John 5
http://blumberger.net//robots1.php Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Commentary — John 5
Matthew Henry says we are all impotent folk in spiritual things, blind, halt, and withered; but full provision is made for our cure if we attend to it. An angel troubled the water but only the first one to step in had the benefit of it. This teaches us to be careful, that we let not a season skip which may never return. Those long in affliction may comfort themselves that God keeps account of how long. Our Lord cares for this man even though he never asked for it. “Arise and walk!” God’s command, “Turn and live!” Make ye a new heart. The proof of spiritual cure is our rising and walking. Christ has healed our spiritual diseases. Let us go wherever He sends us, and take up whatever He lays upon us; and walk before Him.
v. 1 – 5 — There are 7 major feasts in the year. Jesus wants to spend time with numbers of people. They gather on these porches and in the Temple. Some think the pool at Bethesda may have been pentagonal in shape and perhaps covered for shade. There may have been steps leading into the water on each side. Even today, there are pools and springs around the world that are thought to have healing power. Some attribute it to the various salts or chemicals in the water or occasional bursts of gases that come up. The situation here was clearly miraculous, though.
Morris says that most modern versions have omitted the last part of John 5:3 and verse 4 because of what seems to be the unlikelihood of such a miracle. The problem is that John 5:7, which is in all the manuscripts, makes no sense without it. Furthermore, the great majority of the manuscripts do include all these verses. In short, trust your KJV. Whether the miracle seems unreasonable or not to the alleged “scientific minds” of skeptics, this phrase was certainly recorded by John in his original text and was later deleted in some manuscripts because of the skepticism of the copyists. There is nothing impossible about the miracle, no matter how unusual it seems. Miracles are, by definition, unusual. “Perhaps God, in view of the long absence of a prophetical voice in Israel, elected to maintain this continuing witness to His grace and power in Jerusalem, as a sort of perpetual messianic promise to be repeated regularly until Christ would come.”
Bethesda means ”house of mercy.” The modern critical text incorrectly omits the end of verse 3 and all of verse 4. There are miracles going on here. This particular man comes there to collect alms and perhaps have an opportunity to be healed. He doesn’t ask Jesus for healing. We are told that he had been diseased for 38 years so he could be even older than that (fifties or more?).
v. 6 — Jesus’ question may be physical and spiritual at the same time. We can use the same idea today in asking people if they desire to be forgiven and to be made whole spiritually. Salvation will not solve all of their problems and indeed it is prudent to make them aware of the things that will come. They may lose friends and family, their desires will change, they may have to give up associations and habits. It will cost something to follow Christ but the journey is well worth the trials.
The Pulpit Commentary puts it this way: “There are many who are not anxious for salvation, with all the demands it makes upon the life, with its summons to self-sacrifice and repression of self-indulgence. There are many religious imposters who prefer tearing open their spiritual wounds to the first passer-by, and hugging their grievances, [rather than to be] made into robust men upon whom the burden of responsibility will immediately fall.”
v. 7 — Here is another moment when we wish we could hear the voice inflection. He doesn’t seem to be whiny but just stating a fact. He calls Jesus “Sir” which definitely shows respect. He laments the fact that he has no one to help him get into the water. One wonders if he lived nearby and had to crawl to the pool every day. Perhaps friends brought him and left him to go off to their work. Who wouldn’t be desirous of healing in this situation? That’s why he lies next to this pool every day.
v. 8 — Jesus speaks with authority and gives the man three seemingly impossible things to do. Rise. Take up thy bed. Walk. The man recognizes that authority and acts upon it. We should speak God’s words authoritatively also. Notice the healing process wasn’t gradual here but instantaneous.
v. 9 — In faith and obedience, the man picks up his bed and walks. He’s not concerned that it is the Sabbath day. He was called by Christ to do that which was impossible and he did it. We look at others around us and say, “They are hard cases!” but God can do miracles still. Everyone of us was a hard case. Don’t you love the imagery here? The Lord speaks with power (not a touch as in some other cases) as a Spirit-filled evangelist and the man is instantly healed and made whole!
v. 10 — The intent of the Sabbath is to be a day of rest. The precedent is set by God Himself when he creates the universe in six days and rests on the seventh. Then He hallows (to set apart as holy) the Sabbath day. See Jer. 17:21. The intent is to rest from work and to honor God, be refreshed, fellowship with God etc. Most Jewish tradition along this line was sensible but eventually the rules were developed. Even the Rabbis had to make exceptions for cases that affected life and health (an example would be the birth of a baby) but even these cases had restrictions and rules. The common people knew not the intricacies of the rules, but just obeyed what the Rabbis taught.
