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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
5:1-10:42 Mounting Jewish Opposition, Additional Signs. The "festival cycle" in John's Gospel, which spans chs. 5-10, is characterized by escalating conflict between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. In the course of Jesus' defense of his ministry, he cites several major witnesses on his behalf (see note on 5:31-47).
5:1 After this marks the passing of an indefinite period of time (cf. 6:1; 21:1). There is no way to be certain which feast is indicated by the unnamed feast of the Jews.
5:2 pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda. "Bethesda" means "house of mercy," a fitting term given the desperate state of the people lying there in hope of a miracle cure. See also note on 1:38. Various spellings of the name of this pool are found in the Greek manuscripts (see ESV footnote). Nonetheless, there remains strong reason to identify this pool with a single large two-pool complex near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem and adjacent to the modern Church of St. Anne. The two pools are separated from each other by a partition. The remains of columns found around this site help confirm that the partition between the pools, along with each of the four sides surrounding the pool complex, likely contained the five roofed colonnades (i.e., five stoas, which are covered walkways; a "colonnade" is a row of columns). A Byzantine basilica was built over this site.
5:3 The statement in the ESV footnote about an angel of the Lord stirring the water and the first person who stepped in being healed is found in some early manuscripts, but not the earliest. Therefore the omitted verse 4 should not be considered part of Scripture, although v. 7 (which is in all manuscripts) shows that people believed something like what this statement reports.
5:5 Invalid (Gk. astheneia), in light of v. 7, probably means "paralyzed," "lame," or "extremely weak" (the Greek term is the general expression for a "disabled" condition). He had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, longer than many people in antiquity lived. For a similar healing see Matt. 9:1-8.
5:6 Knew probably indicates Jesus' divine knowledge of the man's situation, similar to Jesus' knowledge of Nathanael (1:48) and the Samaritan woman (4:18).
5:7 When the water is stirred up indicates that people thought at least the first person entering the troubled water would be healed.
5:10 It is the Sabbath. Nothing in the OT specifically prohibited such an innocent activity as carrying one's bedroll on the Sabbath day (cf. Ex. 20:8-11), but the man was violating later Jewish traditions that had developed hundreds of minutely detailed and burdensome rules about what kind of "work" was prohibited, including a code that forbade carrying an object "from one domain into another" (Mishnah, Shabbat 7.2). Nonetheless, Jesus does not defend himself by getting into a rabbinic discussion on the nature of work. Rather, he claims he is working, just like God (John 5:17), and hence is, as the Synoptics teach, the lord of the Sabbath (cf. Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5).
5:14 Jesus meets the man again in the temple, that is, the larger temple complex rather than the actual building (see note on 2:14), a short distance from where the original healing had taken place (the pool of Bethesda is located just north of the Temple Mount). Sin no more may imply that the man's suffering was due to sin, without suggesting that all suffering is due to personal sin (see note on 9:2).
5:16 Jesus' Jewish opponents were putting their merely human religious tradition above genuine love and compassion for others, which the OT commanded (e.g., Lev. 19:18) and Jesus exemplified. It was Jesus, not these Jews, who was truly obeying the Scriptures.
5:17 My Father suggests a far closer relationship with God than other people had (see 20:17). When Jesus says, "My Father is working until now, and I am working," he implies that he, like the Father, is lord over the Sabbath. Therefore this is a claim to deity. These Jews recognize what he is claiming (see 5:18). While Gen. 2:2-3 teaches that God rested (Hb. shabat) on the seventh day of creation, Jewish rabbis agreed that God continually upholds the universe, yet without breaking the Sabbath. (In John 7:22-23 Jesus makes a different argument about healing on the Sabbath; see also note on 9:14.)
5:18 making himself equal with God. Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God, not in the way that ordinary human believers are sons of God but in the sense of one who was equal to God in his nature and in every way, yet who related to God in a Father-Son relationship (see note on 1:14). If Jesus had been merely a man (as his Jewish opponents thought), then this claim would have been blasphemy on Jesus' part.
5:19 Jesus' claim that the Son can do nothing of his own accord, taken with vv. 17-18, affirms two themes:
5:20 The Father shows to Jesus all that he himself is doing--i.e., Jesus perceives God's hand and purpose in every event in this world. The greater works are initially the raising of the dead (11:1-45). Even more, they include Jesus' own death and resurrection (chs. 18-20), then the voice of this same Jesus summoning all mankind to final resurrection and judgment (5:27-30).
5:21 Jesus' statement that the Son also gives life to whom he will is another claim to deity, showing that Jesus does what only God can do, for the OT makes clear that raising the dead and giving life are the sole prerogatives of God (cf. Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6; 2 Kings 5:7). This "life" is both the new "life" now given to believers (John 5:24; 11:25-26; 2 Cor. 5:17) and the resurrection of the body at Christ's second coming (1 Cor. 15:42-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; see Dan. 12:2).
5:22 Jesus' assertion that the Father . . . has given all judgment to the Son is yet another claim to deity, since judgment is the exclusive prerogative of God (e.g., Gen. 18:25; Judg. 11:27). The Father has delegated the work of final judgment to the Son.
5:23 The statement that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father in effect establishes Jesus' right to be worshiped and also amounts to a claim to deity. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him shows that religions such as Judaism and Islam that consider Jesus merely a great prophet do not represent the truth about God, because they fail to worship and honor Jesus.
5:24 Has eternal life is one of the most striking statements in John regarding the present possession of eternal life. Eternal life begins immediately, in a partially realized but significant way, when one believes in Jesus. Those who believe can face the last judgment with confidence (cf. 1 John 5:11-13).
