Verse by Verse

30 I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.

31 If I bear witness of myself, My witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He witnesseth of Me is true.

I can of My own self do nothing (v.30) — A statement of the Son’s unity with the Father, not an indication of limitation. Jesus Christ has a will, but it is in entire subjection to the Father’s will. That was His nature. The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise (John 5:19).

My judgment is just (v.30) — He will not judge in grace but in absolute righteousness — an answer to any who say a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to hell.

My witness is not true (v.31) — In Jewish law, a self-witness is uncorroborated, invalid and open to suspicion. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of Thyself; Thy record is not true (John 8:13).

My witness is not true — This is an extension of the previous verse — If I bear witness independently of the Father, I have contradicted what I just said. It doesn’t mean that what He says in witness to Himself is untrue. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me (John 8:14-16).

Two or three witnesses were required — At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death (Deuteronomy 17:6). One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established (Deuteronomy 19:15).

another that beareth witness (v.32) — present tense. Jesus wasn’t referring to John the Baptist because he was dead. He’s speaking of the Father who witnessed through John the Baptist, through Scripture, and through Jesus’ works.

the witness He witnesseth of Me is true (v.32) — The Father’s witness is enough. It is true. But to keep with the law, He offers more.

John wrote, in part, to counter the Gnostics who, by 80 AD were already denying Christ’s deity.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself;

27 And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

hear and believe (v.24) — In the Greek, these are two phases of one response. Hear it and accept it as true.

To believe the Father is to believe in the Son He sent.

hath (has) everlasting life (v.24) — present tense. Is passed from death unto life. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15).

everlasting life is for those who believe God who sent Christ and who hear Christ’s Word.

shall not come into condemnation (v.24) — Our judgment was borne by Christ on the cross.  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

the dead shall hear (v.25) — spiritually dead. The dead can hear because the Spirit gives life. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

The hour … now is (v.25) — Jesus’ ministry. Anyone who heard Him and believed has life. He came to bring life. He will come again to judge (verses 28-29).

God does not receive life from another source external to Himself and neither does the Son (v.26) . The Father gives to the Son to have life in Himself — a testimony of the relationship from eternity past, not an event. The Son has life in Himself and administers it to men.

Son of Man (v.27) — as a man, Christ will judge men. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).

resurrection of the unrighteous (v.29) — at the end of the Millenium. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:3-5).

done good (v.29) — not for salvation, but as a result of it, a characteristic.

they that have done evil (v.29) — People can reject Christ in life, but they cannot reject Him at the judgment.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.

The Son can do nothing of Himself. This isn’t a limitation but a statement of the perfect unity between the Father and the Son. He is not a separate God. His will is identical with the Father’s. The Son does what the Father does and He does it as the Father does (in accordance with the absolute perfection of their common Divine nature) and He does all the Father does.

The Father shows the Son. There are no secrets, no restraint and a complete equality of intelligence.

The Son isn’t doing similar things as the Father, but the same things. None of the three Persons of the Godhead can act apart from the others.

Only God has power over life and death. The Son has these powers because of His sovereignty, not by commission. He gives life “to whom He will.”

The theme of verse 19 is expanded in verse 30. Jesus’ first recorded statement in Luke 2:49 (… How is it that ye sought Me? wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?) echoes verse 19.

seeth (v. 19) — to perceive, to know. What He knows, the Father does.

greater works (v. 20) — the cross and Christ’s resurrection, the giving of life to the dead, His judgment …

The Son gives life (v. 21) — He is equal to the Father in sovereign ability and rights.

judgment (v. 22) — all future judgment, including the Judgment Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10), the judgment of the nations, Judgment of earth (Acts 17:31) and the Great White Throne Judgment.

honor the Son (v. 23) — Matthew 10:40; John 12:44-45

Verse 23 targets the very elders whom Jesus was talking to. They claimed to honor God but were persecuting the Son. The Father and the Son are equal in Divine honors.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

God rested on the seventh day because His work of creation was finished. It was good. But when man sinned, God’s work of redemption began. The Father has been unfolding His plan for redemption, and now the Son had arrived to do His role.

hitherto (v. 17) = until now

Jesus Christ is in fellowship with God and shares His council and His work. He is equal with God and therefore God.

He said “My Father,” not “our Father.” He had a relationship with God they couldn’t have. The Jews understood what His words conveyed, although they disagreed.

When the elders said Jesus made Himself equal with God, He didn’t disagree with their statement but continued His claims to be God.

The Gospels record seven times when Jesus healed on the Sabbath — Mark 1:21-28; Mark 1:29-31; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; Luke 14:1-6; John 5:1-18; John 9:1-16.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.

The Jews (Jewish leaders) didn’t care that the man was miraculously healed, only that he carried a blanket on the sabbath. The 39th and last rule in the tradition of the elders (man-made, not from God) was that nothing could be carried on the sabbath.

