Healing at the Pool of Bethesda and His Great Discourse
John (Yochanan) 5:1-47
1. After this there was feast of the Jews, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem.
2. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting the for the moving of the water.
4. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5. Now certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6. When Yeshua saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7. The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8. Yeshua said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9. And immediately the man was made well, 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.”
11. He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”
12. Then they asked him, “Who is the man that said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk?’”
13. But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Yeshua had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
14. Afterward Yeshua found him in the Temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin nor more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Yeshua who had made him well.
16. For this reason the Jews persecuted Yeshua, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
17. But Yeshua answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.
18. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
19. Then Yeshua answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
20. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”
21. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.”
22. “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.”

23. “That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
24. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hearts My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”
25. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”
26. “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.”
27. “And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”
28. “Do not marvel at this; for the our is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice,”
29. “And come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
30. “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
31. “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.”
32. “There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know the witness that he witnesses of Me is true.” (Of the mouths of two or three witnesses a thing is established. Deut. 19:15).
33. “You have sent to Yochanan, and he has bore witness to the truth.”
34. “Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.”
35. “He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.”
36. “But I have a greater witness than Yochanan’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish — the very works that I do — bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
37. “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”
38. “But you do have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.”
39. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
40. “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
41. “I do not receive honor from men.”
42. “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.”
43. “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”
44. “How can you believe, who receive honor form one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
45. “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you — Moses, in who you trust.”
46. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for He wrote about Me.”
47. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”<

Vs. 1 The feast that is mentioned here is in all probability the Feast of Passover, but it is impossible to be 100% certain. If it is the Passover, then it is the second one that occurred during the ministry of Yeshua.

Vs. 9: Again, the conflict is over the “fences” established in the Mishnah. To the one commandment “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” the Pharisees had added some 1,500 additional laws. The man is found violating one of them when he picks ups his bed and begins walking. Mishnah Shabbat says, “Who ever carries out anything on the Sabbath from a public place to a private place, of a private place to a public place is punished by being stoned.” It was these “fences,” not the Oral Law itself, that Yeshua opposed. By building all those fences the Pharisees had made the Law a burden instead of something that brings lierty and freedom to God’s people. That is not what God intended.

In the course of Jewish tradition the Sabbath had become highly personified, and it was viewed as the “bride of Israel.” Every Friday night at sundown, the Jews gathered to sing a special song called “La Cha Dodi, To You My Beloved,” as they are welcoming Queen Sabbath. In Jewish theology Israel was created for the purpose of honoring the Sabbath.

Vs. 10: The first point that we should notice is that Yeshua is indeed in a debate with a group of Jews who were questioning His authority to heal a person on the Sabbath. Notice that they do not question the healing itself, for they very much accepted such occurrences as not unusual. Yeshua’s central point is that His authority is far greater than that needed to set aside the Sabbath. The healing was simply a sign of a more significant authority than they had yet seen. It is Yeshua that they will meet on that final judgment day. The issues of faith and works here are actually peripheral to the main point that Yeshua is making.

Vs. 12: Someone has just received a miraculous healing, but that is not even noticed. Now, we should be very upset with anyone who has a mind set like this. But, before we get too indignant with the Jews, we should remember that some things we have in Christianity are just as legalistic as this Before we condemn others, we need to first take a hard look at ourselves.

Vs. 14: Can sin cause sickness and misfortunes? Evidently from this passage it can. And to take it another step further, if we resort back to that sin after being delivered from it, a worse condition can come upon us. Sin is not something that should be taken lightly. But, you will notice that the type of sin is not revealed. The emphasis of Yeshua is always on restoration, not condemnation.

Vs. 18: Here is a good example of the difference between Jewish and Gentile thinking. In Gentile thinking, the son is not equal with the father. In Jewish thinking the firstborn son is equal with the father. In Jewish thinking to call someone your father means according equality. When Yeshua calls God is Father, He is claiming to be equal with God. Since there is but one God, Yeshua is claiming to be Him.

Vs. 19: This verse here begins the second of John’s seven discourses, the Discourse on the Works of God. Here also Yeshua brings in a custom that the Jews are very familiar with. Every Jewish boy strived to be as much like his father as he possibly could. Not just in the occupation of the father, but also striving to copy his mannerisms, the way he walked and the way he talked. The son was supposed to be a duplication of his father in every way possible. The Son of God would be like His Father. In bringing this in, Yeshua has opened all kinds of controversies about Himself for the Jews to ponder.