5:25 Here Jesus is not emphasizing the final resurrection but the present reality and experience of eternal life, for he says the hour is now here. The phrase the dead refers to the spiritually dead who hear Jesus' message and believe.
5:26 For. This verse explains why the voice of Jesus is able to speak to dead people and grant them life. Just as the Father was never created and was never given his life by someone else, but has life in himself so that he can impart that life to others, so the Son has life in himself and is able to call the dead to life. He has granted the Son does not mean that the Father created the Son (see 1:3 and note) but that the Father authorized the Son to be able to give life to other people (thus this verse explains 5:25). This statement about "life in himself" echoes the affirmation in the prologue that "in him [Jesus] was life" (1:4; see also 3:15-16; 11:25; and note on 14:6).
5:27 Because he is the Son of Man echoes Dan. 7:13; see note on John 1:51. Because Jesus is not only the divine Son of God but also the truly human "Son of Man" who is the eternal world ruler prophesied in Dan. 7:13-14, the Father has given him authority to carry out the final judgment of every human being.
5:28-29 Jesus reaffirms the resurrection on the last day. Cf. Dan. 12:2. Those who have done good . . . those who have done evil does not imply that people's deeds in this life are the basis on which judgment is pronounced (for that would contradict John's strong emphasis on belief in Jesus as the way to gain eternal life: see John 3:16; 5:24-25; etc.). Instead, good works function as evidence of true faith, and if good works are lacking they show an absence of true faith. All those who truly believe will be brought "from death to life" (v. 24) and as a consequence will do good and will therefore enjoy the resurrection of life.
5:31-47 In this section, Jesus speaks of several witnesses who bear testimony concerning him (see chart). The Johannine "witness" theme, in turn, is part of the larger "trial motif," according to which it was not Jesus who was put on trial and condemned by the world but rather the world that was put on trial by Jesus. In order to demonstrate Jesus' innocence and the world's guilt, John parades before the reader a multitude of witnesses who bear testimony to Jesus' true messianic identity and hence establish the world's guilt in rejecting Jesus.
5:31 Jesus' statement is in keeping with OT teaching regarding the need for multiple witnesses (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; cf. Num. 35:30). I alone represents the inclusion of the pronoun egō in Greek, which makes bear witness emphatic and clarifies that such witness is not deemed true in court.
5:32 The Jews may think another refers to the Baptist (cf. vv. 33-35), but Jesus is talking about God the Father (v. 37).
5:35 Jesus' characterization of the Baptist as a burning and shining lamp echoes Ps. 132:17, where it is said that God has "prepared a lamp" for his anointed. John the Baptist was a "lamp," but not the light (John 1:7-9); his witness was small (though important) and of a temporary nature. The past tense may imply that John is now dead or at least in prison. See also notes on 3:28-30. On "lamp," see note on Matt. 25:3-4.
5:37 The Father . . . has himself borne witness refers to the whole of the Father's witness, including all of Jesus' miracles and teaching as directed by the Father (3:2; 5:19-20) and all of God's witness in Scripture (cf. vv. 45-47; Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 13:27; 1 John 5:9).
5:39 The study of Scripture does not by itself impart life. The Scriptures rather bear witness to the One who gives life, namely, Jesus (cf. vv. 46-47). Consequently, the study of the Bible ought to result in genuine faith in Jesus, followed by obedient action and transformed lives, not merely acquisition of Bible knowledge. it is they that bear witness about me. People who (like Jesus' Jewish opponents) read the OT without seeing that it all points to Jesus fail to understand its message. See also Overview of the Bible.
5:43 I have come in my Father's name means that Jesus came in the authority of the Father and, in a deeper sense, represented the entire character of the Father (his "name" in an OT sense represented all that was true about him). If another comes. Jesus predicted the proliferation of false christs (Matt. 24:24 par.) as a sign of the end times (Matt. 24:5 par.), and the Jewish historian Josephus reports a whole string of messianic pretenders before .
5:44 One reason people fail to believe is that they long for the approval and favor of others instead of seeking the approval and favor of God.
5:46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me assumes that genuine believers have a heart that is receptive to the true words of God, and therefore those who believe the words of God as written by Moses (that is, Genesis-Deuteronomy) will also recognize and eagerly receive the words of God as spoken by Jesus. Those who disbelieve Moses' writings will also disbelieve Jesus. For he wrote of me applies not only to specific predictions like Deut. 18:15 but also to all the ways in which the history of salvation in these writings pointed to Christ (e.g., Luke 24:27, 44; John 1:45; 3:14; 8:56; Acts 26:22; 28:23; 1 Cor. 10:4; Heb. 11:23-26; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; Jude 5; and Overview of the Bible).
6:1-15 The feeding of the multitude (recorded in all four Gospels; cf. Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17) constitutes another of Jesus' messianic "signs" (see note on John 2:11). The sign shows that Jesus fulfills symbolism related to God's provision of manna to Israel in the wilderness through Moses (see 6:30-31).
6:1 After this again indicates the passing of an unspecified period of time (cf. 5:1). As much as may have passed since the previous event. Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias (cf. 21:1). This lake (also known as the Kinneret) is fed from the Jordan to the north and spills out again to the Jordan in the south. It currently measures approximately
6:3 Mountain may refer not to any specific mountain but to the hill country east of the lake, known today as the Golan Heights (cf. Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46).
