Commentary on the Gospel of John; Chapters 1-5
by Dave Brown

Go to:
John 6-10
John 11-15
John 16-21

[Comments are given in brackets.]
 
John 1
 
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[How can something be with God and be God at the same time?  This seems to be sort of a riddle to seize our attention, but it is explained in verse 14.  The "Word" here is Jesus Christ; He is a divine being that preexisted creation
READ:
(John 17:5): “And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”  This is given further explanation in Philippians 2:5-8:
5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;  8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient (even) unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
“In the form of God” is a statement that prior to His coming to this earth, He had all of the divine characteristics of God the Father.  Two truths are being introduced here: (1) That Jesus had the closest possible relationship with His Father, and at the same time (2) That Jesus was deity and can thus be referenced as God in the same sense as God the Father.
Click here for a detailed article on the divinity of Jesus Christ.]
 
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
["In the beginning" means that He was not created -- he always existed just as God the Father had always existed.]
 
3 All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made.
[Recall how God created all things in Genesis:  "And God said ..."  It was through the instrumentality of the Word of God.  The power of creation is in the truth of God's Majesty.  The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was through whom God created all things.  This creation by God’s Word should give us a strong sense of the perfect relationship between God’s will for us and truth.]
 
4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[Life here is spiritual life; this verse shows that spiritual life is synonymous with light, which is full truthful enlightenment.  There is no deceit in what God and Jesus say.]
 
5 And the light shown in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
[Darkness is spiritual death or sin.  Apprehended = grasped with understanding and allowed to enter into the heart and soul.  Those who wish to remain in darkness cannot apprehend (or comprehend) the light -- they will not see its value and will not allow it to enter into their hearts.]
 
6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
[This was John the Baptism (JohnB for short, to distinguish from the apostle John who wrote this book). JohnB was sent by God and thus all he spoke were the words of God.]
 
7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.
[John the Baptist was a prophet like Isaiah -- he was a voice in the wilderness to prepare the ways so that there would be a semblance of order and righteousness so that Jesus could do his work for a short time. 
 
Isaiah 40:3: The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 
 
And Matthew 3:1-3  And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying,  2 Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness , Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.]
 
8 He was not the light, but (came) that he might bear witness of the light.
[Jesus was the light -- John the Baptist had a special mission -- to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.]
 
9 There was the true light, (even the light) which lights every man, coming into the world.
[This is referring to Jesus -- if we are to be enlightened spiritually, it will be Jesus who will do it.  Jesus spoke directly and he also later sent the Holy Spirit to speak for Him.
READ:
John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever things He shall hear, (these) shall He speak: and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come.]
 
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.
[Two main statement are made here: He was with us at one point in time but He was rejected.  Now the middle clause says the world was made through him -- speaking of humanity, they should have known Him as their Maker.  Had they known the Father, they would have known Him, and would not have crucified Him (1 Corinthians 2:8).]
 
11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not.
[This is speaking of the Jews -- his own nation.  The problem then is exactly as we see it today.  But this is not just a problem of Jews -- it is much the same with who call themselves Christians as well -- many just do not know the Father or the Son.  This is because they do not "receive him."]
 
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, (even) to them that believe on his name:
[What does it mean to receive him?  For one thing -- "to believe on his name."  But both terms are mistakenly understood, and they need considerably more definition than the speaking of the words.  Believing implies obedience – those who believe the promises gladly keep the conditions for accepting the free gift of eternal life.  If we receive him into our hearts and minds, then we have the right to become children of God, and heirs of eternal life.  It is not just something in our minds, it is what our lives become as a result]
 
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[Those who receive Christ are those who are born again.  This is defined in depth in Chapter 3.  It refers to baptism, but not to just getting wet in some ritual.  The saving power of Jesus Christ belongs to those who are "born of God."  This is a new birth, analogous to the resurrection of Christ from the dead (Romans 6:1-6).  Those saved are born again having their sins forgiven.]
 
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
[This is the answer to the riddle of verse 1.  What was the glory of Christ?  Military?  Athletic?  Political?  Scholarly?  No -- his glory was that of being full of grace and truth.  It was a spiritual glory, not a physical one.  It seems the main reason Jesus was rejected was that he did not satisfy the worldly demands of the Jewish leadership.  People just do not seem interested in spiritual things -- they want heaven on earth right now at no cost.]
 
15 John [the Baptist] bore witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for He was before me.
[This is another statement that Jesus had a pre-existence, in this case before John the Baptist.  The words “before” and “after” are being used in two different ways.  One is talking about Jesus’ life as a human being wneh He came to this earth.  The other is talking about the existence of the divine Son of God (Himself God) from eternity.  Please recognize that this John is John the Baptist (sometimes I will call him JohnB) -- it is not the John who wrote this book.  John will latter refer to himself as "the disciple whom the Lord loved."]
 
16 For of His fullness we all received, and grace for grace.  There is nothing of Jesus that we do not receive – he want to give us all of his blessing.  This is our by grace in that there is no way that we deserve it – not even by the smallest amount.  “Grace for Grace” =Hebrew idiom -- when Jewish writers wanted to empathize something, they would repeat it.  Grace is repeated to give us a feeling that John was talking about God’s infinite grace (unmerited favor).  Favor that we in no way deserve, and emphasizing also how great the “fullness” of Jesus is.
 
