Lectionary Calendar

Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
the Fourth Week of Advent

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The Healing at Bethesda

¹ Later on there was ^(C1)a Jewish feast (festival), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now in Jerusalem, near ^(C1)the Sheep Gate, there is a ^(F1)pool, which is called ^(C2)in Hebrew (Jewish Aramaic) Bethesda, having five porticoes (alcoves, colonnades).³ In these porticoes lay a great number of people who were sick, blind, lame, withered, ^(F1)[waiting for the stirring of the water;⁴ 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.]⁵ There was a certain man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.⁶ 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?"⁷ The invalid answered, "Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when ^(C1)the water is stirred up, and while I am coming to get into it myself, someone else steps down ahead of me."⁸ Jesus said to him, "^(C1)Get up; pick up your pallet and walk."

⁹ Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength, and ^(F1)picked up his pallet and walked. ^(C1)Now that day was the Sabbath.¹⁰ So ^(C1)the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and ^(C2)you are not ^(F1)permitted to pick up your pallet because it is unlawful."¹¹ 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.'"¹² They asked him, "Who is the Man who told you, 'Pick up your pallet and walk'?"¹³ 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.¹⁴ Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Stop ^(C1)sinning or ^(C2)something worse may happen to you."¹⁵ The man went away and told ^(C1)the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.¹⁶ For this reason ^(C1)the Jews began to persecute Jesus continually because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.¹⁷ 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

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ So Jesus answered them by saying, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^(C1)the Son ^(F1)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.²⁰ "^(C1)For the Father dearly loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him ^(C2)greater works than these, so that you will be filled with wonder.²¹ "Just as the Father raises the dead and ^(C1)gives them life and allows them to live on, even so ^(C2)the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.²² "For the Father judges no one, but ^(C1)has given all judgment that is, the prerogative of judging to the Son placing it entirely into His hands,²³ so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. In fact ^(C1)the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him.

²⁴ "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word the one who heeds My message, and ^(C1)believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed, and ^(C2)does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has ^(C3)passed over from death into life.

Two Resurrections

²⁵ "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.²⁶ "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.²⁷ "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. ²⁸ "Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice,²⁹ 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.

³⁰ "^(C1)I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and ^(C2)My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only ^(C3)the will of Him who sent Me.

³¹ "^(C1)If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not ^(F1)valid.³² "There is ^(C1)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

³³ "You have sent an inquiry to John the Baptist and he has testified as an eyewitness to the truth.³⁴ "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.³⁵ "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

³⁶ "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

³⁷ "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.³⁸ "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

³⁹ "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;⁴⁰ and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.⁴¹ "I do not receive glory and approval from men;⁴² but I know you and recognize that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.⁴³ "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.⁴⁴ "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?⁴⁵ "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.⁴⁶ "For if you believed and relied on the Scriptures written by Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me personally. ⁴⁷ "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"