It is easy to see that the religious authorities had their priorities all messed up. They were not impressed and joyful that the man was healed but focused instead on his disobedience to their traditions.
v. 11 — The man has a good answer. Surely one who can heal has power from God and is worthy of obedience.
v. 12 — They missed the big thing (the healing) and focused on the minutiae when they should be amazed at the healing itself.
v. 13 — “Wist” means to imagine, to suppose, to know. It is the verb form of wisdom. Wisdom is the practical application of things you know. “Know” is a verb and “knowledge” is a noun. Here wist may mean the man knew something of Jesus but not who He was in totality. Why does Jesus leave? He didn’t want to deal with questioners and others who wanted to be healed. Perhaps, more importantly, He needs to deal with the man about his sin and judgment but right now he is too thankful and joyful to be serious.
Matthew Henry remarks that “it is common for people, when sick, to promise much; when newly recovered, to perform only something; but after a while to forget all.”
v. 14 — You mean there is something worse than 38 years of hopeless wretchedness?! Jesus finds the man later and deals with the sin issue. It’s implied that his original condition had been the result of sin. However, not all sickness is from sin or chastisement. The Scripture uses the singular “thou” (you) showing that He is personally addressing the healed man. The Lord asks him to repent (perhaps from whatever caused the illness in the first place but as with all of us, repent specifically from sins and sinful behavior and turn to Christ). He speaks of judgment to come unless the man gets right. An eternity in hell is definitely worse than 38 years of illness.
v. 15 — The healed man now testifies to the Pharisees that it was Jesus that healed him. It is probably reasonable to think that he got saved here.
v. 16 — A good thing is criticized rather than given thanks for and Jesus is persecuted. Perhaps they followed Him around with the intent to kill Him because He had healed on the Sabbath day. You will remember that later the Lord said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath — Mark 2:27. In Matt. 12:11-12, He tells of a man who lost a sheep and goes to look for it on the Sabbath.
Morris adds, that “the Sabbath Day was ordained to commemorate that fact [the work of creation]. But He then began His work of conserving what He had created. Thus, He is now ‘upholding all things by the word of his power.’ In addition, when sin entered God’s ‘very good’ creation, God also entered on His long work of redeeming His cursed and disintegrating creation (Ro 8:20-23). It was perfectly proper, therefore, for the Lord Jesus to ‘do good’ on the Sabbath Day.”
v. 17, 18 — The use of “hitherto” means in the past. God has been working all this time and now Jesus is here to continue the work. He doesn’t say “our Father” but “my Father.” Jesus stated a unique relationship with God. He isn’t lumping them in the group that respects God and now they are incensed. In fact He is making Himself equal to God which is great blasphemy to the Jews and they are fired up even more to hate Him. Jesus knew what He said, saw the reaction it elicited, and took no opportunity to correct it. Some few may have understood that Jesus was saying He had a special relationship with God.
A son has all the rights and privileges of the father. Think of a King and a Prince, for example. I guess they didn’t know His name was Immanuel meaning “God with us” — Isaiah 7:14.
v. 19-23 — Here is an indication of Jesus’ deity (more than a spirit-filled man). Today we would equate “marvel” with “wow!” or “awesome!” It does not necessarily mean saving belief. God’s creation and the details of it are marvelous indeed. This passage shows how intimately the Father and Son are tied together. Their work is the same and the Son gives perfect obedience to the Father. In turn, the Father gives judgment over to the Son. The concept of being of one mind as seen in the early church and Acts is so foreign to us today. You just don’t see it in modern day churches and yet we are all to have the mind of Christ — 1 Cor. 2:14-16. By verse 23, all are desired to be quickened meaning brought to spiritual life. Many scriptures talk of judgment by God but here it’s the Son because He was one of us and therefore no excuses can hold at the judgment seat.