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
[This is not saying that there was NO grace and truth in the Law of Moses; just that it did not begin to compare to that which came through Jesus Christ.  There were no true forgiveness of sins under the Old Law like in Christ.  (It took Christ’s shed blood for Jesus to obtain forgiveness for our sins.)  Even though the word “forgiveness” is used in the Old Testament, it was in prospect of their being saved by the blood of Christ.  The law was unforgiving in that if you broke one edict of it (and everyone except Jesus did), then you were guilty of all.  So, this is the contrast -- between the Law of Moses and the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.]
 
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared (him).
[When we see (understand and comprehend) Jesus, we see God.  But this statement is meant to convey that this is not something that anyone can do directly.  Instead, we learn of the Father from the Son, who is in the most intimate relationship with His father (example John 13:23).]
 
19 And this is the witness of John [the Baptist], when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No.
[In one sense he was the Elijah that was prophesied -- he was the voice crying in the wilderness -- but he was not literally Elijah, so this is a valid statement.]
 
[From Barnes Notes speaking of Jesus’ words that described John the Baptist:
Matthew 11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
[If ye will receive it] This is a mode of speaking implying that the doctrine which he was about to state was different from their common views; that he was about to state something which varied from the common expectation, and which therefore they might be disposed to reject.
[This is Elias ...] That is, "Elijah." Elias is the "Greek" mode of writing the Hebrew word "Elijah." An account of him is found in the first and second books of Kings. He was a distinguished prophet, and was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, 2 Kings 2:11. The prophet Malachi (Mal 4:5-6) predicted that "Elijah" would be sent before the coming of the Messiah to prepare the way for him. By this was evidently meant, not that he should appear "in person," but that one should appear with a striking resemblance to him; or, as Luke (Luke 1:17) expresses it, "in the spirit and power of Elijah." But the Jews understood it differently. They supposed that Elijah would appear in person. They also supposed that Jeremiah and some other of the prophets would appear also to usher in the promised Messiah and to grace his advent. See Matt 16:14; 17:10; John 1:21. This prevalent belief was the reason why he used the words "if ye will receive it," implying that the affirmation that "John" was the promised Elijah was a doctrine contrary to their expectation.  (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)]
 
22 They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
[It was prophesied that before the coming of the Messiah there would be this voice. So, they should have expected the Messiah to come shortly.]
 
24 And they had been sent from the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you stands one whom ye know not,
27 (even) he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose.
[JohnB wanted to make sure that they did not think he was the Christ.]
 
28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 On the morrow he [JohnB] saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, After me comes a man who is become before me: for he was before me.
[JohnB identifies Jesus based upon what God had revealed to him].
 
31 And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.
32 And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
34 And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
[Two things – (1) John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God (son in a very special sense in that literally he was begotten of the Holy Spirit).  And secondly (2) -- he will baptize in the Holy Spirit.  The application of this cannot be determined here.  There are only two events in the book of Acts that are identified as baptisms in the Holy Spirit.  They occur in Acts 2 and in Acts 10 upon the conversions of the first Jews and the first Gentiles.  For now we can see that Jesus and Jesus alone was the one who baptized in the Holy Spirit.]
 
[The next chapter tells of Jesus turning water into wine.  The documentation of the miracles that Jesus performed is one of the major themes of the gospel of John.  John's goal here was to increase their/our faith.  John 20:30-31: "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name."]
 

John 2

2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage.  
[Clearly this was a social event, showing that Jesus did what most people do in such gatherings.]

3 And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.  
[Runninig out of wine would certainly be an embarrasment.]

4 And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.   
[We will see several places where Jesus is hesitant to come out because he knows that there will only be so much time once he confronts the religious leaders of that day.]

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.  
[How could he resist his mother, whom he obviously loved.]

6 Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews' manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it.

9 And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom,
10 and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when (men) have drunk freely, (then) that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now. 
11 This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and (his) brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days.
13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables;
16 and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up.
18 The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?  
["Jews" in this context refers to the religious -- which was also the political -- leadership of the Jewish people.]

19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.  
[This was the ultimate miracle of Christianity in general -- it the resurrection of Christ did not take place then our religion is in vain.  John will tell us about it from his point of view; and of course, Matthew, Mark and Luke do the same.]

22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.  
[Note that although many miracles were productive within themselves in healing people and other good things, these were -- in a sense -- by products.  The main reason for miracles was to either reveal new truth or to confirm that what was revaled and preached was the truth.  This is shown in the following verse as well.]

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did.
24 But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men,
25 and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.


[The next chapter is a very important passage -- it contains some of the context of John 3:16, which is by far the most quoted verse (and perhaps the most misunderstood) in the  New Testament.  Note that Jesus gave much attention to individuals -- he seemed even more interested in individuals than in speaking to large crowds.  This is very telling.  This entire chapter details what he said in discussions to the Jewish leader Nicodemus.]