6:4 This is the second of three Passovers mentioned by John (cf. 2:13; 11:55), and the only one during Jesus' ministry that finds him in Galilee. See also note on 2:13.
6:7 Two hundred denarii constitute roughly wages, since one denarius was about pay (Matt. 20:2; cf. John 12:5).
6:9 Barley was common food for the poor (the more well-to-do preferred wheat bread). The fish were probably dried or preserved, possibly pickled.
6:10-11 The men numbered about five thousand, plus women and children (cf. Matt. 14:21), totaling perhaps as many as
6:14 the Prophet. The people here see Jesus as fulfilling the prediction of a prophet like Moses who was promised in Deut. 18:15, 18. (Cf. notes on John 1:20-21; 7:40-41. In Acts 3:22-23 Peter identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy; cf. Acts 7:37.) However, "prophet" is not a common title for Jesus and is more often used by those who know little about him (e.g., Matt. 16:14; John 4:19), since Jesus is much more than a prophet.
6:15 to make him king. Jesus did not want to be pushed into the middle of an unruly mob that would march to begin a futile, spontaneous uprising against the Roman authorities. The people did not understand that Jesus' kingship at his first coming was spiritual (see 18:36).
6:17 boat. See note on Matt. 4:21.
6:19 They had rowed about three or four miles. If the feeding of the multitude took place at the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the shortest distance to Capernaum would be
6:20 Jesus' words, "It is I," represent the Greek phrase egō eimi, which in other contexts can be translated "I am." Here it may allude to God's self-identification as "I am who I am" (Ex. 3:14) and may thus be an indication of Jesus' divinity. This connection becomes more clear when the phrase is repeated in later verses (see notes on John 6:35; 8:24; 8:58).
6:21 Immediately the boat was at the land is a miraculous instance of what is taught in Ps. 107:23-32 (esp. vv. 29-30): God alone stills the storm, and he is the one who brings those who travel the sea safely to their destination.
6:23-24 Tiberias. This chief and largest city on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee (see note on v. 1) was founded early in the by Herod Antipas in honor of his patron, the Roman emperor Tiberius (); it subsequently continued as the Galilean royal city under Agrippa I (). The city was built upon an old cemetery, and thus was considered unclean by many Jews until the , when it became the center of Palestinian rabbinic Judaism. The ancient city boasts a rich archaeological heritage, including evidence of a city gate, although many of the exposed structures are from a period just after the NT (such as the basilica and theater, the synagogue and nearby bath complex, and many Byzantine ruins from the ). While Capernaum (see note on Mark 1:21) is located on the northwest edge of the Sea of Galilee, Tiberias is several miles to the south.
6:26 But because you ate your fill of the loaves implies that people were seeking Jesus only for the physical or material benefit that he gave, whereas they should have sought him because they saw signs, that is, miraculous signs that pointed to Jesus' divine nature and identity as the true Messiah.
6:27 set his seal. A seal made of wax, clay, or various kinds of soft metal would signify either ownership or authentication of an item or a document; the second sense is probably in view here.
6:28-29 Doing the works represents the same word that is translated "labor" in v. 27 (Gk. ergazomai). Jesus tells them to work "for the food that endures to eternal life" (v. 27), but the people misunderstand Jesus' statement and ask about the works required by God. Jesus replies that the work God requires is that people believe in the Messiah.
6:31 The OT reference seems to involve several passages, with Ps. 78:23-24 being the most prominent (see also Ex. 16:4, 15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 105:40). The passage sustains links with
6:32 The true bread from heaven would be something that nourishes people eternally and spiritually and thus is infinitely superior to the manna given to Israel in OT times, which was able to meet only temporal, physical needs. Jesus identifies himself as this "true bread" in v. 35.
6:35 Jesus' claim, "I am the bread of life," constitutes the first of seven "I am" sayings recorded in this Gospel (see chart). Apart from these sayings there are also several absolute statements where Jesus refers to himself as "I am" (e.g., v. 20; 8:24, 28, 58; 18:5), in keeping with the reference to God as "I am" in Ex. 3:14 and the book of Isaiah (e.g., Isa. 41:4; 43:10, 25). Jesus is the "bread of life" in the sense that he nourishes people spiritually and satisfies the deep spiritual longings of their souls. In that sense, those who trust in him shall not hunger; that is, their spiritual longing to know God will be satisfied (cf. John 4:14 for a similar discussion of satisfying people's spiritual thirst).
6:37 Whoever comes to me I will never cast out implies that people should never think, "Maybe I am not chosen by God, and therefore maybe Jesus will reject me when I come to him." Jesus promises to receive everyone who comes to him and trusts him for salvation. Yet, a few verses later (v. 44) Jesus states the paradoxical and corresponding truth that once people come to Jesus, they will realize that behind their willing decision to come and believe lies the mysterious, invisible work of the Father who all along was drawing them to Christ. See Romans 9; Eph. 1:3-6.
6:39 All that he has given me implies that everyone who has been chosen by the Father and has been "given" by the Father to the Son for salvation will in fact be saved. In v. 40 Jesus further explains that these people whom the Father has "given" him are also those who believe in the Son and have "eternal life."
6:40 everyone who . . . believes in him. See notes on 3:16; 3:18. This verse implies that no true believer will ever lose his or her salvation, since everyone who believes in the Son will also have eternal life and will continue as a believer until the final judgment (the last day), when Jesus will raise him up into the fullness of eternal life.
6:43 The grumbling is reminiscent of the pattern of grumbling against God in the OT (e.g., Ex. 16:8; Num. 14:27; Ps. 95:8-9).
