1Senere tog Jesus igen til Jerusalem for at deltage i en af jødernes højtider.2Inde i byen, i nærheden af Fåreporten, var der en dam, som var omgivet af fem søjlegange. Den hed Betesda på hebraisk.3Dér lå der en mængde syge, blinde, lamme og forkrøblede mennesker. De lå og ventede på, at vandet skulle komme i bevægelse.[1]4En Herrens engel kom nemlig nu og da ned og satte vandet i bevægelse, og den, som derefter først steg ned i det, blev helbredt, lige meget hvad han fejlede.5En af dem, der lå ved dammen, havde været lam i 38 år.6Da Jesus så ham og var klar over, at han havde været syg længe, spurgte han: „Vil du være rask?”7Den syge mand svarede: „Mester, jeg har ingen til at hjælpe mig ned i dammen, når vandet kommer i bevægelse. Når jeg prøver at slæbe mig derhen, er der altid en anden, der kommer først.”8Jesus sagde til ham: „Rejs dig op, rul din sovemåtte sammen og gå på dine ben!”
Den første konfrontation med de jødiske ledere
9Straks blev manden helbredt. Han rullede måtten sammen og begyndte at gå omkring. Men da det var sabbat den dag,10irettesatte de jødiske ledere manden, der var blevet rask. „Du må ikke bære din sovemåtte! Det er jo sabbat.”11„Jamen, den mand, der helbredte mig, sagde, at jeg skulle tage min måtte og gå!”12„Hvem var det, der sagde det?” spurgte de.13Det vidste manden ikke, og Jesus var forsvundet i folkemængden.14Senere fandt Jesus ham på tempelpladsen. „Nu er du rask,” sagde han, „lev ikke mere i synd, så du ikke bliver ramt af noget endnu værre.”15Så gik manden hen til de jødiske ledere og fortalte dem, at det var Jesus, der havde helbredt ham.16Derfor anklagede de Jesus for at overtræde loven ved at arbejde på hviledagen.17Men Jesus svarede: „Min Far arbejder i dag, så det gør jeg også.”18Den udtalelse gjorde de jødiske ledere endnu mere opsatte på at slå ham ihjel, fordi han ikke blot overtrådte sabbatslovene, men også kaldte Gud for sin Far og dermed gjorde sig til ét med Gud.
Sønnens fuldmagt til at give evigt liv eller dømme de onde
19Jesus fortsatte: „Det siger jeg jer: Sønnen kan intet gøre af sig selv. Han gør kun det, han ser sin Far gøre. Hvad Faderen gør, det gør Sønnen også.20For Faderen elsker Sønnen og viser ham alt, hvad han selv gør. Og han vil vise ham endnu større undere end den mands helbredelse, og I vil komme til at undre jer.21Ligesom Faderen opvækker mennesker fra de døde og giver dem nyt liv, sådan giver også Sønnen nyt liv til hvem, han vil.22Faderen vil ikke selv dømme nogen, men han har overgivet al domsafsigelse til Sønnen,23for at alle skal ære Sønnen, ligesom de ærer Faderen. Hvis de ikke ærer Sønnen, som Faderen har sendt, ærer de heller ikke Faderen.24Det siger jeg jer: De, der tager imod mit budskab og tror på Gud, som sendte mig, de har det evige liv og bliver ikke stillet for domstolen. De er allerede blevet overflyttet fra døden til livet.25Det siger jeg jer: Den tid kommer—ja, den er her allerede—da de døde skal høre Guds Søns røst og leve.26Faderen bærer kilden til livet i sig, og han har givet mig den samme magt til at give liv.27Faderen har også givet mig magt til at dømme, fordi jeg er Menneskesønnen.[2]28-29I skal ikke undre jer over, at de døde engang skal høre Guds Søns røst og stå op fra deres grave. De, der har gjort det gode, vil få det evige liv, mens de, der har gjort det onde, vil få deres dom.30Jeg kan ikke gøre noget af mig selv, men jeg lytter til min Far, og på det grundlag dømmer jeg. Derfor er min dom retfærdig. Det er jo ikke min egen vilje, jeg vil fremme, men hans vilje, som sendte mig.