John 3

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 
 2 the same came unto him [Jesus] by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, except God be with him. 
[It is hard to see just what point was being made in the "by night" -- clearly he sought and obtained privacy in a one-on-one meeting with Jesus, so he could speak his mind unabated.  While we might not know the exact motive for including this phrase (by night), every word of scripture has value and we should not negate the value added here.  It was given to us so that we know when he came, not why he chose this time to come.]

[New Testament miracles were unquestionably supernatural events.  They were not just coincidences or strange low probability occurrences.  If they can be explained by anything that is natural in our world, then they are not "signs" in the biblical sense of the word.  Here Nicodemus defines that a "sign" (often translated miracle) in the biblical sense of the word cannot be interpreted as anything other than an act of God.  The purpose given here was to identify Jesus as a “teacher come from God.”  Miracles also confirmed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.  Other than to glorify God and His Son, there were only two purposes for Bible miracles: to reveal the truth, and to confirm the truth that was revealed.  Miracles were never used to entertain believers, and to assert that such entertainment is from God is sinful to all involved.]

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 
[It is interesting here how quickly Jesus changes the subject from focusing on Himself personally to what is essential for Nicodemus’ salvation.  Clearly, as we will see, Jesus is speaking of a spiritual re-birth.  A starting over.  The word "see" can mean “perceive of” or understand, but this is also explained below in verse 5 where Jesus replaced “see” with “enter into.”] 

4 Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
[Was this a real problem for Nicodemus, or was he just trying Jesus at this point?  I do not think we should doubt his sincerity.  For sure he recognizes that Jesus is talking about the most important aspects of our lives on this earth -- preparing for life throughout eternity.  It is not our obligation to determine Nicodemus’ motivation; we know it was good for us that he gave Jesus the context to explain “born again” in more detail.]

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! 
[It is important to recognize that this is a condition of salvation, and as such must be considered with great gravity.  In order to avoid water baptism, some will say that being "born of water" is nothing but the natural childbirth.  Question: would Jesus make the statement to Nicodemus in response to his sincere questions -- "Well, first of all, you have to be born of your mother."  That would be so obviously a distracting waste of time as to be absurd.  
 
[Surely, being “born of water” is something much different than natural childbirth.  Jesus has introduced a spiritual (not physical) subject, and he gives spiritual answers to the questions that Nicodemus poses.  He would distract attention from this by making a trivial physical statement at this point.  
Recognize also that John the Baptist was well known and had been practicing baptism for some time even before Jesus' public ministry, so the concept of having remission of your sins through repentance and baptism are not new.  Mark 1:4:  John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins.]
 
[Romans 6:1-7 gives a definitive statement as to what this re-birth is, as do many other passages in the new testament.  One is born of water and the Spirit when s/he renders obedience to the command of Jesus to be baptized for the remission of sins, and this is an essential condition of salvation.]
 
[Romans 6:1-7 is a commentary explaining John 3:1-8:
6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  2 God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?  3 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.  5 For if we have become united with (him) in the likeness of his death, we shall be also (in the likeness) of his resurrection;  6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with (him), that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;  7 for he that hath died is justified from sin.  (ASV)
 
[Jesus now goes on to explain being “born anew” in more detail.]

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
 8 The wind blows where it will, and you hear the voice thereof, but know not whence it cometh, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
[Meditate on this analogy to get its full significance.  What is it about being “born anew” that Nicodemus was not seeing?  What is it that so many false teachers make up about baptism that are false?  Why do they do this?]
 
[The issue is resolved by differentiating between the physical and the spiritual.  Nicodemus was having trouble because he could not "see it."  We cannot see the wind, but we know it is active because we see the effects of the wind.  Neither can we see what causes a change when one is born anew.  However, that person is changed from sinful to holy, immoral to moral, thoughtless to prayerful, rebellious to compliant, and we could go on and on.  The changes are clearly seen although the agent that causes the changes (the truth given by the Spirit, not the man himself) is invisible.  We are not saying that a person becomes incapable of sin just because of baptism.  But all past sins are forgiven, and baptism is also the start of a new life, and that new life needs to be one that is given to Jesus.  Thus, if we are obedient to Jesus, all aspects of our lives change when we "arise [from baptism] to walk in newness of life (as it says in Romans 6).]

 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understand not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
[Jesus seems to be speaking in general of refusal of the Jewish religious leaders to receive His teachings, not only to Nicodemus specifically, although this definitely applied to him as well.  But on the other hand, he would not have come to Jesus if he summarily rejected him as most of them did.  At least he is being honest as to what he does and does not understand.]

12 If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
[The "earthly things" would be the analogy of being born again -- in other words, he put it in terms that Nicodemus should be able to understand.   Verses 11 and 12 are essential to understanding the more complex statement that Jesus made in Verse 13.  There are two points being made in these two verses that relate to Verse 13: (1) in order to be able to speak as a witness ("bear witness") of the heavenly things, one must have firsthand knowledge of them; i.e., the person witnessing had to have been in heaven to experience them; and (2) Jesus wanted to tell Nicodemus of heavenly things, but he had shown his refusal of being able to accept a simple physical analogy -- that of being born again in a spiritual sense.]

