Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

5:1–10:42 In this section Jesus appears at a series of Jewish festivals and uses their imagery to reveal more profound truths about himself. He appears at a Sabbath (ch 5), Passover (ch 6), the Festival of Shelters (chs 7–9), and Hanukkah (ch 10). In each case, Jesus himself replaces some vital element in the ceremonies of the festival.

5:1-40 This chapter reads like a courtroom drama, with a description of the crime (5:1-15), followed by a decision to prosecute (5:16), a description of the charges (5:18), and Jesus’ defense (5:17, 19-40).

5:1 one of the Jewish holy days: Because Jesus returned to Jerusalem for the celebration, it was probably one of the three pilgrimage festivals of Judaism (see Exod 23:14-17; Deut 16:16). These festivals lasted one week.

Verse 2

5:2 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 (“house of flowing”).

Verse 3

5:3 The pool of Bethesda had become a healing sanctuary for crowds of sick people who believed miraculous cures were possible. • Most scholars believe that the variant reading in the NLT textual note was not part of John’s original text, but it represents an ancient tradition that provided helpful background information.

Verse 5

5:5 No social program helped this man, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Hygiene and mobility were impossible, and he likely begged for a living from people who came to use the pool (see 5:7). His situation seemed hopeless.

Verse 8

5:8-9 Jesus healed the sick man instantly, only asking for his obedience. As proof of healing, Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk. • Jesus worked this miracle on the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest on which all work was prohibited (based on Gen 2:2; Exod 20:8). Jewish tradition outlined thirty-nine categories of work that were not allowed (Mishnah Shabbat 7:2). Carrying something such as a sleeping mat from one place to another was banned (John 5:10). Therefore, the healed man broke the tradition by obeying Jesus’ command.

Verse 12

5:12 Who said such a thing? The plot ominously turns from miraculous wonder to Sabbath crime, precipitating a request for the identity of the healer who breached tradition.

Verse 14

5:14 stop sinning: Though the man had been healed physically, he still needed to learn obedience to the Lord. The man’s next action (5:15) might indicate that he didn’t listen.

Verse 17

5:17 My Father is always working, and so am I: Although work was prohibited on the Sabbath, even rabbis agreed that God worked on the Sabbath in giving life (births) and in taking life (deaths). The heart of Jesus’ defense was to compare himself to God; the Jewish leaders objected to this claim of divine privilege.

Verse 19

5:19-30 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 willed.

Verse 21

5:21 Most Jews firmly believed in resurrection but viewed it as something God alone could accomplish. Jesus claimed that he gives life.

Verse 22

5:22 In addition to giving life, Jesus claimed the absolute authority to judge, which belongs to God alone.

Verse 23

5:23 the Father . . . 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.

Verse 24

5:24 Jesus is the giver of life as well as the judge (see 5:21-22), but he never works independently of the Father.

Verse 31

5:31-40 God’s law requires more than one witness in a trial (Deut 17:6), so Jesus acknowledged that his own testimony was admissible only when confirmed by other witnesses. Thus, he introduced a series of witnesses for his defense.

Verse 32

5:32 The first witness for Jesus’ defense was God himself. Jesus might have had in mind God’s voice at his baptism (Mark 1:11) or the presence of God that enabled Jesus to perform miracles.

Verse 33

5:33-35 Jesus’ second witness was John the Baptist, who pointed to Jesus as Messiah (1:29-34).

Verse 36

5:36 Jesus’ third witness, his teachings and miracles, were signs that unveiled his true identity and pointed to the Father who sent him.

Verse 39

5:39-40 Jesus’ fourth witness was the Scriptures. The Old Testament pointed to the Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled its prophecies (see Luke 24:25-27).

Verse 41

5:41-47 Jewish trials sought to discover the truth. Falsely accused defendants could not only prove their innocence but also prosecute their accusers, which Jesus did here.

Verse 42

5:42 Jesus charged that the Jewish leaders did not have God’s love within them. Without God’s love, it was impossible for them to understand the things he was doing.

Verse 44

5:44 The Jewish leaders pursued honor and prestige from each other. They loved religious life, but they had forgotten to love God. This hypocrisy made them liable to judgment (5:45-46).

Verse 45

5:45-46 Jesus’ fifth and final witness was Moses, the founding father of Judaism. John had already compared Jesus with Moses (1:17; see also 6:14-15). The Jewish leaders were ignoring Moses’ clear words about the Messiah (e.g., Deut 18:15).