Forskellige vidneudsagn om Jesus som Guds Søn
31Hvis jeg anbefaler mig selv, er min anbefaling ikke gyldig.32-33Men nu er der en anden, som har fortalt jer om mig, og det er Johannes. I har selv forhørt jer hos ham, og jeg kan forsikre jer for, at det, han har sagt om mig, er sandt.34Jeg er ikke afhængig af menneskers vidneudsagn, men jeg har sagt det her i håb om, at I vil tro på, hvad jeg siger, og få del i det evige liv.35Johannes var for en tid som lyset fra en lampe, og I var glade for at høre, hvad han havde at sige,36men jeg henviser til et vidnesbyrd, der er større end hans, nemlig de undere, jeg har gjort. Det er min Far, der giver mig magt til at udføre dem, og de viser, at Faderen har sendt mig.37Også Faderen selv har vidnet om mig, men I har aldrig set eller hørt ham.38Og fordi I nægter at tro på den, han har sendt, har hans ord ikke slået rod i jer.39Skriften fortæller også om mig. I studerer Skriften, fordi I tror, at I finder det evige liv dér. Og selv om Skriften fortæller om mig,40er I alligevel ikke villige til at komme til mig for at få livet.41Jeg er ikke ude efter menneskers anerkendelse.42Jeg ved, hvordan I er, og at I ikke har kærligheden til Gud i jer.43Jeg er kommet, fordi min Far har sendt mig, men I vil ikke høre efter, hvad jeg siger. Men folk, der ikke er sendt af ham, og som kun anbefaler sig selv, dem lytter I gerne til.44I søger efter anerkendelse fra hinanden, men den anerkendelse, som kommer fra den eneste sande Gud, den er I ikke interesseret i. Hvordan skulle I da kunne tro på mig?45I skal ikke tro, det er mig, der vil anklage jer over for Faderen. Nej, det bliver Moses, ham som I har sat jeres lid til.46Hvis I virkelig troede Moses, ville I også tro på mig, for det er om mig, han har skrevet.47Men hvis I ikke tror på hans skrifter, hvordan skulle I så kunne tro på mig?”
1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (Joh 6,4)2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic[1] called Bethesda,[2] which has five roofed colonnades. (Neh 3,1; Neh 3,32; Neh 12,39)3In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.[3] (Matt 12,10)5One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”7The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”8Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” (Matt 9,6; Mark 2,9; Mark 2,11; Luk 5,24)9And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. (Joh 5,8; Joh 9,14)10So the Jews[4] said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” (2.Mos 20,10; Neh 13,19; Jer 17,21; Matt 12,2; Mark 2,24; Mark 3,4; Luk 6,2; Luk 13,14; Joh 7,23; Joh 9,16)11But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”12They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”13Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. (Joh 6,15)14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (Ez 9,14; Joh 8,11)15The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. (Joh 7,23; Joh 9,16; Joh 15,20; Ap G 9,4)17But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Jesus Is Equal with God
18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (Joh 5,16; Joh 7,1; Joh 10,33; Rom 8,32; Filip 2,6)
The Authority of the Son
19So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[5] does, that the Son does likewise. (Joh 5,30; Joh 16,13)20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (Matt 3,17; Joh 3,35; Joh 7,21; Joh 10,17; Joh 14,12; Joh 15,9; Joh 17,23)21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (5.Mos 32,39; Joh 6,33; Joh 11,25; Rom 4,17; Rom 8,11; Rom 9,18; 1.Kor 15,45; 2.Kor 1,9)22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (Joh 3,17; Joh 5,27; Joh 9,39; Joh 17,2; Ap G 10,42; Ap G 17,31)23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. (Luk 10,16; Joh 8,49; Joh 15,23; 1.Joh 2,23)24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (Joh 3,15; Joh 3,18; Joh 3,36; Joh 5,29; Joh 8,51; Joh 12,44; Joh 20,31; 1.Joh 3,14; 1.Joh 5,9)25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (Joh 4,21; Joh 4,23; Joh 11,43; Ef 2,1; Ef 2,5)26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. (Joh 1,4; Joh 6,57; Joh 17,2)27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (Joh 5,22)28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice (Joh 5,25; Joh 11,24; Joh 11,44; 1.Kor 15,52)29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (Dan 12,2)
Witnesses to Jesus
30“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (Matt 26,39; Joh 4,34; Joh 5,19; Joh 6,38; Joh 7,18; Joh 8,16; Joh 8,28; Joh 14,10; Rom 15,3)31If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. (Joh 8,13; Joh 8,18; Joh 8,54; Joh 18,21)32There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. (Joh 5,37; Joh 7,28)33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. (Joh 1,7; Joh 1,19)34Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. (1.Joh 5,9)35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. (Matt 13,20; Matt 21,26; 2.Pet 1,19)36But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. (Matt 11,4; Joh 2,23; Joh 3,2; Joh 3,17; Joh 4,34; Joh 5,34; Joh 10,25; Joh 10,38; Joh 14,11; Joh 15,24)37And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, (Matt 3,17; Joh 1,18; Joh 8,18)38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. (1.Joh 2,14; 1.Joh 4,13; 1.Joh 5,10)39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (Luk 24,27; Ap G 17,11; 2.Tim 3,15)40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (Matt 23,37; Luk 13,34; Joh 3,19; Joh 5,43; Joh 7,17)41I do not receive glory from people. (Matt 6,1; Joh 5,34; 1.Thess 2,6)42But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (Luk 11,42; Joh 2,24; Judas 1,21)43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. (Matt 24,5; Joh 1,11; Joh 3,11; Joh 3,32; Joh 10,25; Joh 12,13; Joh 17,12)44How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (Joh 17,3; Rom 2,29)45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. (Joh 9,28; Rom 2,17)46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. (4.Mos 21,9; 5.Mos 18,15; Luk 24,27; Joh 5,47; Joh 12,41)47But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (Luk 16,31)