13 And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, (even) the Son of man, who is in heaven.
[The intent of Jesus here was to communicate His unique ability (over every person who has ever lived) to be able to express "heavenly things."  This should not be confused with Jesus ascension into heaven after His resurrection (see Acts 1).  Jesus is clearly speaking in the past tense and, from the context, of His unique ability to provide first-hand witness of spiritual things.  (Reference: John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.")  Nor should it be confused with the other faithful servants of God who had experienced heaven, whether through natural means (such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) or miraculous means. such as Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) and Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11).  While these men had indeed experienced heaven, they had never returned to earth to tell anyone about their experiences.  And even if they had, they would not have had the depth of knowledge of Jesus, who had existed in heaven from times eternal.  John 6:38: "For I am come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him that sent me."  Also, John 17:5: "And now Father, glorify me with thine own self with the glory that I had with Thee before the world was."]

[A further interesting aspect of this verse is Jesus stating that He was currently "in heaven."  While not in all translations, we must recognize that, what is impossible for mortals, can easily be reality for Jesus. He was in close fellowship with His Father at all times, and the implication that he could be in this world and in heaven at the same time is no more unrealistic than him being totally God and totally man simultaneously.  While it is recognized that one person cannot be in two places at one time, we question whether the spiritual realms of heaven are “places” as we know them.  So we tend to agree with this translation, seeing its consistency with other passages in the New Testament, e.g., Revelation.]

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;
[Referring to his crucifixion, but the likeness is to the event recorded in Numbers 21:8-9, where the saving of their lives depended on their looking upon the brass serpent that God instructed Moses to use to save those who had sinned in the wilderness but would now be obedient.]

15 that whosoever believes may in Him have eternal life.
[If you recall the story that Jesus is referring to, they had to look upon the brass serpent that was lifted up in order to escape being killed.  In like manner, looking to Jesus on the cross saves us from our sins today.]

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[This is probably the most quoted verse in the whole Bible; unfortunately, it has become the entire Bible for many.  They do not fully understand the all encompassing meaning of the word "believe."  While we will not get into it in detail here, one cannot believe in someone and then fail to do what that person instructs.  Belief/faith necessarily implies obedience.  Click here for detailed discussion of Jesus intent in John 3:16.]

17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
[Jesus will come again to judge.  But the motivations of God and Jesus this first time was not to judge but to save us all from the judgment that is to come.]

18 He that believes on him is not judged: he that believes not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.
[It appears that by default, because of our sins, we are lost.  It takes the blood of Christ to rescue us from our sins.  What does is mean to “believe on the name?”  This is talking about the authority of Jesus, similar to an army calling on the authority of Caesar would be believing and thus acting in the name of Caesar when going into battle.  In this same way, “believing on the name of Jesus” will motivate us to follow Jesus in every detail.  If it does not have this effect on our behavior, than it is simply because we have not “believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.]

19 And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
[Why is it that people (in general) do not wish to study the bible? -- this answers that question.  They love the darkness, and thus they have no desire to study God’s word because they know where it is going to take them.]

20 For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.


22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
[Later it will say that Jesus did not actually personally baptize -- this is talking about his disciples baptizing in Jesus' name (i.e., but His aurthority).]

23 And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
[There was nothing sacred about this location; it was chosen because there was “much water there.”  Baptism literally means immersion -- baptizo from the Greek -- it should have been translated and not transliterated.  It is most often applied to immersion in water.  It was not a "religious word" in the first century -- but obviously it has very little other than religious connotations today.  When you read the word baptism in the Bible, think immersion.  Of course that commanded of Jesus was much more than just getting wet -- it was in obedience to a command that was a condition of salvation, and that carried with it the remission (forgiveness) of one's sins.]

24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
[Remember this is John the Baptist, not the writer of this book.  The story of John the Baptist is much more explicit in the other gospels.  He gets thrown into prison and is later beheaded by Herod (Matthew 14:1-12).]

25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purifying.
[Perhaps this Jew had been baptized by Jesus’ disciples and was stating that Jesus’ baptism was more powerful than John’s.}

26 And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to him.
[So it appears that this discussion about “purifying” was probably over  the difference between John the Baptist's baptism and Jesus' baptism.  John’s disciples should not have been concerned, but it is just human nature that they are.]

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaks: he that comes from heaven is above all.
32 What he hath seen and heard, of that he bears witness; and no man receives his witness.
33 He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to (this), that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaks the words of God: for he gives not the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
[The above is such a beautiful passage, I hate to interrupt it.  And it speaks well for itself.  John the Baptist was such a good and humble man ... these words tell the truth about Jesus – John the Baptist had no personal ambitions other than to do God's will.  Verse 34 is of interest.  This is equivalent to what Jesus said regarding the Holy Spirit in John 16:13-14:  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth : for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, (these) shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.  14 He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare (it) unto you.  In other words, the Holy Spirit was not at all limited (measured) in revealing the truth.

36 He that believes on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeys not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
[This is a very important and mostly ignored verse by those who wish to sell a "faith only" type of religion.  Note that believe and obey are used synonymously here -- if you believe, you will obey.  You might describe a person as a true believer in Jesus; but an equivalent way to describe that person would be one who is totally obedient to Jesus to the best of his ability.]



