John 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

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

For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

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

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

That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

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

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

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

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

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

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

If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

I receive not honour from men.

But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

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.

How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

What does John 5:24 mean?

Explanation

John 5:24 is a verse within the New Testament of the Christian Bible, attributed to the words of Jesus Christ.

The verse highlights fundamental Christian beliefs about salvation, eternal life, and the avoidance of spiritual condemnation.

Jesus is presented as asserting that those who listen ("heareth") to His teachings and have faith ("believeth") in God the Father who sent Him are granted eternal life.

This promise of eternal life means not only that believers will not face divine judgment ("shall not come into condemnation") but have already transitioned ("is passed") from a state of death to life.

The statement underscores the immediacy of salvation through faith and serves as an assurance to believers of their secure position in the afterlife.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

John 5:24 is part of a larger passage where Jesus is speaking in Jerusalem after healing a man on the Sabbath, which caused controversy among the Jewish leaders of the time.

The Gospel of John is generally dated to the late first century AD and presents a high Christology, portraying Jesus as the incarnate Word and Son of God.

The society was marked by Jewish religious traditions, Roman political control, and Hellenistic cultural influences.

The governance of religious law and the expectation of a coming Messiah shaped the environment in which Jesus’s teachings would have been radical and, to some, seen as blasphemous.

Theological Insights

This verse provides rich theological insights into key Christian doctrines:

Hearing and Believing: The importance of faith upon hearing the word of God.
Assurance of Salvation: The conviction that faith in Christ secures believers' salvation immediately.
Judgment: The idea that believers are exempt from the final condemnation that non-believers will face.
Eternal Life: The understanding that eternal life is not just a future state but begins at the moment of belief.

Different denominations might emphasize various aspects of this verse. For instance, Calvinists may point to this verse as an illustration of the perseverance of the saints, while Arminians may focus on the human responsibility to hear and believe.

Practical Applications

John 5:24 can yield several practical applications:

It encourages individuals to listen actively to the teachings of Christ and to cultivate their faith.
It offers comfort and assurance to believers, easing fears associated with death and judgment.
The verse invites Christians to share their faith with others, spreading the message of eternal life through Jesus.
It also challenges believers to live out their faith in tangible ways, demonstrating the life-changing power of the gift of salvation.

Cross-References

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
1 John 5:13 - "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Language Study

In the original Greek text:

"Heareth" (ἀκούων akouōn) implies active listening or heeding the message.
"Believeth" (πιστεύων pisteuōn) carries the sense of trusting or placing one's faith in something or someone.
"Sent" (ἀπέστειλεν apestelen) refers to the commissioning or sending with authority, denoting Jesus’s divine mission from the Father.
"Condemnation" (κρίσιν krisin) can mean judgment or the sentence passed on the guilty.
"Is passed" (μεταβέβηκεν metabebēken) indicates a change of place or condition, reflecting the transformation from death to life.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparatively, in other religious traditions, the concept of transitioning from death to life can also be observed:

In ancient Egyptian religion, the belief in the afterlife involved passing through judgment to attain eternal life.
In the Hindu tradition, the idea of liberation (moksha) involves a release from the cycle of death and rebirth.
In Buddhism, achieving Nirvana is akin to transcending the cycle of suffering and rebirth.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, the concept of eternal life mentioned in this verse does not align with the empirical evidence-based approach of science, which is based on observation and experimentation.

Biological life is understood to have a definitive end with physical death.

Nevertheless, some scholars reconcile religious belief and scientific understanding by suggesting that eternal life pertains to a spiritual or metaphysical realm beyond the scope of scientific inquiry.

Commentaries

Commentaries on John 5:24 offer a range of interpretations:

William Barclay emphasizes the present-tense reality of eternal life for believers.
Matthew Henry views this verse as a comforting assurance that faith in Christ removes the dread of the last judgment.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges suggests that the transition from death unto life is both spiritual here and now and will be completed in the hereafter.
Scholars such as D.A.

Carson reflect on the judicial language used in the verse, highlighting that belief in Jesus shifts the verdict from guilty to acquitted.

John 5

John 5

What does John 5:24 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 5:24 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?