6:44 No one can come to me means "no one is able to come to me" (Gk. dynamai means "to be able"). This implies that no human being in the world, on his own, has the moral and spiritual ability to come to Christ unless God the Father draws him, that is, gives him the desire and inclination to come and the ability to place trust in Christ (see notes on v. 37; 12:32).
6:51 living bread. The "bread" Jesus gives is his flesh (a reference to Jesus' death on the cross). Jesus' statement intermingles physical and spiritual truth. Jesus is not talking about literal "bread," but he is the true "living bread" in the sense that those who believe in him have their spiritual hunger satisfied. He becomes this spiritually satisfying "bread" by sacrificing his own physical body in his death on the cross, and in that sense he can say that this spiritual bread is my flesh.
6:52 Another example of misunderstanding in which Jesus' hearers take him literally (cf. 3:4; 4:15). Jesus teaches spiritual truths by referring to physical objects, and people frequently misunderstand.
6:53 Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood cannot be intended literally, for no one ever did that. As Jesus has done frequently in this Gospel, he is speaking in terms of physical items in this world to teach about spiritual realities. Here, to "eat" Jesus' flesh has the spiritual meaning of trusting or believing in him, especially in his death for the sins of mankind. (See also v. 35, where Jesus speaks of coming to him as satisfying "hunger" and believing in him as satisfying "thirst.") Similarly, to "drink his blood" means to trust in his atoning death, which is represented by the shedding of his blood. Although Jesus is not speaking specifically about the Lord's Supper here, there is a parallel theme, because the receiving of eternal life through being united with "the Son of Man" is represented in the Lord's Supper (where Jesus' followers symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood; cf. 1 Cor. 11:23-32). This is anticipated in OT feasts (see 1 Cor. 5:7) and consummated in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).
6:60 It was a hard saying because they wrongly interpreted Jesus' statements literally (see note on v. 53).
6:63 The flesh (i.e., human nature including emotions, will, and intellect) is completely incapable of producing genuine spiritual life (see Rom. 7:14-25), for this can only be done by the Spirit. But the Holy Spirit works powerfully in and through the words that Jesus speaks, and those words are spirit and life in the sense that they work in the unseen spiritual realm and awaken genuine spiritual life.
6:64 Jesus' divine omniscience is shown by the fact that he knew the status of everyone's heart and therefore he knew who those were who did not believe. He also knew the future because he knew who it was who would betray him. Only God could know these things.
6:66 Many of these early disciples were not genuine disciples of Christ, for they turned back. Their initial "faith" was not genuine and they were perhaps following Jesus only because of the physical benefits he gave, such as healing and multiplying food.
6:67 This is the first reference to the Twelve in this Gospel (cf. vv. 70, 71; 20:24). Their existence and appointment are assumed from the Synoptics (cf. the reference to Andrew as "Simon Peter's brother" in 1:40).
6:68 To whom shall we go rightly implies that there is no other teacher who can lead people to eternal life and to true fellowship with God himself.
6:69 We have believed implies that Jesus' disciples at this point had genuine, saving faith (though they would still have to learn much more about Jesus' death and resurrection and the meaning of these things for them). Peter's confession of Jesus as the Holy One of God anticipates later references to Jesus being consecrated, or set apart for service to God (10:36; 17:19). In the OT, God was called "the Holy One of Israel" (Ps. 71:22; Isa. 43:3; 54:5). See the similar confessions of Jesus as the Christ by Peter in the Synoptics (Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20).
7:2 The Jewish Feast of Booths, also called Tabernacles, was celebrated in September or October, two months prior to the Feast of Dedication (see note on 10:22). It is called the "Feast of Booths" because people lived in leafy shelters to remember God's faithfulness to Israel during her wilderness wanderings (Lev. 23:42-43; cf. Matt. 17:4 par.). It was also a time of celebration and thanksgiving for the harvest (Lev. 23:39-41; Deut. 16:13-15; cf. Ex. 23:16; 34:22). See also note on John 2:13.
7:3-4 Jesus' brothers (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) are best understood to be other naturally born sons of Mary, for that is the ordinary and natural sense of the Greek adelphoi ("brothers"). However, Roman Catholics believe that Mary remained a "perpetual virgin" and did not have other naturally born children, so they commonly explain this verse by saying that Joseph must have had other children from a previous marriage (or, less frequently, by saying that these must be Jesus' cousins). (But cf. Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:7.) Jesus' brothers' advice stems from unbelief (cf. John 7:5) and reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus' messianic identity (cf. Matt. 4:5-7 par.).
7:5 So real and genuine was Jesus' humanity, and so well hidden was his deity before he began his earthly ministry, that even those who had lived in the same house with him for did not know who he was: not even his brothers believed in him. They lived and ate and slept in the same rooms as the eternal Son of God and did not know it.
7:6 My time in John probably refers to the cross (see note on 2:4). Jesus speaks at a deeper level that is misunderstood by his brothers. Your time then refers to "your time to go up to the feast with the crowds who are going to Jerusalem." In both cases the word "time" is kairos in Greek, meaning time that is suitable, right, or opportune.
7:7 The world cannot hate Jesus' brothers because they themselves belonged to the world; they did not yet believe in Jesus.