Original Chapter 3

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
 2 the same came unto him [Jesus] by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. 
[It is hard to see just what point was being made in the "by night" -- clearly he sought and obtained privacy in a one-on-one meeting with Jesus, so he could speak his mind unabated.  While we might not know the exact motive for including this phrase (by night), every word of scripture has value and we should not negate the value added here.]
[It is the nature of New Testament miracles that they are unquestionably supernatural events.  They are not just coincidences or strange low probability occurrences.  If they can be explained by anything that is natural in our world, then they are not "signs" in the biblical sense of the word.  Here Nicodemus defines that a "sign" (often translated miracle) in the biblical sense of the word cannot be interpreted as anything other than an act of God.]

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 
[It is interesting here how quickly Jesus changes the subject from focusing on himself personally to what is essential for salvation.  Clearly, as we will see, Jesus is speaking of a spiritual re-birth.  A starting over.  "See" can mean perceive of or understand, but this is also explained below in verse 5.]

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
[I have heard it said that Nicodemus was trying Jesus at this point ... that he really understood what Jesus was saying, but he wanted Jesus to elaborate on it.  For sure he recognizes that Jesus is talking about the most important aspects of our life on this earth -- preparing for life throughout eternity.]

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! 
[It is important to recognize that this is a condition of salvation, and as such must be considered with great gravity. Some will say that being "born of water" is nothing but natural childbirth.  Question: would Jesus make the statement to Nicodemus in response to his sincere questions -- "Well, first of all, you have to be born of your mother."  That is so obvious as to be absurd.  Surely being born of water is something much different than natural childbirth.  Jesus has introduce a spiritual (not physical) subject and he gives spiritual answers to the questions that Nicodemus has posed.  Recognize also that John the Baptist was well known and had been practicing baptism for some time even before Jesus' public ministry, so the concept of having remission of your sins through repentance and baptism are not new.  Romans 6:1-6 gives a definitive statement as to what this re-birth is, as do many other passages in the new testament.  One is born of the Holy Spirit when s/he renders obedience to the command of Jesus to be baptized for the remission of sins, and this is an essential condition of salvation.]

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
 8 The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
[The issue is a differentiation between the physical and the spiritual.  Nicodemus was having trouble because he could not "see it."  We cannot see the wind, but we know it is active because we see the effects of the wind.  Neither can we see what causes a change when one is born again.  However, that person is changed from sinful to holy, immoral to moral, thoughtless to prayerful, rebellious to compliant, and we could go on and on.  The changes are clearly seen although the agent that causes the changes (the Spirit, not the man himself) is invisible.  We are not saying that a person becomes sinless just because of baptism.  But baptism is the start of a new life, and that new life needs to be one that is given to Jesus; and so all aspects of our lives change when we "arise to walk in newness of life (as it says in Romans 6).]

 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understand not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
[Jesus seems to be speaking in general of the Jewish religious leaders, not only to Nicodemus specifically, although this definitely applied to him as well.  But on the other hand, he would not have come to Jesus if he summarily rejected him as most of them did.  At least he is being honest as to what he understands and does not.]

12 If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
[The "earthly things" would be the analogy of being born again -- in other words, he put it in terms that Nicodemus should be able to understand.   Verses 11 and 12 are essential to understanding the more complex statement that Jesus made in Verse 13.  There are two points being made in these two verses that relate to Verse 13: (1) in order to be able to speak as a witness ("bear witness") of the heavenly things, one must have first hand knowledge of them; i.e., the witness had to have been in heaven to experience them; and (2) Jesus wanted to tell Nicodemus of heavenly things, but he had shown his incompetence of even being able to accept a simple worldly analogy -- that of being born again in a spiritual sense.]

13 And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, (even) the Son of man, who is in heaven.
[The intent of Jesus here was to communicate His unique ability (over every person who has ever lived) to be able to express "heavenly things."  This should not be confused with Jesus ascension into heaven after His resurrection (see Acts 1).  Jesus is clearly speaking in the past tense and, from the context, of His unique ability to provide first-hand witness of spiritual things.  (Reference John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.")  Nor should it be confused with the other faithful servants of God who had experienced heaven, whether through natural means (such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) or miraculous means. such as Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) and Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11).  While these men had indeed experienced heaven, they had never returned to earth to tell anyone about their experiences.  And even if they had, they would not have had the depth of knowledge of Jesus, who had existed in heaven from times eternal.  John 6:38: "For I am come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him that sent me."  Also, John 17:5: "And now Father, glorify me with thine own self with the glory that I had with Thee before the world was."]

[A further interesting aspect of this verse is Jesus stating that He was currently "in heaven."  While not in all translations, we must recognize that, what is impossible for mortals, can easily be reality for Jesus. He was in close fellowship with His Father at all times, and the implication that he could be in this world and in heaven at the same time is no more unrealistic than him being totally God and totally man simultaneously.]

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up;
[Referring to his crucifixion, but the likeness is to the event recorded in Numbers 21:8-9, where the saving of their lives depended on their looking upon the brass serpent that God instructed Moses to use to save those who had sinned in the wilderness but would now be obedient.]

