John 5

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts.

Later on there was a Jewish feast (festival), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. In the Aramaic language it is called Bethesda. It is surrounded by five rows of columns with a roof over them.

Now in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there is a ^[a]pool, which is called in Hebrew (Jewish Aramaic) Bethesda, having five porticoes (alcoves, colonnades).

Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. Among them were those who were blind, those who could not walk, and those who could hardly move.

In these porticoes lay a great number of people who were sick, blind, lame, withered, ^[b][waiting for the stirring of the water;

for an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at appointed seasons and stirred up the water; the first one to go in after the water was stirred was healed of his disease.]

One person was there who had not been able to walk for 38 years.

There was a certain man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the disabled man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs up the water. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me.”

The invalid answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am coming [to get into it myself], someone else steps down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Jesus said to him, “Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.”

The man was healed right away. He picked up his mat and walked.

This happened on a Sabbath day.

Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength, and ^[c]picked up his pallet and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.

So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath day. The law does not allow you to carry your mat.”

So the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not ^[d]permitted to pick up your pallet [because it is unlawful].”

But he replied, “The one who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

He answered them, “The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength was the One who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’”

They asked him, “Who is this fellow? Who told you to pick it up and walk?”

They asked him, “Who is the Man who told you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”

The one who was healed had no idea who it was. Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away [unnoticed] since there was a crowd in that place.

Later Jesus found him at the temple. Jesus said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

The man went away. He told the Jewish leaders it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath day. So the Jewish leaders began to oppose him.

For this reason the Jews began to persecute Jesus continually because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

Jesus defended himself. He said to them, “My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this day. I am working too.”

But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now [He has never ceased working], and I too am working.”

Jesus’ Equality with God

For this reason the Jewish leaders tried even harder to kill him. According to them, Jesus was not only breaking the law of the Sabbath day. He was even calling God his own Father. He was making himself equal with God.

This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him, for not only was He breaking the Sabbath [from their viewpoint], but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. The Son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees his Father doing. What the Father does, the Son also does.

So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son ^[e]can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.

This is because the Father loves the Son. The Father shows him everything he does. Yes, and the Father will show the Son even greater works than these. And you will be amazed.

For the Father dearly loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be filled with wonder.

The Father raises the dead and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to anyone he wants to.

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [and allows them to live on], even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

Also, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given the Son the task of judging.

For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands],

Then all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him.

“What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. They will not be judged. They have crossed over from death to life.

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life [that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed], and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed [over] from death into life.

Two Resurrections

What I’m about to tell you is true. A time is coming for me to give life. In fact, it has already begun. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear it will live.

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a time is coming and is [here] now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live.

The Father has life in himself. He has allowed the Son also to have life in himself.

For just as the Father has life in Himself [and is self-existent], even so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself [and be self-existent].

And the Father has given him the authority to judge. This is because he is the Son of Man.

And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a Son of Man [sinless humanity, qualifying Him to sit in judgment over mankind].

“Do not be amazed at this. A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice.

Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

They will all come out of their graves. People who have done what is good will rise and live again. People who have done what is evil will rise and be found guilty.

and they will come out—those who did good things [will come out] to a resurrection of [new] life, but those who did evil things [will come out] to a resurrection of judgment [that is, to be sentenced].

I can do nothing by myself. I judge only as I hear. And my judging is fair. I do not try to please myself. I try to please the one who sent me.

Being a Witness About Jesus

“I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.

“If I am a witness about myself, what I say is not true.

“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not ^[f]valid.

There is someone else who is a witness in my favor. And I know that what he says about me is true.

There is another [My Father] who testifies about Me, and I know [without any doubt] that His testimony on My behalf is true and valid.

Testimony of John

“You have sent people to John the Baptist. He has been a witness to the truth.

You have sent [an inquiry] to ^[g]John [the Baptist] and he has testified [as an eyewitness] to the truth.

I do not accept what a person says. I only talk about what John says so that you can be saved.

But the testimony I receive is not from man [a merely human witness]; but I say these things so that you may be saved [that is, have eternal life].

John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. For a while you chose to enjoy his light.

John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to rejoice in his light.

Testimony of Works

“What I say about myself is more important than what John says about me. I am doing the works the Father gave me to finish. These works are a witness that the Father has sent me.

But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works [that is, the miracles and proofs of My deity] that I am [now] doing—testify about Me, [by providing evidence] that the Father has sent Me.

Testimony of the Father

The Father who sent me is himself a witness about me. You have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he really looks like.

And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form [His majesty and greatness—what He is like].

And his word does not live in you. That’s because you do not believe the one he sent.

You do not have His word (Scripture) abiding in you [actually living in your hearts and minds], because you do not believe in Him whom He has sent.

Testimony of the Scripture

You study the Scriptures carefully. You study them because you think they will give you eternal life. The Scriptures you study are a witness about me.

^[h]You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me;

But you refuse to come to me and receive life.

and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

“I do not accept praise from human beings.

I do not receive glory and approval from men;

But I know you. I know that you do not have love for God in your hearts.

but I know you and recognize that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

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.

I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [because your minds are closed]; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter.

You accept praise from one another. But you do not seek the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe?

How can you believe [in Me], when you [seek and] receive glory and approval from one another, and yet you do not seek the glory and approval which comes from the one and only God?

“Do not think I will bring charges against you in front of the Father. Moses is the one who does that. And he is the one you build your hopes on.

Do not think that I [am the One who] will accuse you before the Father. There [already] is one who accuses you: Moses, [the very one] in whom you have placed your hope [for salvation].

Do you believe Moses? Then you should believe me. He wrote about me.

For if you believed and relied on [the Scriptures written by] Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me [personally].

But you do not believe what he wrote. So how are you going to believe what I say?”

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”