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John Segment 7

All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Before beginning this study, I suggest you pray and ask God to guide you through this study. I also suggest that you do you own study of this material in order to ensure its accuracy.
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This was probably Pentecost, because they had recently been to Jerusalem for the Passover, but not all agree with that. Some say it was Purim, some Pentecost, others Passover and yet others say it is some other feast. In 4:35, Jesus suggested that the harvest was in four months. Pentecost is the harvest festival, and this verse simply states "after this", which is an indefinite time and could mean that four months had indeed passed. Pentecost, then, seems correct. They "went up" to Jerusalem for feasts. Jerusalem was up for two reasons. One it was on a mountain (Zion) and two, it was spiritually uplifting to go to a feast at Jerusalem and they were going "up" to worship God.

The sheep market is really the sheep gate, which was located at the northeastern part of the city. Note that the word "market" is in Italics. That indicates it is not in the original text. The translators added it for clarity, but the word market is not exact. The Greek here is probatike, from probatikos (4264), meaning a gate through which sheep walk. It could refer to a sheep market. But Bethesda lies just north of the Temple mount near the sheep gate. This was the gate the sacrificial sheep were led through into the Temple area:

Bethesda means house of mercy. It is from the Hebrew words beth (house) and chesed (mercy). It was a pool (or bath) with a bathhouse and the house had five entries into the pool. The five porches or colonnades allowed five entry points into the water. It was quite elaborate as the current ruins indicate. It is said that the pool was the healing baths of Serapis, like Aesclepius, the god of healing. It is known that a Serapis cult was located at or near Bethesda. Some say the cult worshipped in caves nearby and others claim the pool of Bethesda itself was the home of the cult. Hadrian established the baths at Bethesda. The Roman baths at Bath, England were also used in the worship of Aesclepius. There is no doubt that the Romans were pagans and it seems fairly positive that Aesclepius or Serapis was worshipped at Bethesda. The baths at Bath, England, are colonnaded and may give one the idea of the way the bathhouse at Bethesda looked. Pictures of the baths can be seen at the Official City of Bath website (http://www.cityofbath.co.uk).

Verse 4 is parenthetical (that is, enclosed in parentheses) in other Bible versions. They usually footnote it and tell us that it is not included in all ancient manuscripts. What they mean is that it does not appear in the western texts, and are missing from some of the more obscure texts (like D) and therefore Westcott and Hort did not include it in The Greek New Testament. So what? The western texts are not the most reliable texts (though they are the best preserved) and Westcott and Hort (the authors of The Greek New Testament) are suspect because of their biases against conservative Christianity⁽¹⁾. Stick with the King James, which is based on the reliable Textus Receptus, the eastern (Byzantine) or majority texts.

It is probable that the story of an angel moving the water was based on the mythology of Serapis. It is troubling that the people who frequented this place were dependent on an angel for their healing, when the Bible plainly states that God is our healer. And it is superstitious to believe that one must enter a pool of water in order for God to heal them. This whole idea of moving waters having healing powers is idolatrous. The story in the Bible is what the people at the pool believed, and not what was necessarily true.

As for the waters moving, there were probably natural phenomena involved. Consider the geyser in Yellowstone Park called Old Faithful. It regularly erupts. The period between eruptions changes at times for various reasons, but for the most part the eruptions occur at regular intervals. Perhaps this troubling of the waters of this pool were caused by similar phenomena as the geyser in Yellowstone. In fact, there are pools today in Palestine that have regular movements of their waters. These movements are caused by intermittent springs. A place called the Virgin's Fount in Jerusalem has an intermittent spring that is active today. In fact, it is possible that the Virgin's Fount is actually the pool of Bethesda. It is said to have curative powers and is visited today for that purpose. Note that there are many springs and waters in the world today said to possess curative powers. There is even some science behind the myth. Sulfur springs may have some medicinal effect. Another Example is the red or pink (iron-rich) waters at Glastonbury, UK, which are said to have medicinal properties.

Those people may have had enough faith in their superstition for it to seem to heal diseases. The mind has much control over the body. My feeling is that this was just like the healing services we see today and TV. Many of those who have received healing at one of these services are not really healed at all. Many have relapses. Many of them are there for the notoriety. And there are certainly some shills who have been supposedly healed. There was most likely a charge for access to these porches around the pool (though some say there was no charge) and it would be to the advantage of the owner of these porches to keep the myth alive. In fact, it may have been advantageous for the owner to have someone to "trouble the waters" at a remote location out of sight of the bathers. A cynic might even suggest that the owner paid shills to go into the waters and be miraculously healed.