Vs 20: Yeshua is telling them that He did not simply have a one-time experience with God, but has had a daily unique relationship with Him all of His life. On the one hand, Yeshua has had a constant connection with the supernatural, while on the other had, He is demonstrating to men what is going on in Heaven that they may learn and obey. This is an incredible moment in the lives of the Jews.

Vs. 22: The judgment of Go is something that these men probably taught the people on many occasions. Yeshua now tells them that they are standing before their Judge, and yet. They do not believe. What does this say about what the truth of their presentation. Their words were as hollow as their hearts.

Vs. 25: The voice of the Son of Man will bring about the resurrection. They are standing before the Life Giver.

Vs. 28: The subject being brought up here is the resurrection, a very common Rabbinic concept. Mishnah Avot 4:22 says, “Rabbi Eleazor of Capernaum said ‘they who are born are to die. They who die are to live again. Those who live again are to be judged that they fully know that He is god, the Former, the Creator who understands and judges. The Witness and the Accuser, who is ready to judge. That is He, that with Him there is no iniquity, nor forgetfulness, nor acceptance of persons and no taking of bribes. For everything is His and know that everything shall be according to the account rendered. Let not thy evil genius persuade thee that the grave will serve thee as a place of refuge. Without thy consent thou was formed and without thy consent thou livest and without they consent thou must die and without thy consent thou shall come to judgment to render an account before the King of Kings, the Holy one, blessed be He.’”

What the Rabbis ascribed to God Yeshua ascribed to Himself. The Rabbis taught the power of the resurrection as something only God could do. Yeshua says that He will bring about the resurrection. In a very clear, Hebraic manner Yeshua is saying that He is God.

In saying what He says, Yeshua is saying the same thing as any good Rabbi of His day would say. Some of the dead were called righteous, for thy had done good. Some of the dead were called unrighteous, for they had done evil. The resurrection was a time when God would set right the accounts, rewarding the righteous with the age to come (Olam HaBa), and barring the unrighteous from that happy kingdom. Thus what Yeshua said would not have raised an eyebrow among the Jews. They knew that those who truly loved God obeyed the Law and thus did good, while those who rejected God disobeyed the Law and thus did evil. What caused the problem was that He accused these Jewish leaders of rejecting His word, thus thy were condemning themselves. Salvation by works was never a part of the doctrines of Judaism, or Christianity. What Yeshua is saying here is that your life is a reflection in your faith in God. If you really love God, you will obey His word and your life will reflect your faith .

Vs. 33-39: Yeshua points out the four-fold witness of who He is. The first witness is Yochanan the Immerser. It was Yochanan who witnessed the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) descending upon Him in the form of a dove. The second witness is God Himself, with the Bat Kol at His baptism. The third would be the four Messianic Miracle that He would perform in their presence. The fourth would be the Holy Scriptures themselves, for it is they that were written long ago by Moses that testify of Him.

Yeshua is the Lord of the Sabbath
Matt. 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-38; Luke 6:1-5
6:1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grains and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. (See also Mt. 12:1; M. 2:23)
6:2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” (See also Mt. 12:2; Mk. 2:24)
6:3 And Yeshua answering them said, “ Have you not read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those with him,” (See also Mt. 12:3; Mk. 2:25).
6:4 “How he went into the house of God, took and ate the shewbread, and also gave some to those who were with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?”
(See also Mt. 12:4; Mk. 2:26)
12:5 “Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?”
12:6 “But I say to you that in this place there is ne greater than the Temple.”
12:7 “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not condemn the guiltless.”
2:27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
6:5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
(See also Mt. 12:8; Mk. 2:28)

Vs. 6:1 Based upon the fences in the Mishnah, they were guilty of breaking four Pharisaic laws. When they took the grain from the stalk, they were guilty of reaping. When they worked the grain in their hands to separate the wheat from the chaff, they were guilty of threshing. When they blew in their hands to rid the wheat of the chaff, they were guilty of winnowing. When they put the grain in their mouths and swallowed it, they were guilty of storing. You could probably also add that when they chewed the grain, they were guilty of grinding. That is what they are being accused of by the Pharisees in this passage. In fact, according to Pharisaic law, you were not even to walk on the grass on the Sabbath, lest you inadvertently separate grain from the stalk and be guilty of reaping.