7:8 Jesus' statement, "I am not going up to this feast," should not be taken as a mistake by John or a falsehood by Jesus, even though John then records that Jesus did go up to the feast (v. 10). The Greek present tense in v. 8 can legitimately have the sense, "I am not now going," indicating that Jesus did not go up to the feast in the way the brothers suggested, for they wanted Jesus to manifest himself to his contemporaries for secular reasons. In fact, many of the oldest and best manuscripts have oupō (Gk. "not yet") rather than simply ouk (Gk. "not"), and that might have been the original reading, though the reading "not" seems more likely to be original.
7:12 leading the people astray. Later Jewish literature likewise calls Jesus a deceiver.
7:15 The Jews may include both the Judean crowds and the Jewish authorities. he has never studied. Jesus lacked formal rabbinic training (as did his disciples, Acts 4:13), but his teaching and authority came from God (John 7:16; 8:28; cf. Matt. 5:21ff.; 7:28-29).
7:17 Whether people follow Jesus depends on whether they are willing to obey him. Those who are morally willing to follow Jesus will be intellectually convinced that he is the way, the truth, and the life (cf. 14:6).
7:20 This is one of several instances where Jesus is falsely charged with demon possession (cf. 8:48; 10:20; Matt. 12:24 par.). The same charge was leveled against John the Baptist (Matt. 11:18). Other false accusations include breaking the Sabbath (John 5:16, 18; 9:16), blasphemy (5:18; 8:59; 10:31, 33, 39; 19:7), deceiving the people (7:12, 47), being a Samaritan (8:48), madness (10:20), and criminal activity (18:30).
7:22 This recalls Gen. 17:9-14 (the fathers, i.e., Abraham), Ex. 12:44, 48-49, and Lev. 12:3 (Moses). Jesus' argument is "from the lesser to the greater": the Jews were to circumcise their males on the eighth day even if that day fell on the Sabbath (the "lesser" issue); if "perfecting" one part of the human body on the Sabbath was legitimate, how much more the healing of an entire person (the "greater" issue).
7:27 But we know. Some rabbis taught that the Messiah would be wholly unknown until he set out to procure salvation for Israel. Others, however, were sure about his birthplace (v. 42; cf. Matt. 2:1-6).
7:30 Because his hour had not yet come shows Jesus' strong awareness of God's providential direction of the circumstances of his life; his enemies could not capture or harm him until "the hour" of his arrest, crucifixion, and death, as ordained by God. God the Father would not allow these things to happen until the earthly ministry of Jesus (God the Son) was complete. (See note on 2:4; also 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1.)
7:31 Since the Messiah would be a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15, 18) and Moses performed many miraculous signs at the exodus (Exodus 7-11), the Messiah was expected to perform miracles as well (cf. John 6:30-31). In any case, it would have been natural for people to wonder, after witnessing Jesus' miracles, if he was the Messiah.
7:32 The chief priests and Pharisees, representing the Sanhedrin, deployed officers (or temple police) to arrest Jesus. The temple police were drawn from the Levites and were charged with maintaining order in the temple precincts. The order to arrest Jesus implies that they planned to allege criminal activity on his part (but see further vv. 45-52).
7:35 People misunderstand Jesus' statement in v. 34 (see also 3:4; 4:15; 6:52). The Dispersion (Gk. diaspora) was a common Jewish expression to refer to all the Jewish people scattered throughout the Roman Empire, and even beyond the bounds of the empire, but not living in Palestine itself.
7:37 While v. 14 makes reference to "the middle of the feast," this is now the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus' invitation refers back to OT prophetic passages such as Isa. 55:1 (see also Isa. 12:3). thirsts. That is, "thirsts" for God (see note on John 4:14). To come to Jesus and drink means to believe in him, to enter into a trusting, ongoing personal relationship with him. Both the image of "coming" to Jesus as one would come to a person and the image of "drinking" imply not mere intellectual assent but a wholehearted personal involvement and participation.
7:38 Although there is no specific Scripture passage from the OT that matches Jesus' words here, he is apparently giving a summary of the teaching and implication of several passages that picture the inward work of God in a believer as a river of water flowing out to bring blessing to others (see Prov. 4:23; Isa. 58:11).
7:39 As yet the Spirit had not been given does not mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to Jesus' resurrection, for already in Gen. 1:2 the Holy Spirit was present in the world, "hovering over the face of the waters" (see also Gen. 6:3; 41:38; Ex. 31:3; Num. 11:25). Some OT verses even speak of the Spirit of God at work within believers prior to the coming of Christ (see Num. 27:18; Deut. 34:9; Ezek. 2:2; 3:24; Dan. 4:8-9, 18; 5:11; Mic. 3:8; cf. Luke 1:15, 41, 67). This verse must therefore mean that "the Spirit had not been given" in the full and powerful sense that was promised for the new covenant age (see Ezek. 36:26, 27; 37:14; Joel 2:28-29; cf. John 20:22; Acts 2:1-13).
7:40-41 The Prophet is the figure referenced in Deut. 18:15-18 (see notes on John 1:20-21; 6:14). This "Prophet" and the Messiah were held to be different persons by some in Judaism. Jesus is both.
7:42 Bethlehem, a village south of Jerusalem in the heart of Judea, is clearly predicted as the Messiah's birthplace in Mic. 5:2 (cf. Matt. 2:5-6; see also notes on John 7:27 and Matt. 2:1). the Christ . . . comes from (Bethlehem). The irony is apparent, for they did not realize that Bethlehem was in fact Jesus' birthplace.
7:45-46 officers. See note on v. 32. No one ever spoke like this man is more profoundly true than these officers could have realized, for no other man in history has been fully God as well and thus able to speak with the infinite knowledge and authority of God himself.
