering as a part of God’s drawing people to Himself (Col 1:24)
▪︎ We can multiply our ministry by drawing people to Christ thru our testimony (1Peter 3:15)
▪︎ Multiply our lives in the lives of others (2Tim 2:2)