Vs. 6:3 Yeshua accepted the challenge of those who questioned the action of His disciples and their Sabbath observance. He employed accepted Jewish halakkic discussion ad interpretation to respond to the legal aspects of the issue. The words of Yeshua, when translated into their historical Jewish context, ring with a dynamic authenticity and the magnetic originality of the Teacher from Nazareth. I a most eloquent manner, Yeshua exploited the opportunity afforded Him by the Pharisee’s question to speak about God’s creative activity and the divine order. But, the divine presence meets each person on the human level with his or her basic needs, for “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

The deeper meaning is tied to the Jewish teaching concerning the creation of the world. As is well known, the Ten Commandments themselves and the seven days of creation are closely linked because God Himself created the world in six days, but rested on the seventh. The divine order is reflected in the Decalogue by the injunction to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest.

According to traditional Jewish teachings, the world was created for all humanity. Moreover, God created humankind on the sixth day right before the beginning of the first Sabbath. The beauty of creation was fashioned as the domain and individual sphere of human beings, who were created in the divine image. In order to drive home the deeper meaning of the world’s design, the Rabbis described the creation in parabolic language. Their view of the creation of the world is based upon Jewish interpretation of the Bible. By wisdom (Proverbs 8-9) God created the world. But, He fashioned the world for humanity in the same way that a king prepares a banquet for his invited guests. Carefully, with His guests in mind, the Holy One designed the world. God created the world and prepared everything so that humankind would be created on the eve of the Sabbath, and thus enter directly into the observance of God’s commandments. Indeed, Adam, representative of all humans, was created on the eve of the Sabbath, and hence, he was directed to rest on the Sabbath day as a response to God’s command. He was given the finest work of the greatest master designer, who sanctioned it with a day of rest that represented humanity’s obedience to God. Humankind was created on the eve of the Sabbath and the Sabbath was created for every human being.

When questioned by some of the Pharisees concerning the picking of grain on the Sabbath, Yeshua developed His discussion upon the foundation of Jewish oral teachings. In addition to other points of His discussion, here Yeshua reminds His listeners of more legal principles which would be similar to His argument in John concerning circumcision taking precedence over the Sabbath observance. He defends His more lenient position concerning the Sabbath rest with a similar proof. He mentions the famous episode from the life of King David when he tried to escape the death plot of King Saul. David and his men ate the Bread of the Presence which according to Jewish Law was forbidden for them to eat. These points are clear from the words of Yeshua in the Gospel story concerning the Sabbath controversy.

Vs. 6:4: The Jewish oral tradition places great emphasis on the preservation of life. All commandments of the Bible must be suspended in order to save a human life. The Pharisees emphasized saving life at all cost. The only exceptions to this rule are idolatry, incest and murder. One should choose death rather than commit any of these. Nonetheless, the preservation of life takes precedence over the Sabbath observance. David and his men were being pursued by Saul. They were so hungry, according to Jewish traditional interpretation, that their lives were at risk. All the commandments of the Bible must be suspended to save their lives. They were hungry and so they ate the Bread of the Presence from the house of God.

Verse 12:5 The Jewish oral tradition gives Yeshua’s argument definite force. According to traditional Jewish interpretation of this incident in King David’s life the Bread of the Presence was always baked on the Sabbath (Lev. 24:5). The fact that this event in David’s life happened on the Sabbath made it so much more pertinent to the question concerning Yeshua and His disciples. So, not only did the incident occur on the Sabbath, but also according to Jewish commentary on the Biblical passage, David and his men’s lives were at risk because of their great hunger. Their life-threatening hunger is crucial because of the legal rulings in the Oral Torah.

Moreover, Yeshua directly refers to the Oral Law concerning the priests and the requirements of the Sabbath. He notes that the priests perform their tasks in the Temple on the Sabbath, even though their activities constitute work and would be forbidden without a proper interpretation of the Torah. In the Gospels this ruling is described with precision in the same way it appears in the later Jewish sources. The priests perform their work in the Temple on the Sabbath because their sacred duties take precedence over the laws pertaining to the day of rest. Yeshua employs the Oral Law to address those who question the actions of His disciples. He possesses an intimate acquaintance with the Oral Torah and does not betray any interest in violating either the Written Torah or its traditional Jewish interpretation. The Oral Law gives the written letter of the Bible its true force.

Vs. 6:5 Yeshua’s answer rises above a purely judicial ruling and reaches beyond into Israel’s past to create a dynamic approach to Sabbath observance. In fact, the words of Yeshua concerning the Sabbath and every human being are closely paralleled in Rabbinic literature. Sometimes the sayings of the ancient Jewish Rabbis are quite similar to the Gospel teaching of Yeshua. For example, the words of mark’s Gospel are almost identical to the teachings of the Jewish Sages, Rabbi Simeon ben Menasya, concerning Sabbath day observance.

