John Chapter 5 {Verses 1-16: Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda} 1~~After this there was a feast of the Jews {probably the Passover}, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2~~Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool . . . which is called in Hebrew tongue 'Bethesda'   {meaning House of Mercy} having five porches. {Note: Nehemiah told us when they rebuilt the walls, they built 12 gates. The Sheep Gate was one of 12 gates in the temple. The Sheep Gate was the gate that was symbolic of entering into salvation. Jesus is the good shepherd that leads us through the Sheep Gate.} {Note: The pools were circular, made out of marble, with the capacity of holding about 500 people in one pool. There were 5 pools. Five is the number for grace. Thousands came to the pools hoping to be healed, because there was some superstition saying one could be cured by entering the water when the waters were stirred up by angels. Rubbish! The word Bethesda means 'House of Mercy' . . . because it is at the Sheep Gate . . . demonstrating God's mercy and grace principle of Salvation of faith alone in Christ alone.} 3~~In these {5 porches around the pool} lay a great multitude of sick people {analogy to unbelievers}: blind {picture of unbelievers who are spiritually blind}, lame {unbelievers can not walk with God until they receive Christ}, paralyzed {people powerless to work in the Spirit; unable to produce   divine good}. {NOTE: The end of this verse DOES NOT appear in the original text - nor does all of Verse 4. Verse four was apparently added by the scribe to try and explain the context of what was happening at the pool, but it also is NOT in the original text of scripture!!} 5~~Now a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6~~When Jesus saw him lying there and knew from experience {saw in eternity past his positive volition} that he already had been in that condition a long time. He {Jesus} said to him, "Do you keep on having the volition/desire to become well?" 7~~The sick man answered Him, "Lord, I have no man to throw me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me." {Note: This man is a believer, but is a sucker for religion and 'superstitions'. He believes the myth that angels stir these waters and would heal him. His real miracle was talking to him.} 8~~Jesus said to him, "Rise {a command! GET UP!}, pick up your bed and keep on walking." {Note: In other verses, we see that the 'religious' Jews had created taboos outside the Word of God - such as . . . to heal on the Sabbath was 'work' and a violation of the Mosaic Law. In this verse, Jesus orders him to violate the religious taboo of 'carrying the bed' on the Sabbath!} 9~~And immediately the man - who was cured in the past with the result that he would never have that disease again - took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10~~The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed." {Note: Legalism always hates and attacks grace.} 11~~He answered them, "He Who miraculously made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and keep on walking'." 12~~Then they asked him, "Who is the Man Who said to you, 'Take up your bed and keep on walking?' " {Note: The fact that the man was healed did not amaze them! Breaking the law was what was important to these religious Jews! Their eyes were on ritual and not on signs of Messiah.} 13~~But the one who was completely healed did not know Who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn . . . a multitude being in that place {faded into the crowd}. 14~~Afterward Jesus sought him out in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well, go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." {Note: This means this man was under strong discipline and he had a reason for being an invalid. Apparently he did not appreciate what Jesus did for him.} 15~~The man departed {with a mission} and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had made him well. {Responding to Jewish Authorities} 16~~For this reason the Jews kept on persecuting Jesus, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. {Note: Because the man went and told the Jews of being told to pick up his bed and walk on the Sabbath, they wanted to know who it was. The man went and told them, so then Jesus was persecuted by religion for breaking taboos of their religion on the Sabbath. The 'sought to kill Him' comes up later and is not here in the original texts.