7:52 Contrary to the Pharisees' implication, prophets occasionally did arise from Galilee, such as Jonah (2 Kings 14:25), and possibly Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) and Nahum (Nah. 1:1). The Pharisees may simply have been reflecting current bias against Galileans, or John may be reporting their willingness even to distort the facts in order to make their arguments against Jesus (see John 8:44, 55).
7:53-8:11 There is considerable doubt that this story is part of John's original Gospel, for it is absent from all of the oldest manuscripts. But there is nothing in it unworthy of sound doctrine. It seems best to view the story as something that probably happened during Jesus' ministry but that was not originally part of what John wrote in his Gospel. Therefore it should not be considered as part of Scripture and should not be used as the basis for building any point of doctrine unless confirmed in Scripture.
8:12 I am. See note on 6:35. Jesus is the light of the world (see note on 1:4-5; also 3:19-21; 12:35-36, 46). Jesus fulfills OT promises of the coming of the "light" of salvation and the "light" of God (e.g., Ex. 25:37; Lev. 24:2; Ps. 27:1; Isa. 9:2; 42:6; 49:6; John 9:5; Acts 13:47; 26:18, 23; Eph. 5:8-14; 1 John 1:5-7).
8:15 according to the flesh. That is, according to the natural understanding and human standards of this world. When Jesus says, "I judge no one," he means that during his earthly ministry he did not come as judge of the world but as its Savior (see 3:17; 12:47). However, Jesus' coming does itself provide a basis for division and thus "judgment" in another sense (see 3:19; 9:39), and at a later time Jesus will come to judge the entire world (see 5:22, 27, 29; 12:48). In yet another sense, where "judge" means "rightly evaluate," Jesus does judge events and people throughout his earthly ministry (see 5:30; 7:24; 8:16, 26).
8:20 The treasury as a structure is mentioned in Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 19.294; Jewish War 6.282) and likely was located adjacent to the Court of the Women (Josephus, Jewish War 5.200; cf. Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). The NT occurrences of this Greek term may indicate either a collection box for the treasury or the treasury structure itself. Furthermore, in John 8:20 the Greek preposition (en), translated as "in the treasury," can mean "in the vicinity of" (i.e., "at" or "by"); thus it need not be assumed that Jesus and the disciples had access to the secured halls that stored the immense wealth of the temple. hour. See notes on 2:4; 7:30.
8:21 Where I am going refers to heaven, in the presence of the Father.
8:23 From below means belonging to this natural world; from above means from heaven, from God the Father, and also following his will and speaking his truth.
8:24 I am he at one level may simply mean "I am the Messiah" or the one "sent" by the Father (or, in view of v. 12, "I am the light of the world"). The Greek phrase egō eimi simply means "I am" and is used in an ordinary sense in 9:9 by a man Jesus healed. However, John is fond of using words with a double meaning (see notes on 3:14; 4:10; 11:50-51; 19:19; cf. also 3:7-8) and this verse is one of several that hint at a connection with God's statement to Moses in Ex. 3:14, "I am [Gk. Septuagint: Egō eimi] who I am." See notes on John 6:20; 8:58.
8:29 This verse affirms not only Jesus' lack and avoidance of sin but also that he is always doing positive things that are pleasing to God.
8:31 Their "belief" is shown to be false in the course of the story (see vv. 33-47). To abide in Jesus' word means to continue believing what Jesus has said and walking in obedience to him (see note on 15:4; also 6:56; 1 John 2:6, 28; 3:6). This verse shows that continuing to trust Jesus and obey him is one test of who are truly my disciples.
8:32 This verse is frequently quoted out of context, but the connection with v. 31 shows that Jesus is only talking about one way to know the truth, and that is by continuing to believe and obey his word. set you free. From the guilt and enslaving power of sinful patterns of conduct (see note on v. 34).
8:34 A slave to sin (see also notes on Rom. 6:16 and 1 Cor. 7:21) means unable to escape from sinful patterns of conduct without the help of Jesus to set a person free (see John 8:36).
8:36 Sets you free from both the guilt and the life-controlling power of sin (and probably also from the accompanying influence of demonic activity, as Jesus mentions in v. 44).
8:37 my word finds no place in you. It was not the persuasiveness or power of Jesus' words that determined how people responded to him, but the spiritual condition of their own hearts.
8:39-40 Jesus had just agreed that they were physically descended from Abraham (v. 37), but now he denies that they are truly Abraham's children, for their behavior contradicts their claim. This implies that Abraham's true children are only those who believe in Jesus (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6-8). What Abraham did most prominently was believe God (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Similarly, the Jews who are speaking here should believe in Jesus, for he comes from God and is speaking the very words of God.
8:42-44 Their response to Jesus shows they are not truly God's children, but children of the Devil. The clear implication is that not all religious people are children of God--not even Jewish people who reject Jesus--but only those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
8:43 not understand. Throughout this Gospel many people misunderstand Jesus and his teaching. Here he gives the reason: it is because you cannot bear (or, "you are not able," Gk. dynamai) to hear my word, where "hear" should be taken in the sense of "hear and receive," or "hear and accept."
8:44 The Devil was a murderer from the beginning: that is, the Devil incited Cain to kill Abel (cf. 1 John 3:15). Has nothing to do with the truth can also be translated, "does not stand in the truth," in the sense of the realm that he lives and acts and thinks in. He is the father of lies: at the fall, the Devil blatantly contradicted God's word (Gen. 3:3-4; cf. Gen. 2:17).
