Study Desk

After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^(a)

By the Sheep Gate^(b) in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda^[a] in Hebrew, which has five colonnades.^[b]

Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water,

because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].^[c]

One man was there who had been sick for 38 years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time,^(c) He said to him, "Do you want to get well?"

"Sir,"^(d) the sick man answered, "I don't have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I'm coming, someone goes down ahead of me."

"Get up," Jesus told him, "pick up your mat and walk!"

Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk. Now that day was the Sabbath,^(e)

so the Jews^(f) said to the man who had been healed, "This is the Sabbath!^(g) It's illegal for you to pick up your mat."

He replied, "The man who made me well^(h) told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' "

"Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk' ?" they asked.

But the man who was cured did not know who it was,⁽ⁱ⁾ because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.^[d]

After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex^(j) and said to him, "See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn't happen to you."

The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.^(k)

Therefore, the Jews began persecuting^(l) Jesus^[e] because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.^(m)

But Jesus responded to them, "My Father⁽ⁿ⁾ is still working, and I am working also."

This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill Him:^(o) Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

Then Jesus replied, "I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father^[f] does, the Son also does these things in the same way.^(p)

For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works^(q) than these so that you will be amazed.

And just as the Father raises^(r) the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to anyone He wants to.^(s)

The Father,^(t) in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son,

so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father.^(u) Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ^(v)

"I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life^(w) and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

"I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here,^(x) when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.^(y)

For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son^(z) to have life in Himself.

And He has granted Him the right to pass judgment,^(aa) because He is the Son of Man.^(ab)

Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice

and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.

"I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment^(ac) is righteous,^(ad) because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ^(ae)

"If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid.^[g]

There is Another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives about Me is valid. ^[h](af)

You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth.^(ag)

I don't receive man's testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

John ^[i](ah) was a burning and shining lamp,^(ai) and for a time you were willing to enjoy his light. ^(aj)

"But I have a greater testimony than John's because of the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish.^(ak) These very works I am doing testify about Me that the Father has sent^(al) Me.

The Father who sent Me has Himself testified^(am) about Me. You have not heard His voice at any time, and you haven't seen His form.^(an)

You don't have His word living in you, because you don't believe the One He sent.

You pore over^[j] the Scriptures^(ao) because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me.^(ap)

And you are not willing^(aq) to come to Me^(ar) so that you may have life.

"I do not accept glory^(as) from men,

but I know you—that you have no love for God^(at) within you.

I have come in My Father's name,^(au) yet you don't accept Me.^(av) If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you don't seek the glory that comes from the only^(aw) God.^(ax)

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses,^(ay) on whom you have set your hope.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.

But if you don't believe his writings,^(az) how will you believe My words?" ^(ba)

After^(a) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee^(b) (or Tiberias^(c)).

And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick.

So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.

Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near.

Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,^(d) He asked Philip,^(e) "Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?"

He asked this to test him,^(f) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii^(g) worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to have a little."

One of His disciples, Andrew,^(h) Simon⁽ⁱ⁾ Peter's^(j) brother, said to Him,

"There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?"

Then Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.^(k)

Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.^(l)

When they were full, He told His disciples, "Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted." ^(m)

So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

When the people saw the sign^[a] He had done, they said, "This really is the Prophet⁽ⁿ⁾ who was to come^(o) into the world!"^(p)

Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,^(q) He withdrew again^[b] to the mountain by Himself.

When^(r) evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.^(s) Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them.

Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn.

After they had rowed about three or four miles,^[c] they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.

But He said to them, "It is I. ^[d](t) Don't be afraid!"

Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.

The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea knew there had been only one boat.^[e](u) They also knew that Jesus had not boarded the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone off alone.

Some boats from Tiberias^(v) came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord gave thanks.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi,^(w) when did You get here?"

Jesus answered, "I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw^[f] the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Don't work for the food that perishes^(x) but for the food that lasts for eternal life,^(y) which the Son of Man^(z) will give you, because God the Father^(aa) has set His seal of approval on Him."

"What can we do to perform the works of God?" they asked.

Jesus replied, "This is the work^(ab) of God—that you believe in the One He has sent." ^(ac)

"What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?" they asked. "What are You going to perform?

Our fathers ate the manna^(ad) in the wilderness,^(ae) just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. "^[g](af)[h]

Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Moses^(ag) didn't give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Then they said, "Sir, give us this bread always!"

"I am^(ah) the bread of life," Jesus told them. "No one who comes to Me^(ai) will ever be hungry,^(aj) and no one who believes in Me^(ak) will ever be thirsty^(al) again.

But as I told you, you've seen Me,^[i] and yet you do not believe.

Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.^(am)

For I have come down from heaven,^(an) not to do My will, but the will of Him^(ao) who sent Me.

This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise^(ap) them up on the last day.

For this is the will of My Father:^(aq) that everyone who sees the Son^(ar) and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise^(as) him up on the last day."

Therefore the Jews started complaining about Him because He said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

They were saying, "Isn't this Jesus the son of Joseph,^(at) whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven' ?"

Jesus answered them, "Stop complaining among yourselves.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws^[j] him, and I will raise him up on the last day.

It is written in the Prophets:^(au) And they will all be taught by God. ^(av)[k] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father^(aw) comes to Me—

not that anyone has seen the Father^(ax) except the One who is from God.^(ay) He has seen the Father. ^(az)

"I assure you: Anyone who believes^[l] has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna^(ba) in the wilderness,^(bb) and they died.

This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.^(bc)

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live^(bd) forever.^(be) The bread that I will give for the life^(bf) of the world is My flesh." ^(bg)

At that, the Jews argued^(bh) among themselves,^(bi) "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?"

So Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man^(bj) and drink His blood,^(bk) you do not have life in yourselves.

Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood^(bl) has eternal life, and I will raise^(bm) him up on the last day,

because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink.

The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him.^(bn)

Just as the living^(bo) Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live^(bp) because of Me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna^[m] your fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever." ^(bq)

He said these things while teaching in the synagogue^(br) in Capernaum.^(bs)

Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, "This teaching is hard! Who can accept^[n] it?"

Jesus, knowing in Himself^(bt) that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, "Does this offend you?

Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man^(bu) ascending^(bv) to where He was before?

The Spirit^(bw) is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn't help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

But there are some among you who don't believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning^(bx) those who would not^[o] believe and the one who would betray^(by) Him.)

He said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to Me^(bz) unless it is granted to him by the Father."

From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.

Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve,^(ca) "You don't want to go away too, do you?"

Simon Peter^(cb) answered, "Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!"^[p](cc)

Jesus replied to them, "Didn't I choose you, the Twelve?^(cd) Yet one of you is the Devil!" ^(ce)

He was referring to Judas,^(cf) Simon Iscariot's son,^[q][r] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray^(cg) Him.