} {Verses 17-20: Taboos of the Sabbath} {Discourse on the uniqueness of the Person of Jesus Christ} 17~~But Jesus discerned from the ultimate source of His inner resources and answered {apokrinomai} them, "My Father {Jesus from His humanity} keeps on 'exerting His power'/producing/working {ergazomai} even till now {Working on the Sabbath is the point} and I keep on 'exerting My power'/producing/working too   {pointing out His equality with God the Father}." {Note: This is where the religious Jews wanted to kill Him. They understood very well what He was saying! In giving this answer to the Jews, it aroused their total antagonisms, thus they dedicated themselves to His destruction because of their religious hatred of Him. The funny thing though is . . . as the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, IF Jesus ever stopped working, the Universe would fall apart! Colossians 1:17.} {Note: Apokrinomai means to discern from the ultimate source of your own inner resources. This is knowledge of bible doctrine in the soul resulting in discernment. Jesus Christ is discerning from his own inner resources of his humanity, through the doctrine in his own soul to give the divine viewpoint answer here.} {Note: The word for "works" is "ergazomai" meaning to exert power, ability -- to keep on exerting power from Eternity Past. Omniscience made the Plan known. Omnipotence put the Plan into action. Jesus was saying that Hey, My Father in heaven is working on the SABBATH DAY, providing, protecting, caring, helping, holding back the forces of angels whose attacks are directed against some of these believers -- thus, My Father works and keeps on working even until NOW and I work too. Jesus is using the same verb for himself that he used for the Father. He is telling them that He and the Father have the same essence, that They are co-equal, co-eternal, co-existent. Jesus is on the same basis as the Father in Heaven is. He is God. } {Note: The purpose of the Sabbath was to rest in the Lord . . . to cool your heels; to remind yourself of the fact that you can't work for salvation. I AM THE LORD OF THE SABBATH and I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT ON THE SABBATH. I created the Sabbath! Jesus was doing, on the Sabbath what the Sabbath was designed to be -- a GRACE DAY -- a day of REST, to relax in the total work and provision of the Lord. God gives. We receive. The Sabbath is a reflection of the Character of God showing them what they should have, living the grace life.} {Note: In spite of their angry reaction, Jesus kept right on working based upon who and what he was, not who and what the Pharisees were. Matthew 12: 2-3; Mark 2:24-27; Luke 13:15.} 18~~Therefore the Jews sought {zeteo} all the more to kill Him {apokteino} in their mental attitudes {mental attitude sin of murder} . . . because He {Jesus} not only relaxed {luo} the Sabbath, but also {because Jesus} said that God was His Father . . . always making Him {Jesus} equal with God {God the Father}. {Note: Zeteo here means that they kept on searching for a way to kill Him because of intense hatred, ruling out any RMA or sense of humor. Totally up tight.} {Note: Luo means to unbind, loosen and here means to relax a taboo that men applied to the Sabbath from human viewpoint.} {Note: Apokteino is one of the many words for killing in the Greek. 'Apo' means 'from the ultimate source of'. It refers to the fact that in their mental attitudes, they wished to kill him then and there. That is the mental attitude sin of murder ('I tell you, if you THINK it, you do it'), you try to hurt the object of the mental attitude sins and as an individual, a group or a nation, you can not seek to build your happiness on someone else's unhappiness. By doing this judicially - putting the Lord Jesus on trial, turning him over to the Romans ended up destroying their whole judicial system, and eventually they destroyed themselves.} {Execution of the Will of God in the Life of Jesus} 19~~Then Jesus kept on discerning and kept on answering/saying {apokrinomai - see above} from the ultimate source of Himself to them -to their advantage, "I tell you the truth/doctrine {literally 'truly truly} . . . the Son {Hypostatic Union with emphasis on His humanity} is not able/'does not have the power' to do anything from the ultimate source of Himself   {His humanity - He is helpless in His humanity} 'if not unless'/unless - maybe He will, maybe He will not - He keeps on seeing the Father doing it {God's provision in grace}. For whatever He {Jesus} discerns that the Father does . . . the Son also does in like manner." {Note: In Greek, a double negative is just a very strong negative. Jesus literally said 'I am not able to do nothing' meaning strongly ' I am not able to do anything'. Jesus learned the Plan of God in time, through doctrine, one day at a time. His humanity had to learn doctrine, just as we do. Jesus gained perfect rapport with God the Father in His humanity. When you have perfect rapport with someone, they are able to show you things that they are not able to show others.