8:56 Abraham rejoiced that he would see the day of Christ; he saw it and was glad. Jesus is possibly referring to a whole pattern of joyful and confident faith in Abraham's life, rather than one specific event. If the reference is to one event, some possibilities are Gen. 12:1-3; or 17:17, 20; or 22:8, 13-18; cf. Rom. 4:13-21.
8:58 If there had been any uncertainty about Jesus' identity in other passages where he said, "I am" (e.g., 6:35; 9:5; 11:25), there was no confusion here because Jesus is claiming to be the one who was alive before Abraham was, that is, more than earlier. Jesus does not simply say, "Before Abraham was, I was," which would simply mean that he is more than old. Rather, he uses the present tense "I am" in speaking of existence more than earlier, thus claiming a kind of transcendence over time that could only be true of God. The words "I am" in Greek use the same expression (Egō eimi) found in the Septuagint in the first half of God's self-identification in Ex. 3:14, "I am who I am." Jesus is thus claiming not only to be eternal but also to be the God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush. His Jewish opponents understood his meaning immediately and they "picked up stones" to stone him to death for blasphemy (see John 8:59). See notes on 6:20; 8:24.
8:59 picked up stones. See note on Acts 7:58. Stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy (Lev. 24:16; cf. Deut. 13:6-11; John 10:31-33; 11:8). However, this punishment was supposed to be the result of righteous judgment, not mob violence (Deut. 17:2-7).
9:2 The disciples' question reflects the assumption, customary in ancient Judaism, that suffering could be traced to sin. The underlying concern--well-intentioned, but misguided--was not to charge God with perpetrating evil on innocent people (cf. Ex. 20:5; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9). Yet the NT makes clear that suffering is not always a direct result of a person's sin (e.g., Luke 13:2-3a; 2 Cor. 12:7; Gal. 4:13; and Jesus' crucifixion; see also John 12:28, 37-41; 17:1, 5).
9:3 That the works of God might be displayed in him indicates that God in his mysterious and wise providence sometimes allows his children to go through hardship and suffering so that they can experience God's mercy and power in delivering them.
9:4 While it is day refers to the time when Jesus is here in his earthly ministry, for he is "the light of the world" (8:12; 9:5) whose presence makes everything "day." Night would then be the time of Jesus' crucifixion and death. Jesus shows an intense awareness of the need to fulfill all that the Father sent him to accomplish during his earthly ministry; we indicates that he is involving his disciples in that work as well.
9:6 It is unclear why Jesus made mud and put it on the man's eyes. There may be an echo of God's creative activity in Gen. 2:7 (cf. John 20:22): the Creator is now re-creating.
9:7 pool of Siloam. This site had been associated in both scholarly and tourist literature with a pool connected with the remains of a Byzantine () church toward the south of the Temple Mount at the terminus of Hezekiah's tunnel, which brings water from the Gihon Spring. However, additional work just southeast of the traditional site has unearthed a much larger pool (
9:14 The belated mention of the Sabbath (cf. 5:9 and note on Matt. 12:8) recalls the earlier Sabbath controversy in John 5. Jesus had kneaded the clay with his saliva to make mud, and kneading dough (and by analogy, clay) was included among the
9:18-23 The fear of the parents highlights one of the fundamental reasons in John why many do not believe. They fear people more than God (see 5:44; 12:42-43).
9:22 because they feared the Jews. This does not refer to all Jews, for the parents were Jews themselves. The expression, as often in John, refers here to the Jewish leaders who were opposed to Jesus, and to the ordinary people who followed their lead. synagogue. See note on Luke 4:16.
9:31-33 The man's major premise, that God does not listen to sinners, reflects a theme in several OT passages (e.g., Ps. 34:15; 66:18; 109:7; 145:19). The man's minor premise, that there was no precedent for the opening of the eyes of a person born blind, is also confirmed by the absence of similar instances in the OT or extrabiblical sources. The man's conclusion (cf. John 3:2) concurs with the common Jewish view that miracles were performed in answer to prayer.
9:34 Cast him out refers to expulsion from the synagogue (see note on v. 22). The way this is done suggests an impulsive action rather than excommunication based on a formal procedure.
9:35-38 The man continues to be responsive to the revelation of who Jesus is. He confesses him as the Son of Man (see note on 1:51) and worships him.
9:41 If you were blind means if they had no knowledge at all about God's words or his laws, and no knowledge about who Jesus is. You would have no guilt (or sin, see ESV footnote) does not mean that they would be free of a sinful nature inherited from Adam, but that they would have no "guilt" for violating specific teachings or commands that they had received. Paul makes a similar argument in Rom. 1:18-3:20, namely, that all have received some knowledge of God (see Rom. 1:18-20, 32; 2:14-15).
10:1 The sheepfold was commonly a courtyard near or beside a house and bordered by a stone wall, in which one or several families kept their sheep, although caves and other natural formations were also used. Such sheepfolds may or may not have a formal door and would be guarded at the entrance by a "gatekeeper" (v. 3), who would be hired to stand watch, or by the shepherd himself (cf. vv. 7-10). The word thief may focus on entering by covert means and robber on the use of violence (cf. Luke 10:30, 36).