Nehemiah 13:9 and Jeremiah 17:21 mention carrying loads on the sabbath, but both refer to merchandise.

conveyed Himself away (v. 13) — to avoid attention and popular admiration. His moving away may have been done miraculously as in Luke 4:30.

lest a worse thing come unto thee (v. 14) — Likely, the man’s affliction was the result of a sin he had indulged in.

I think the elders knew who Jesus was and that they were upset, not that He broke the sabbath but, that He revealed that their rules and their “holiness” were hogwash.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The crippled man might be a type of Israel which wandered in the wilderness for 38 years after the Law was given. The Law cannot help a sinner because he has no strength to obey it. Jesus did what the Law could not do.

The lame leaping is a sign of the Kingdom to Israel. Isaiah 35:6: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. Jesus’ healing was witness that the King was here. See also Acts 3:1-8. The 1st miracle after Pentecost was healing the lame — evidence that the Kingdom was still being offered at that time.

Wilt thou be made whole? (v. 6) — We have free will. The Lord will not force Himself on us. But it also shows His sovereignty — there was a “multitude” by the pool, but as far as we know, Jesus only healed this one man who didn’t even know who He was.

rise (v.8) — have faith

take up thy bed (v.8) — no turning back

walk (v.8) — the life of the saved.

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

feast of the Jews (v. 1) — John did not refer to the feast as Jehovah’s feast because it was just an outward religious ceremony. The feast was probably Pentecost, one of three annual feasts for which Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem.

sheep gate (v. 2 — Nehemiah 3:1) — The gate through which sacrificial animals were brought to the temple.

Bethesda (v. 2) = house of mercy

The last clause in verse 3 and all of verse 4 are not in the earliest manuscripts and were probably added later by someone other than John.

If verse 4 wasn’t written by John (and it has always bothered me some) — There was probably a superstition that when the spring bubbled, the first one in would be healed. And since, as this passage shows, the healthier always got in first, the superstition probably wasn’t often put to much of a test.

If an angel did move the water, perhaps it was to show the impotency of the Law to save — The crippled man was there 38 years! — and how Christ was far superior to the Law.

46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought Him that He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49 The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

nobleman (v. 46) — courtier, perhaps in Herod’s court

The weakness of the man’s faith was shown by his desire that Jesus should “come down.” Contrast this with the centurion in Matthew 8:8.

seventh hour (v. 52) — one p.m.

The man believed Jesus’ word (v.50). His word brought life (John 6:63).

This is the second miracle (v.54) — both were 3rd day events. the first was turning water into wine (John 2:1).

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of His own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

43 Now after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee.

44 For Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in His own country.

45 Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

Prophecy of Christ’s ministry in Galillee — Isaiah 9:1-2: Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

The reason for His ministry is given in Matthew 4:12-16: Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

know (verse 42) = absolute knowledge and complete perception

Verse 42 — Many manuscripts do not include “the Christ.” The woman told them who He was — the Christ — but now they discovered what He was — the Savior.

country (verse 44) = father country, native place

His own country — Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24)

received Him (verse 45) — as a miracle-worker, but not as a prophet or as Messiah (see John 2:24-25 and John 4:48)

The Jews believed (but not really) because of His miracles. The Samaritans really believed because of His word alone without any miracles.

31 In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.

meat (v.32) = food. That which satisfies.

to do the will of Him that sent Me (He was sent for a purpose) (v.34) — taking the role of a servant. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day (John 6:38-39). But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

finish His work (v.34) — His death and resurrection. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do (John 17:4). When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:30). God’s work is appointing us for salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Christ’s work is doing the actual saving. He finishes the work.

What He was accomplishing for the world, He had just accomplished for the Samaritan woman.

The disciples considered Samaria an unlikely field. They thought it would take a long time and a lot of work to harvest.

There are yet four months … harvest (v.35) — Probably a cliche of the time to indicate the period between sowing and reaping.

Lift up your eyes (v.35) — perhaps Jesus pointed at the approaching crowd of Samaritans. In this case, sowing and reaping occurred one right after the other.

The reaper of a spiritual harvest receives spiritual wages — fruit — bringing others to eternal life. Sowing is labor. Reapers enjoy the rewards of the sowers’ efforts. Unlike in a physical harvest, where only the reaper rejoices in the fruit, in a spiritual harvest, both the sower and the reaper rejoice and receive wages.

that saying — He was referring perhaps to Micah 6:15 — Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. Or perhaps this was another adage of the time.

other men labored (v.38) — Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist. Labored = same word used in verse 6 as “wearied.”

Verse 38 is perhaps a reference to events in Matthew 10:7-8: And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

“He that reapeth receiveth wages” seems to mean, This is a work in which it is indeed a privilege to be engaged, for the laborer receives a glorious reward, inasmuch as he “gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” The reward is an eternal one, for not only do those saved through the labors of the reaper receive eternal life, but because of this the joy of both will be eternal too. “That both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” The sower may have labored hard toward the salvation of souls, and yet never be permitted to witness in this life the success which God gave to his efforts. The reaper, however, does witness the ingathering; nevertheless, both sower and reaper shall rejoice together in the everlasting salvation of those garnered through their joint efforts. — Pink, page 220.