Healing on the Sabbath
Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11

6:6 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. (See also Mt. 12:9,10a; Mk. 3:1)
6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. (See also Mt. 12:10b; Mk. 3:2)
12:11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?”
12:12 “Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
6:8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man with the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. (See also Mk. 3:3)
6:9 Then Yeshua said to them, “I will ask you one thing: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil, to save a life or destroy it?” (See also Mk. 3:4)
6:10 And looking around them all, He said to the man, “Stretch forth your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (See also Mt. 12:13; Mk. 3:5)
6:11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do with Yeshua. (See also Mt. 12:14; Mk. 3:6)

Vs. 6:6 The “Gospel According to the Hebrews” says the man with a withered hand was a mason, or stonecutter.

This conflict is also on the Sabbath day, except in a synagogue. The man with a withered hand is a plant, because the Pharisees are there observing to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. They challenge Him with the question, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Their purpose is to find something to accuse Him of so they can bring charges against Him.

Vs. 12:11 His response is in two points. First, works of necessity are allowed, even in Pharisaism, on the Sabbath day. If an animal fell into a pit, they were permitted to bring that animal out of it. Certainly human life is far more valuable than that of an animal. Secondly, healing and other works of mercy are allowed on the Sabbath.

Vs. 6:11 The response of the Pharisees was that they were filled with rage and began to plot against Him. But now, they take on some accomplices, the Herodians. Why would they do this? It was illegal for the death penalty to be imposed on anyone in Israel without the approval of the Roman government. The Herodians could act as intermediaries to get this accomplished.

This is significant in that these two groups were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. The Pharisees were against Herod’s rule, while the Herodians were in favor of it (thus their name). Yet, on this one issue of being against Yeshua, they joined forces. Evil intentions many times will bring arch-enemies together for a common goal. Good intentions very seldom will do this.

Behold, My Servant
Matthew 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-12

3:7 But Yeshua withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea. (Matt. 12:15a)
3:8 And Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, wen they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.
3:9 And He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.
3:10 For He healed many as had afflictions pressed Him to touch Him. (See also Mt. 12:15b)
3:11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”
3:12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. (See also Mt. 12:16)
12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
12:18 “Behold, My servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.”
12:19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.”
12:20 “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory.
12:21 “And in His name the Gentiles will trust.”

Vs. 3:7,8 The main point of this segment is to note the rising interest of the people in Yeshua and His message. This is no longer just of local interest, but His teaching is traveling far and wide. This is another indication of His acceptance by the common people of Israel, because it is they who are spreading the word about Him. Also the Bible says that a great multitude followed Him. There is no record of any other Rabbi in Israel accomplishing this. The people know that something out of the ordinary is happening here.

Vs. 3:11,12 This segment also again demonstrates His authority over demons. Why does He command them to be silent about who He is? Very simply, demons do not make good character witnesses.

Vs. 12:18 Even the Hebrew word for “judgment” (or justice) can mean salvation. In the same way, the Judges of the Old Testament were saviors or deliverers of the people, and not judges in the modern sense of the word.

The Twelve Apostles
Mark3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16
3:13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. (See also Lk. 6:12, 13a)
3:14 Then He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. (See also Lk. 6:13b)
3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.
3:16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter, (See also Lk. 6:14a)
3:17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name “Boanergies, that is, “sons of thunder.” (See also Lk. 6:15)
3:18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaneus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite;
3:19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
(See also Lk. 6:16)

Vs. 3:15 Notice that all of the disciples were given the power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons. This included Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Yeshua. Certainly this means that Judas was at this time a believer and saved. Later, he would backslide and commit the most heinous crime in history. So much for the teaching of “eternal security.”

Vs. 3:16 We are given in Scripture four different lists of the disciples. By the manner in which lists were compiled in the ancient world, we can deduce something. The names of Simon Peter, Philip, and James, the son of Alphaeus all appear in the same position in each list, while the rest of the names of the disciples are all mixed up. The point of this is according to the way the names were tabulated back then, we are told that there were three groups of four disciples, each group having a head. The significance of the first group is that all four of these were former disciples of Yochanan the Immerser. All four of the lists appear at the end of this segment.

Vs. 3:17 “Simon the Zealot” means that he was a member of the Zealot Party, an extreme branch of the Pharisees. In this party we have Matthew the Publican and a Zealot. Only Yeshua could bring these two extremes together in peace and harmony.

Vs. 3:18 Certain passing allusions in Josephus’ writings and in the Christian Gospels provide suggestive indications of the trend of events. The fact that Yeshua of Nazareth chose a Zealot named Simon as an apostle reveals that the Zealot Party was well known in Galilee about 28 C.E.

The Four Lists of the Twelve Apostles