10:3-4 gatekeeper. See note on v. 1. Jesus' phrases the sheep hear his voice (v. 3) and they know his voice (v. 4) repeat a common theme in John: people who truly belong to God listen to and believe in the words of Jesus (cf. 5:46-47; 8:37, 45, 47). On God's appointing of human leaders to be "shepherds" of his people, see Num. 27:15-23; Isa. 63:11; Ezek. 34:1-24. Israel's exodus from Egypt is at times portrayed in terms of a flock being led by its shepherd (Ps. 77:20; Isa. 63:11, 14; cf. Ps. 78:52). OT prophetic literature envisioned a similar mode of end-time deliverance for God's people (Mic. 2:12-13). On Christ as the true shepherd, see note on John 10:11.
10:7 I am the door of the sheep. Jesus is the only way by which one can become part of the people of God (i.e., Jesus' flock). See also Ps. 118:20 and note on John 6:35.
10:8 All who came before me may hint at messianic pretenders who promised their followers freedom but instead led them into armed conflict and doom (cf. Acts 5:36-37; 21:38). thieves and robbers. See Ezek. 34:2-4 on Israel's shepherds who have been feeding themselves but not the sheep; see also note on John 10:1.
10:9 door. The NT elsewhere speaks of "entering" God's kingdom as through a door (e.g., Matt. 7:7, 13; 18:8-9; 25:10 par.; Acts 14:22). Jesus' language, will go in and out, echoes covenant terminology, especially the blessings for obedience in Deut. 28:6 (cf. Num. 27:16-17; Ps. 121:8). Find pasture conveys the assurance of God's provision (cf. 1 Chron. 4:40; Ps. 23:2; Isa. 49:9-10; Ezek. 34:12-15).
10:10 Jesus' promise of abundant life, which begins already in the here and now, brings to mind OT prophecies about abundant blessing (e.g., Ezek. 34:12-15, 25-31). Jesus calls his followers, not to a dour, lifeless, miserable existence that squashes human potential, but to a rich, full, joyful life, one overflowing with meaningful activities under the personal favor and blessing of God and in continual fellowship with his people.
10:11 I am the good shepherd. Another "I am" saying; see note on 6:35. In the OT, God as the true shepherd is contrasted with unfaithful shepherds who will be judged by him (Psalm 23; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34; Zech. 11:4-17; see note on John 10:8). But David or the Davidic Messiah is also depicted as a (good) shepherd (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70-72; Ezek. 37:24; Mic. 5:4), as is Moses (Isa. 63:11; cf. Ps. 77:20). Jesus as God and man is the fulfillment of both of these themes. The reference to the "good shepherd" who lays down his life for the sheep calls to mind young David, who literally risked his life for his sheep (1 Sam. 17:34-37). But Jesus surpassed David in that he gave his life on the cross for his sheep. See also John 10:15.
10:16 The other sheep that are not of this fold (cf. v. 1) are Gentiles (cf. Isa. 56:8). The phrase one flock, one shepherd alludes to Ezek. 34:23; 37:24; but here Jesus applies it more broadly, as Jews and Gentiles will be united in one messianic community (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 2:11-22).
10:17 I lay down my life that I may take it up again implies that Jesus voluntarily yielded up his life when he knew that his suffering was completed (see 19:30). It also implies that the divine nature of Christ was active in his resurrection: he was able to "take up" his life again.
10:20-21 The charge of demon possession (see note on 7:20) is contradicted by OT teaching that it is the Lord who gives sight to the blind (Ps. 146:8; cf. Ex. 4:11).
10:22 The Feast of Dedication celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple in , after its desecration by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes IV in (1 Macc. 1:59).
10:23 On temple denoting the larger temple area, see note on 2:14. Probably because of the cold winter weather (see 10:22), Jesus did not teach out in the open but in the area called the colonnade (see note on 5:2) of Solomon. While this structure is not mentioned by name in other existing sources, it is likely that this should be identified with the stoa (covered walkway) on the eastern side of the Temple Mount, for it is here that the older parts of the temple were still remembered as Solomonic (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.220-221). Cf. Acts 3:11.
10:26-29 Those who belong to Jesus' flock (i.e., those who are chosen by him) are those who believe. The reason people do not believe is because they are not part of Jesus' flock, implying that God must first give them the ability to believe and make them part of his people with a new heart (see 1:13; 6:44). Eternal life (10:28) by definition can never be taken away (see note on 6:40), especially when Jesus' sheep belong to him and to his Father. Snatch in 10:28 and 29 denotes the use of force (see note on v. 1). Note the contrast with the "hired hand" in vv. 12-13 who abandons the flock in times of danger (cf. Isa. 43:13).
10:30 Jesus' claim that I and the Father are one (i.e., one entity--the Gk. is neuter; cf. 5:17-18; 10:33-38) echoes the Shema, the basic confession of Judaism, whose first word in Deut. 6:4 is shema‘ (Hb. "hear"). Jesus' words thus amount to a claim to deity. Hence, the Jews pick up stones to put him to death. Jesus' unity with the Father is later said to constitute the basis on which Jesus' followers are to be unified (John 17:22). As in 1:1, here again the basic building blocks of the doctrine of the Trinity emerge: "I and the Father" implies more than one person in the Godhead, but "are one" implies that God is one being.
10:34 Jesus' point in quoting Ps. 82:6 is that if human judges (Ps. 82:2-4) can in some sense be called gods (in light of their role as representatives of God), this designation is even more appropriate for the one who truly is the Son of God (John 10:33, 35-36).
10:35 Scripture cannot be broken. Jesus is depending on just one word ("gods") in the OT for his argument. When he says that Scripture "cannot be broken," he implies that every single word in Scripture is completely true and reliable. His opponents do not differ with this high view of Scripture, either here or anywhere else in the Gospels.