John 5:5-6 "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?"

Here was a man who was definitely ill. He had been ill for a long time and the people there would have known it and acceded to the fact that he indeed had an infirmity. We know from proceeding verses that his infirmity prevented him from moving about on his own. He needed help to move. Jesus, who was aware of the length of his illness asked him a question for which there was no answer but an affirmative one. If you were sick and the doctors could not heal you, wouldn't you say yes if someone asked you if you wanted to be healed?

Having been ill for so many years, this man probably could not work and was very poor. He had no helper because he could not afford to pay anyone to be a servant or nurse. Because he had no help, he did not make it into the water when it was moving. Since the movement likely had no real curative power, the man probably would not have been cured anyway. But he truly believed that the waters would cure him. There is no way of knowing how many times the man had been at the pool wistfully watching those stronger than he stepping into the pool and being healed. It was probably a situation without hope for the man. It is probable that the man hoped that Jesus would assist him into the pool for healing. But Jesus had much better things in mind for the man.

John 5:8-9 "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."

When Jesus speaks, there is power in His speech. After all, He is the Divine Word, and He will defeat the armies of Satan with the sword of His mouth. The man was immediately healed. Et Voilà! (That's that!) No delay. Upon our belief in the Savior we too are immediately healed. Though our infirmities may not be healed, our sins are forgiven and we are healed of our iniquities.

But there was a problem. This healing happened on the Sabbath.

There is no rest for the faithful. It is ironic that the maker of the Sabbath told this man to carry his bedding, but the religious literati (known here simply as "the Jews") were opposed. These Jews were not the rank and file Jews, but the religious leaders. What is it better to do, follow the traditions of men or the commandments of God? It was not that Jesus practiced mercy in the House of Mercy on the Sabbath. It was that those clerisy were threatened by Jesus' power. They were in fear of loosing their own power and prestige.

John 5:11-13 "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."

The man was not worried about it being the Sabbath. All he knew is that he had been healed and the Man that healed him told him to carry his bed. He had no idea that the Man was Jesus. But he figured that any Man who could heal him instantly had the authority to tell him to carry his bed on the Sabbath.

John 5:14 "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."

It was a feast day so Jesus went to the Temple and found the man there. The man evidently went to the temple to make an offering of thanksgiving for his being healed. Jesus is not telling the man that his illness was caused by sin. Jesus told him that if he continued in his sin, then he would suffer far more than a simple human illness, he would suffer eternal death. All men sin, both firm and infirm. The miracle helped the man to know who Jesus was and to believe on Him. Since the man most likely now knew that Jesus was the Christ, he should believe on Him and sin no more.

Of course doing these things on the Sabbath was just an excuse. They did not want Jesus to rock their religious boat. They were happy in their traditions and didn't want to hear truth. If Jesus came in to one of our churches and told them one of their cherished traditions was not correct, what would they do? Probably ask Him to leave.

John 5:17 "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

In other words, "My Father has always worked and is working even on the Sabbath therefore I work."

What is the definition of blasphemy? Well the major definition is to show contempt for God. But another definition is to claim the attributes of God. Making Himself equal with God was claiming the attributes of God and that was blasphemy to the religious leaders. Rush Limbaugh says, "It isn't bragging if you can do it!" Well Jesus is God and therefore He did not commit blasphemy.

Jesus now begins a narrative about His relationship with God the Father.

John 5:19 "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."

The double use of a positive word adds emphasis. Jesus said "Amen, amen (truly, truly) I say to you…" He wanted to convey that He was giving the absolute truth. Truly since He is One with the Father, He must do what the Father does.

John 5:20 "For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."

The next two verses tell of these greater works. The first is raising the dead. The Father has given the Son the authority to raised the dead. The Son has the authority to raise whom He will. If a manager delegates his authority to a subordinate, to buy and sell for the company, then the subordinate may expend funds for the company at his discretion. The Father gave the Son the authority to quicken whom He will and the Son has all authority in this matter. See Matthew 28:18 and John 3:35.

John 5:21 "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."

