The Third Sign: Healing the Sick

1After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.a 2By the Sheep Gatea in Jerusalem there is a pool, called BethesdaA in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. 3Within these lay a large number of the disabled — blind, lame, and paralyzed.A

5One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time,a he said to him, “Do you want to get well? ”

7“Sir,”a the disabled man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.”

8“Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” 9Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk.

Now that day was the Sabbath,a 10and so the Jewsa said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath.b The law prohibits you from picking up your mat.”

11He replied, “The man who made me wella told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12“Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’? ” they asked. 13But the man who was healed did not know who it was,a because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.A

14After this, Jesus found him in the templea and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” 15The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.a 16Therefore, the Jews began persecutinga JesusA because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.b

Honoring the Father and the Son

17Jesus responded to them, “My Fathera is still working, and I am working also.” 18This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him:a Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

19Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the FatherA does, the Son likewise does these things.a 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater worksa than these so that you will be amazed. 21And just as the Father raisesa the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.b 22The Father,a in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.a Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.b

Life and Judgment

24“Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal lifea and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

25“Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here,a when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.b 26For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Sona to have life in himself. 27And he has granted him the right to pass judgment,a because he is the Son of Man.b 28Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice 29and come out — those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.

30“I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgmenta is just,b because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.c

Witnesses to Jesus

31“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true.a 33You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth.a 34I don’t receive human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35Johna a was a burning and shining lamp,b and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.c

36“But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish.a These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sentb me. 37The Father who sent me has himself testifieda about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form.b 38You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. 39You pore over the Scripturesa because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me.b 40But you are not willinga to come to meb so that you may have life.

41“I do not accept glorya from people, 42but I know you — that you have no love for Goda within you. 43I have come in my Father’s name,a and yet you don’t accept me.b If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the onlya God?b 45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses,a on whom you have set your hope. 46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47But if you don’t believe what he wrote,a how will you believe my words? ”b