15 that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.
[If you recall the story that Jesus is referring to, they had to look upon the brass serpent that was lifted up in order to escape being killed.  In like manner, faith in Jesus saves us from our sins today.]

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[Probably the most quoted verse in the whole bible -- unfortunately, for some it is their entire bible.  They do not fully understand the all encompassing meaning of the word "believe."  While we will not get into it in detail here, one cannot believe in someone and then fail to do what that person instructs.  Belief/faith necessarily implies obedience.  Click here for detailed discussion of Jesus intent in John 3:16.]

17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
[Jesus will come again to judge -- this first time was not to judge but to save us all from the judgment that is to come.]

18 He that believes on him is not judged: he that believes not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.
[It appears that by default, because of our sins, we are lost.  It takes the blood of Christ to rescue us from our sins.]

19 And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
[Why is it that people (in general) do not wish to study the bible? -- this answers that question.]

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.


22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
[Later it will say that Jesus did not actually personally baptize -- this is talking about his disciples baptizing in Jesus' name (i.e., but His aurthority).]

23 And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
[Baptism literally means immersion -- baptizo from the Greek -- it should have been translated and not transliterated.  It was not a "religious word" in the first century -- but obviously it has no other but religious connotations today.  When you read baptism, think immersion.  Of course it was more than just getting wet -- it was in obedience to a command, and it carried with it the remission or forgiveness of one's sins.]

24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
[Remember this is John the Baptist, not the writer of this book.  The story of John is much more explicit in the other gospels.  He gets thrown into prison and later beheaded.]

25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purifying.
26 And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
[So this discussion about purifying was probably over  the difference between what John the Baptist's baptism and Jesus' baptism?]

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaks: he that comes from heaven is above all.
32 What he hath seen and heard, of that he bears witness; and no man receives his witness.
33 He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to (this), that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaks the words of God: for he gives not the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
[The above is such a beautiful passage, I hate to interrupt it.  And it speaks well for itself.  John the baptist was such a good an humble man ... these words tell the truth about Jesus -- John had no personal ambitions other than to do God's will.]

36 He that believes on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeys not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
[This is a very important and mostly ignored verse by those who wish to sell a "faith only" type of religion.  Note that believe and obey are used anonymously here -- if you believe, you will obey.  You might describe a person as a true believer in Jesus; but an equivalent way to describe that person would be one who is obedient to Jesus.]


John 4

4:1 When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2 (although Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples),
3 he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.
[The Lord here is John's Lord -- Jesus Christ.  The Pharisees opposed Jesus mainly because they were "in control" under Roman law -- the Romans generally left them to their rulers given that they did not give any sign of rebellion.  They really did not mind this arrangement too much; but on the other hand they longed for a messiah who would free them from Roman domination and lead them back to the golden days of David and Solomon.  Basically this is how they interpreted their messianic scriptures -- physically as opposed to spiritually.]

4 And he must needs pass through Samaria.
[Samaria is between Judea and Galilee.  The Samaritans at this time were a sort of mongrel race that was generally despised by the Jews in general mainly  because history tells us that they took the side of anyone who they thought would win in the continued battles over the holy land, which was right on a trade route, and thus almost constantly under contention throughout the ages.]

5 So he comes to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:
6 and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
[Really two things here -- not just a Samaritan, but a Samaritan woman -- the traditions of the middle east today are quite reflective of the position of women -- not a whole lot has changed.  That Jesus would address her directly essentially gave her an unexpected status that she did not expect.  This, even though she did not even know who Jesus was!  Just the fact that he was a Jew and would speak to her was a major surprise.]

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[Jesus is speaking of the truth of the gospel (good news), which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).  Jesus called it living water because it gave spiritual life.]

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
[How can you offer me something?  ... you can't even get a drink of real water!]

12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinks of this water shall thirst again:
14 but whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
[This to the woman would sound like some snake oil salesman since clearly she was thinking physically.  But she was willing to take a chance; what did she have to lose? ...]

15 The woman said unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.
[It is quite clear that she has misinterpreted Jesus' words and has taken them literally.  Jesus expected this.  Now it was time to turn things around and show her that He was speaking of spiritual things.  But this would take some soul-searching on her part.]

16 Jesus said unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
[Jesus knew of her spiritual condition and wanted to improve it.]

17 The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, You said well, I have no husband:
18 for you hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.
[Perhaps most people would get offended at this, but the woman was so amazed that she forgot all about getting upset ... How could this Jewish man have this type of knowledge of her situation?]

19 The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
[She was right; of course Jesus was much more than a prophet, but we can say without reservation that he was Prophet, High Priest, and King.]

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
[We cannot blame the woman for  not wanting to delve into her sordid marriage situations given that she recognized Jesus as a prophet.  As most of us would do, she immediately changes the subject to what she knows is a sore point between the Jews and the Samaritans, changing the subject to something she would not mind discussing.  Jesus response (21-24) to her is not accusative; it is one of the most profound and sublime statements in the bible  ...]

21 Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.
22 Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
[As a fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy; the Messiah was to come through the seed of David.]

