What is the explanation of John chapter 5?

Answer 1

John Chapter 5 consists of two parts. The first part is the healing of the infirm man, and in the second part John tells us about the divine role of Jesus.

Archaeologists have confirmed the existence of the pool at Bethseda. They have established that this was part of a temple to the Greek god, Asclepius, where those in need of a cure would go to be treated by the priests and to seek divine healing in the pool. Whenever Asclepius came by and disturbed the water, the first person to enter the water would be cured. The purpose of the temple is confirmed by the finding at the site of a votive offering by a grateful worshipper.

John 5:5 tells us that the man had been waiting his turn for a very long time: he had had an infirmity for thirty eight years, although the scripture necessarily talks of an 'angel' disturbing the water, not a god. Jesus offered to make the man whole, but did not ask him to believe or to follow him, so the reasons for the cure remain obscure. Nevertheless, an implied reason is that Jesus was more powerful, or at least more accessible, than the pagan god.

Although he had desperately sought the help of a pagan god, the man was a Jew and not a gentile as is explained in verse 14, which says that Jesus found the man in the Temple. Although presumably the Jews would have had no problem with Asclepius curing a man on the Sabbath, they berated Jesus for doing so. Verses 17,19-30 becomes a short homily on the relationship of Jesus to God, as Son to Father, with Jesus' power coming to him from the Father.

To demonstrate that we need not take Jesus at his own word, verses 31-36 remind the reader that John the Baptist was recorded as speaking of one to come who was greater than he. But Jesus then says that if even John the Baptist is not enough, God himself is the witness of Jesus. Finally, the Gospel says that Moses, whom they trust, had spoken of Jesus, so surely they must believe him.