} 20~~"For the Father keeps on loving {phileo} the Son . . . and teaches/shows Him all things that He Himself does/designs . . . and He will show Him greater works {resurrection} than these {refers to the miracle of healing this man} that you may marvel/'have admiration for' {God the Father and His Plan}." {Note: Phileo is the total rapport relationship type love - as opposed to 'Agapao', which is a mental attitude love.} {Note: Jesus had wisdom. Wisdom is learning doctrine in his/our human spirit and then applying it to his/our soul.} 21~~"For as the Father 'makes alive/'causes to live' the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will." {Note: The Father and Holy Spirit were involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After that, Jesus Christ is involved in the resurrection of all believing humanity. All member of the Godhead are co-equal and have the same capabilities. Scriptures: I Thessalonians 1:10; I Peter 1:3; John 5:21; Romans 8:11; I Peter 3:18} 22-23~~"For the Father judges no one {in context, is the Last Judgment in view} . . . but has committed all judgment to the Son   {at the Last Judgment} . . . 23~~ for the purpose that all should honor the Son   {recognize Him for Who He is} . . . even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him." {Note: God the Father as the designer of the plan decreed that salvation would be faith in the Savior - Jesus Christ - the 2nd Member of the Godhead. The Father planed it, the Son executed it, and the Holy Spirit revealed it. The ONLY reason salvation is in the Son is because this was the will of the Father in His plan to be so. By following His plan and believing in the Son, you have honored the plan of the Father, and thereby honoring Him. So, belief in the Son IS belief in the Father also.} 24~~"I {Jesus} tell you 'the truth'/'a point of doctrine' . . . I keep on communicating to you for your own advantage . . . he that hears and obeys My word   {gospel message/good news about salvation} and believes on the One {God the Father} Who sent Me . . . has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life {I John 5:11-12}." {Note: This is NOT a salvation verse. It is not the mechanics of salvation in the context. It is the Principal of salvation here. By believing ON the Son, you believe the plan of the Father, and thereby have salvation forever and ever.} {Verses 25-27: Co-equality in Salvation} 25~~"I {Jesus} tell you 'the truth'/'a point of doctrine' . . . I keep on communicating to you for your advantage, the hour is coming, and is now here {His Omnipotence knows many have positive   volition in the audience} when the {spiritually} dead will hear {and respond to the gospel} the voice of the Son {hear the voice of the Son offering eternal life} of God. And those who hear will live {be born again unto everlasting life}." 26~~"For as the Father has life in Himself . . . so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself." {Note: This is referring to the humanity of Christ. His humanity has been given life.} 27~~ "And {God the Father} has given Him {God the Son} authority to execute judgment also . . . because He is the Son of Man." {Note: Because Jesus Christ accepted the judgment of the cross and it is the rejection of His salvation work that causes unbelieving mankind to face the final Judgment, God the Father's plan calls for Jesus Christ to be the judge at the final judgment of unbelievers.} {Verses 28-31: The Two Resurrections} {Religious Audience Told to Close their Mouths - Opened in Amazement} 28-29~~"Stop being amazed at this! For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear and obey His voice   {Jesus speaks and the Rapture begins} 29~~ and shall come forth {in a resurrection body}. Those who have done {poieo} good   {good of intrinsic value/divine good} . . . to the resurrection of {eternal} life . . . and those who have practiced/exercised {prasso} evil/worthlessness   {works of the flesh - human good - unbelievers here} . . . to the resurrection of condemnation." {Note: The souls and the spirits of believers are in the presence of the Father. Their physical bodies 'hear' His voice in Heaven and will come back together with soul and spirit and meet Christ in the sky. This is Jesus' prophecy of the resurrection of the church.} Continued ************************************************** This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA. This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living.