The Pulpit Commentary: “He [Jesus] is in intimate and continuous and affectionate relations with the Father, who in this capacity has sent his Son to be the world’s Saviour. He sees the Father’s healing grace and omnipresent energy and ceaseless activity in regions where ‘the Jews’ fail to discern them. The incarnate Son does not set up a rival throne or authority. He moves, lives, has his being, from the Father and not from himself. “
There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. Be wary of people that you hear say “God” and talk about Him, but don’t mention the name of Jesus.
v. 24 — “Heareth” and “believeth” are more than just head knowledge but produce action and change what you do. The outside reflects what we are on the inside. You have eternal life now and it lasts forever. Don’t say “once saved, always saved” but “I have eternal (or everlasting) life” which is a Biblical phrase. II Cor. 5:17 and John 3:36
Morris: “Note that salvation is a present possession. Since ‘Christ died for us (Ro 5:8), there is ‘no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus’ (Ro 8:1). The believer is ‘passed’ from death to life. Thus, he already possesses eternal life.”
v. 25 — These are future phases of the resurrection including those that will be saved/converted under His ministry.
v. 26 — Remember in chapter 4 how Jesus is the source of life in the living water he offered to the woman at the well. All life comes from life. (It is the foolish skeptic who imagines – unscientifically – that life can arise by luck from random chemical processes.) Since the source of life is God, circumstances should not dictate who we are. We should be the way that God intends us to be. Jesus behaves perfectly knowing that He will die and be in agony. It’s not easy to live right but there is no other plan.
v. 27 — Look at Daniel 7:13. When Jesus identifies Himself with the Son of man in Daniel, the Jews knew what He meant.
v. 28,29 — The word “all” signifies that this is the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the Millennium. How you be (are) is what you do. The believer witnesses and does the Lord’s work with Him. The word everlasting applies to both heaven and hell but people don’t want to think of hell as forever. They seem to have no problem thinking heaven is forever! The resurrection of life happens 1,000 years before the resurrection of the damned. (see Re. 20:4-6)
Sorenson adds that the graves only contain dead bodies. Their souls and spirits are departed either to heaven or hell. As the resurrections come to pass, the bodies in the graves will be brought forth (the resurrection in this sense is universal) but how it happens and where the individual ends up vary according to whether one has repented and believed or not. The righteous get a glorified body that is perfect and ageless. The unsaved dead are raised for final judgment and get sentenced. They are then reunited with their body and cast into the lake of fire forever. See Rev. 20:11-15 and Matt. 25:41-46.
v. 30 — If someone does his own thing apart from God it is a false life. There are unlimited ways to miss the mark (think of a target with a bullseye) but the road to truth is narrow. There is only way to find it.
v. 31 — Jesus points out to His listeners that His witness is not the only one. If He were the only one they would think it unreliable but He has more.
v. 32 . . . — There are 4 witnesses here: (1) John the Baptist who prepared the way. At first the Jews were excited about him but that faded as many new ideas do. (2) The work that He does such as healings, miracles, turning tables at the Temple — these testify to Christ’s identity as sent from God and therefore Jesus’ credibility in claiming to be the Son of God. (3) The Father, v. 37 — through prophetic Scripture but more specifically the baptism of Jesus when God placed His blessing on Jesus. (4) The Scripture fulfillment of the Old Testament, which if studied, yields the truth about salvation.
Matthew Henry: “The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their hands . . . It is possible for men to be very studious in the letter of the Scriptures, yet to be strangers to its power . . . Christ’s appeal is spoken to us, advising or commanding all Christians to search the Scriptures. Not only read them, and hear them, but search them; which denotes diligence in examining and studying them . . . They (the Jews) slighted and undervalued Christ, because they admired and overvalued themselves.”
v. 40 — Calvinists won’t cite this verse because it implies choice and action. The “ye” is plural.
v. 41 — We shouldn’t look for honor from men either. It’s a shame they didn’t revere Him but it was not Jesus’ purpose to win the adulation of men. He knew their hearts and that they didn’t really love God and so they wouldn’t love Him either.
v. 43 — Paul in II Corinthians 11:4 and 2 Tim 4:2-4 cites man’s inclination to run after false teachers. Such teachers are appealing because they avoid the whole counsel of God, opening the door for their followers to wallow in their favorite sins.
v. 44 — You have to choose. If you are going for the honor of men you won’t repent in humility and come to God. Think of well known popular preachers today. They rarely show a humble spirit. Compare Luke 16:15.
v. 45-47 — Jesus uses their respect for the Old Testament fathers against them. Look at Deut. 18:15. This is at the end of Moses’ life, soon to enter the promised land (especially v. 18) and the people need to be reminded of the law and prophets. This is a new generation and Moses must teach them. Jesus identifies Himself with the Prophet foretold here. The writings of Moses will be the accuser of the Jews who rejected Jesus. The Rabbis had hope in the Word of God but they really didn’t believe it enough to bring them salvation.
~~Bonnie