Just like the Father, the Son gives life to all who will come to Him. To quicken meant to bring to life. Quick is an Old English word meaning life. In Modern English it means fast, but not here in the KJV. Here it means alive. In fact, He raised a ruler's daughter (Mark 5:35-42), a widow's son (Luke 7:11-15), and Lazarus (John 11:14-44). But in the coming age, He will raise all of His own, that is, all Christians.

John 5:22 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

Is this statement a contradiction to the Bible? No. God is the righteous Judge. His judgment is holy and just. When the Son is given the authority to judge, it is still God doing the judging for the Son is God. This righteous judgment is written about in Revelation 20:11-15: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. {12} And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. {14} And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

John 5:23 "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."

 The Son has been given the authority to judge so that the Son will be honored. If you honor the Son then you are honoring the Father. The word for honor comes from a word meaning valuable. When we honor the Lord, we prize Him as something valuable. The implication of honoring is reverence and awe, thanksgiving and praise; in other words, worship of Him. If we are to honor the Son even as we honor the Father, then the Son must share the attributes of the Father; the Son and the Father must be one, and They are (John 1:1, 17:20, & several others).

John 5:24 "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."

This is not past tense. It has already happened. This is not some future event, for those who believe in Christ already have passed from death unto life. This is a true statement. The double positive (verily, verily) tells us that it is the truth with no dispute. If you believe in Jesus you already have eternal life. From this point onward, you will live forever!

The converse is also true. If you do not hear the word of Jesus and do not believe on Him that sent Jesus, then you are the walking dead. For as surely as you leave your mortal body, you will be forever condemned to hell fire. There is no life in you, just this short, unfulfilling mortal life. After that judgment and eternal separation from God in a very uncomfortable place.

The phrase, "passed from death into life" can be literally rendered "has changed from the country or abode of death to the country or abode of life". In other words, belief in Christ makes our home not in this world. We have changed to a better country, that of eternal life. Our inheritance is the true Promised Land. Soon we will all cross over Jordan to our heavenly home. Death is symbolized by crossing over Jordan and Heaven is symbolized by the Promised Land. Christian, Christiana, Faithful, and all those saved crossed the river in my favorite of all stories, Pilgrim's Progress. Here is an excerpt:

If you have not read John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, you need to. I heartily recommend it to all. It is available on-line and for free. Simply use a search engine to find it. Christians Unite offers it for free.

John 5:25 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."

Jesus is not speaking of a future resurrection of the Dead. He is speaking of the spread of the Gospel. Who are the dead? Those who do not believe in the Son: "but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17) The hour for those who did not know the Son of God was at hand when Jesus walked the earth. This is not a statement of the resurrection of the dead, but a statement that those who were not saved were now given the opportunity to be saved. That opportunity is still available today, around 2000 years later. That opportunity exists until the end of this world age.

John 5:26-27 "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; {27} And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

Again, the Father has given the Son the authority not only to judge, but to execute (put into force) that judgment. When Jesus judges a person guilty, there is no other recourse. He is the highest court possible. When he judges a person innocent, that judgment is also final.

All life comes from God, who IS life. The Son also IS life. There is no life apart from God. We get our life from God. Without Him there would be no life. Life comes from God. Period. We breathe every breath at His pleasure.

Why did Jesus use the term, "Son of Man"? God called Ezekiel "son of man", and not THE Son of man. Ezekiel was never called "the son of man", only "son of man." Just as adam means man, and Adam means the man, Jesus is not a son of man, which we all are, but he is the Son of man. Just as there was only one Adam in the Garden, so there is only one Son of man that is the only begotten of God, and that man is Jesus, the God-Man. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a woman. He was both God and man, but he was the only God-Man, and hence the title THE Son of man. Ezekiel was a son of man; Jesus is the Son of man. For more information on this subject, please refer to The Companion Bible, Appendix 98. (This appendix is available on-line at The Rain)

John 5:28-29 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, {29} And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

There is a two-fold fulfillment of this prophecy. When Jesus died on the cross, at the time of His death, " the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matthew 27:52-53) The phrase "in the graves" is a figure of speech. It simply meant the dead. Many people get the doctrine of the bodily (that is the flesh body) resurrection of the dead from statements like this. We know from the Bible that when a person dies, his spirit goes directly into the presence of the Lord and his body goes back to the dust from whence it came (Ecc. 12:6-7, 2 Cor 5:6-8). So, if the body returns to dust, what is this bodily resurrection?