23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
[What is God?  Other verses might emphasize other aspects of God, and say, for example: God is love, God is a consuming fire, God is light.  None of these are meant to be limiting; collectively they tell us about the nature of God, which has more dimensions than we could possibly comprehend.  The word Spirit is from Pneuma in the Greek which is the same word used as the wind.  In the spiritual context it would express the characteristics of wind in that the effects of it can be seen, but the wind (moving air) itself cannot be seen.  So it is with God; we see his effects in making and maintaining the world; we know of His influence in our lives.  But He can not be seen as a physical being.  Similarly the nature of our worship of Him in spirit should be with a part of us that we (and other humans) cannot see, but it can be seen by God.]

[This is also a profound statement in that it defines what valid worship of God is -- it must be done with the spirit of man, not just with his outward being -- not just some ritual that is done over and over and becomes vain.  It must be from the heart -- heart-felt.  But also, it must be in truth -- consistent with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Otherwise, it is not worship at all; it is not acceptable to God.  All of this is contained in this one short verse.]

25 The woman said unto him, I know that Messiah comes (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.
[Perhaps another defensive statement since Jesus' response as to the valid place where people could worship was not subject to further argument..]

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am (he).
[As we saw earlier (John 2), Jesus was reluctant to announce who he was.  But he makes an exception to the immoral woman, which most Jews would despise.  This demonstrates how much Jesus values one soul, and how much he wants even the worst of us (if there is such a thing) to be saved.  It might also be his last chance to preach to the Samaritans and so he is seizing the opportunity.]

27 And upon this came his disciples; and they marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What do you seek? or, Why do you speak with her?
[This confirms what we have been saying about their culture at the time, and their perception of women and Samaritans.]

28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,
29 Come, see a man, who told me all things that (ever) I did: can this be the Christ?
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
[The woman  became a preacher for Christ.  Apparently she was quite convincing because a great crowd came out to see for themselves.  There is a little interlude at this point, and then the story will be picked up again in verse 39.]

31 In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not.
33 The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him (aught) to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
[There are more important things than eating.  Jesus was great for taking ordinary things and turning them into object lessons.]

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and (then) comes the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest.
[I have an idea he was referring to the multitudes of the Samaritans that were coming out to see him.  He did not have time to eat.]

36 He that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal; that he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.
37 For herein is the saying true, One sows, and another reaps.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.
[This is a bit complex.  Those who reaped in the fields were paid by the landowner.  In the analogy the landowner is God and our reaping is in preaching the gospel and leading others to Him and to salvation.  The SOWING her is preaching the word of God, the gospel (literally, good news).  The one who preaches the word is not always the one who reaps (converts -- that being evidenced by baptism).  The others who labored -- could be the OT prophets -- they spoke of Christ; or could be John the Baptist who prepared the way; or could be Jesus himself who just taught the woman and now all of these people are coming to, in a sense, be reaped.  I think this captures the essence of these verses -- we do not want to speculate too much on them.]

39 And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that (ever) I did.
[It sounds like she was trusted to tell the truth even though her marriage situation was not the best in the world.  We might have weaknesses in some parts of our lives and still be strong in others.]

40 So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days.
[So Jesus worked with them and taught them for two days.  You can teach quite a bit in two days, especially if you are Jesus.]

41 And many more believed because of his word;
42 and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
[This was the reaping -- converting those now to Christ and salvation.]

43 And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
[This might sound a bit strange but it is resolved in other places -- e.g., Matt 13:57 -- he went to Galilee, but NOT to Nazareth, his home town because he knew they would not accept him there.]

45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46 He came therefore again unto 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 Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son lives. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived.
52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 So the father knew that (it was) at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son lives: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judaea into Galilee.
[The first miracle showed Jesus' power over time -- the time for water to go into the grapes and the grapes to make wine.  This one shows his power over distance -- he did not have to be there to perform the miracle.  Note again -- a miracle (sign in verse 54) is a clear supernatural act that cannot be explained any other way.  It proved that Jesus was from God.  We believe this today for no other reason than we believe that John was an honest man and he would not testify to these things if they had not happened.]


John 5
 5:1  After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
[Recall: “these things:” (1) Jesus going through Samaria; (2) His encounter with the Samaritan woman; (3) her recognition of Jesus as the messiah; (4) her success in getting many Samaritans to come out and also to host Jesus and the disciples.    Jesus kept the Old Testament law perfectly, which included all of the Jewish feasts given by God.]

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 multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered, (waiting for the moving of the water.)
4 (for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the waters stepped in was made whole, with whatsoever disease he was holden.)
5 And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity.
6 When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time (in that case), he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole?
7 The sick 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, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. Now it was the sabbath on that day.
[This is another example of a clearly supernatural event -- those around knew as did the man himself, that he had very little hope of getting into the pool by himself, and none for an instant cure like this.  John makes no comment as to whether what was believed about the pool at Bethesda was valid or not.  It is  not important.]

10 So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.
11 But he answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up (thy bed), and walk?
13 But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place.
["The Jews" here are not the general populace -- this term typically refers to the religious leadership.  They were continuously looking to try to find a fault in Jesus.]