In order for us to enter into the eternity, we must shed this mortal body for an immortal one: 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. {54} So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." So, at the resurrection of the dead, all of those who are resurrected will be resurrected in incorruptible, immortal bodies that do not decay. Those saints who came out of the graves in Jerusalem at the death of Christ, were in incorruptible, immortal bodies. They may have actually come out of their tombs for effect, but they did not have their mortal bodies. I don't believe they literally arose from their graves but that it is a figure of speech meaning many of the dead arose.

So when you hear a so called preacher telling you that God will gather up all the molecules of the bodies of the dead and bring them back together to form the body of that dead person, he is dead wrong. It is not so. The Bible does not support such a thing. A mortal body cannot be resurrected. Only an immortal, incorruptible body can be raised from the dead.

The second fulfillment will occur when the dead are resurrected at the end of the age. Some will be raised to eternal life, others to eternal damnation. They whose names are written in the Book of Life will live eternally with Christ. They whose names are not in the Book of Life will suffer the Lake of Fire.

John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

All judgment is of God and therefore is just.

John 5:31 "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."

A thing is only proved true is there are two or more witnesses. (Deut 17:6 and Mat 18:16) Jesus Himself is only one witness.

John 5:32-35 "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. {33} Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. {34} But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. {35} He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light."

 John was a witness, but there is an even greater witness:

John 5:36 "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me."

 Jesus' miracles were one witness of Him.

John 5:37-39 "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. {38} And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. {39} Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

The Father is the other witness and even though we have not seen Him in bodily form, we have His Word. The Scriptures bear witness that Jesus is the Christ.

So we have four witnesses that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is His own witness. His miracles are another witness, John the Baptist is yet another, God the Father bears witness of Jesus through His Word. This would stand up in court. A man can take the witness stand and witness for himself, he may have others witness for him, his actions may be a witness for or against him, and sworn testimony is also a witness allowable in a court of law. Jesus witnessed for Himself, John the Baptist (others) witnessed for Him, His miracles (actions) were a witness, and the Scripture (sworn testimony) is a witness of Jesus.

John 5:40 "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

There are many that will not come to Him. Remember that He is talking to the religious leaders and telling them that they will not accept Him. They did not accept Him; they killed Him.

John 5:41 "I receive not honour from men."

He didn't care what they though of Him. His honor was from God. Remember Verse 23.

John 5:42 "But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you."

Religion for its sake was their thing. Religion should be for God's sake, but many times it is not. Many times religious traditions overshadow the love of God. The religious traditions of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day overshadowed the love of God. As we saw previously, it was more important to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, that their intricate laws regarding the Sabbath be observed than it was for the mercy of God to be shown by healing a crippled man. "Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:" (Matthew 9:13).

John 5:43-44 "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. {44} How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

The first conclusion one comes to when reviewing this verse is that many will receive the antichrist. That is so, but Jesus was talking closer to home. Who did they receive who came in his own name?

Well, one person was the high priest. The high priest at this time was Ananias. He did not follow after the priestly line of Aaron, but was appointed to the position by the political establishment. The religious leaders, who were supposed to know the scriptures and the laws of Moses, should not have accepted this high priest. But for political peace, they allowed this. They received him who came in his own name. The priest was to be chosen by God and to come in the Name of God. But since the high priest had become a political appointment, the candidates pursued the appointment for personal reasons or in their own name. Ananias came in his own name and the religious establishment received him.

There is another coming in his own name. That is Satan. He will come appearing like a lamb and speaking like a dragon. He will come as one "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4) This is antichrist, the one who comes in the place of Christ.

(Note: the term "Vicar of Christ" actually means in the place of Christ. No, I am not saying that the Pope is antichrist, I am just telling you what his title means. He has that title because he is supposed to be the agent of Christ on earth and supposedly has the power to absolve sins. But it is still interesting to note.)

John 5:45-47 "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. {46} For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. {47} But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

Jesus is speaking of the Law, that is the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. They had the Law but they didn't even believe that. They claimed salvation through he keeping of the law. But by breaking any one part of the law, they broke it all. No one can keep the law and that is why Jesus came. Since they claimed salvation through the law, Jesus did not need to accuse them; the law would do it for Him. And since they did not really believe Moses, they could not believe Jesus.

The moral here is not to trust in yourself or in anyone else. Don't trust in trying to be good either. None of those things will help you. Only trust in Jesus.

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