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee.
15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.
[It seems strange why he would do this, but this story will go on for quite a while.  I would expect the healed man was telling everyone he could find about this amazing thing that happened to him.  It would seem reasonable that he would expect all to believe him, including the "Jews" -- Jewish leaders.]

16 And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the Sabbath.
[The statement might better be that this was their excuse for persecuting him -- had Jesus been one of their own choosing they would have no problem with him doing what he did.  As it was, they felt like they had him in a legal bind for disobeying the Law of Moses.]

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.
18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
[The term "making himself" here is more like "stating that he was" equal with God.  We learned at the beginning of John that Jesus was a Divine being; he was from before the beginning.  He was not just equal with God -- he was synonymous with God.  So clearly, it was not something that Jesus contrived to promote himself.  As humans this is hard for us to understand, but very sublime ... He was 100% God and 100% man, something that only God Himself could accomplish.  "My Father" would not necessarily imply that Jesus was God, but apparently this is how the Jews took it.  We use the term "Our Father" to refer to God quite often and that does not imply that we are the Son of God as Jesus was.  The Jews, however, correctly understood that this was the meaning that Jesus was applying to His statement.  John has asserted this from his very first verse, John 1:1.  Jesus was perfect and he kept the Law perfectly -- their accusation was that he broke the Sabbath, but that accusation was not true.  John is speaking accommodatively -- this was what they were accusing him of, and they may well have believed that it was true.] 

19 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing: for what things soever he does, these the Son also does in like manner.
20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that himself does: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he will.
[What Jesus is saying is that his healing and for that matter, everything he did was according to the will of God the Father in heaven.  They were totally united (one) in their intent.  E.g., they had no problem performing circumcision on the Sabbath (John 7:22-23).  Other examples are in Luke 13:15 and Luke 14:5.]

22 For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;
 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him.
 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.
["Him that sent me" here is the Father (God the Father).]

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour comes, 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, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself:
 27 and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs 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 judgment.
[This is speaking of the final judgement at the end of time.  There will be a resurrection of the dead (both good and bad) prior to this judgment.]

30 I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
[This is Jesus the man speaking in the sense that he had to keep the Law, he had to totally conform to the will of the Father.  As God, He will judge; as a man, He will be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, He had to be totally obedient to the Father -- perfect and without flaw, as all of the Old Testament sacrifices were required to be.]

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
 32 It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
 33 Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth.
[The people in general had a very high regard for John the Baptist -- Jesus is appealing to this because what is being called in question is Jesus' sonship and His being the messiah.  Verse 31 is a good example of a biblical statement that cannot be taken out of context and still be true.  The fact that Jesus testified of himself did no make Him a liar.  In fact, he quite often did just that.  In context we see -- it means that he did not expect them to believe Him -- but he did expect them to believe the unbiased witnesses.]

34 But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved.
35 He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light.
36 But the witness which I have is greater than (that of) John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

[From a physical viewpoint, the miracles that Jesus did would be proof enough for anyone.  But Jesus seems to be appealing to something much more than a miracle here.  He is appealing to his own righteousness.  Look at me and look at what I do; can anyone really find fault?  These words are not just for what he had done at this point, but for us and them looking at all that he would do before and after His crucifixion.  Jesus only goal was to save as many as he possibly could.  What could possibly be wrong with that?  So he says "my works bear witness of me."  For those who reject those works as not being sufficient proof, there is little hope.]

37 And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.
39 Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me;
40 and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.
41 I receive not glory from men.
[This will be the common problem that will plague Jesus -- he was not what men expected -- they wanted a warrior, a strong political leader.  Jesus was none of that -- he was a spiritual leader.  They were looking in the right place -- the scriptures -- but they were looking for the wrong thing.  They were looking for eternal life their way, not God's way.  He has not condemnation for them for searching the scriptures; indeed, this is a good thing (Acts 17:11).]

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves.
[This was something that Jesus could judge because he knew what was in the heart of every man -- it is not something that we can judge unless we have hard evidence of it.]

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
[This too is very typical -- people seem far more apt to follow after men (some popular major religious leader) than to follow after God -- nothing has changed in this regard.  The big religious movements today are generally cults of personality -- they are not men who are speaking for God.]

44 How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that (cometh) from the only God ye seek not?
45 Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, (even) Moses, on whom ye have set your hope.
46 For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
[These are specifically at least some of the writings that Jesus was talking about -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19: 15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.  18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.  19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

[Note -- the when the King James Version capitalizes LORD this is an indication that in the Hebrew manuscripts the name of God was given.  The ancient Jews were very careful (perhaps superstitious) about taking God's name in vain to the point that they did not spell it out even in their scriptures -- they left out the vowels, so even today (according to all of the research that I have done on it), we do not know how to pronounce this name ... it is kind of lost.  Some translations use Jehovah, and others use Yahwey -- the second is probably the best guess.   The first one is obviously bogus -- they took the vowels out of the Hebrew word "lord" and stuffed them in, which to me is not at all legitimate.  I do use the American Standard and it does replace LORD with Jehovah, but when I read it in class or anything, I replace Jehovah with LORD.  I like the way the KJV did it because that way it tells us that the original was using some representation that indicated that the original contained the name of God.  Very interesting, but I do not think of any great importance to our understanding the truth.]


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