1Potom sa Ježiš pobral do Jeruzalema, lebo bol práve židovský sviatok.2V strede mesta, neďaleko Ovčej brány, bol rybník, po židovsky zvaný Betezda, okolo ktorého bolo päť prístreší.3Ležali tu mnohí chorí, chromí, slepí, ochrnutí a túžobne čakali, kedy sa rozčerí hladina vody.4Z času na čas zostupoval totiž do rybníka anjel Pánov a rozvíril vodu. Prvý, kto vstúpil do rozvírenej vody, bol uzdravený, nech trpel čímkoľvek.5Medzi postihnutými ležal človek, ktorý bol chorý už tridsaťosem rokov.6Keď ho Ježiš uvidel a zistil, že je už tak dlho chorý, spýtal sa ho: „Chceš byť zdravý?“7„Chcem,“ odpovedal chorý, „ale nemám nikoho, kto by mi pomohol dostať sa do rybníka, keď sa zvíri voda. Kým sa ta sám dostanem, zakaždým ma niekto predbehne.“8Ježiš mu odpovedal: „Vstaň, vezmi si rohož a vráť sa domov.“9Chorý bol v tej chvíli uzdravený. Zvinul rohož a pobral sa preč.10Bola práve sobota, keď Ježiš urobil tento zázrak, preto židovskí predstavení napomínali uzdraveného: „Nepatrí sa, aby si dnes odnášal svoje lôžko. Zákon to nedovoľuje.“11„Viem,“ odpovedal. „Ale prikázal mi to človek, ktorý ma uzdravil.“12„A kto ti také čosi rozkázal?“ rozhorčovali sa Židia.13To uzdravený nevedel, lebo Ježiš zmizol v dave.14Po nejakom čase ho Ježiš vyhľadal v chráme a povedal mu: „Teš sa, že si zdravý. Ale už nehreš, aby ťa nepostihlo niečo horšie.“15Muž bežal za Židmi a oznámil im, že ho uzdravil Ježiš.16Tu dorážali Židia do Ježiša a vyčítali mu, že nezachováva sobotu.17Ale Ježiš im odpovedal: „Môj Otec neprestajne koná dobro a ja nasledujem jeho príklad.“18Po týchto slovách židovskí predstavení ešte väčšmi dychtili ho zabiť, lebo nielenže narúšal zákon o sobote, ale hovoril o Bohu ako o svojom Otcovi, a tým sa robil rovným Bohu.19Ježiš sa bránil: „Syn nemôže robiť nič sám od seba. Robí len to, čo vidí robiť Otca, a robí to takisto.20Lebo Otec miluje Syna a zveruje sa mu so všetkým, čo robí. A Syn vykoná ešte väčšie zázraky ako uzdravenie chorého.21Môže dokonca vzkriesiť z mŕtvych tých, ktorých bude chcieť, tak ako to robí Otec.22A Otec sám nebude súdiť nikoho, toto právo prenechal Synovi,23aby si všetci ctili Syna tak, ako si ctia Otca. Ale kto si nectí Syna, ktorého poslal sám Boh, ten si nectí ani Otca.“
Kto bude žiť večne?
24„Veľmi dôrazne vám hovorím, že každý, kto počúva tieto moje slová a verí v Boha, ktorý ma poslal, má večný život. Nebude súdený za svoje hriechy, ale už prešiel zo smrti do života.25A slávnostne vyhlasujem, že príde čas, ba už je tu, keď mŕtvi počujú môj hlas – hlas Božieho Syna – a tí, čo ho počujú, budú žiť.26Otec je zdrojom života a aj Syna poveril, aby dával život.27A takisto iba jemu dal právo konať súd.28Nebuďte prekvapení, prichádza čas, keď mŕtvi počujú jeho hlas a vstanú z hrobov.29Tí, čo konali dobro, vstanú do večného života, ale tí, čo neprestali konať zlo, vstanú a budú odsúdení.“
Svedectvá o Božom Synovi
30„Ja sám nesúdim, kým sa neporadím s Otcom. Moja vôľa sa zhoduje s Otcovou. Preto súdim spravodlivo, lebo nehľadám svoju vôľu, ale vôľu toho, ktorý ma poslal.31Iste by nepôsobilo vierohodne, keby som sám dokazoval, že som Boží Syn.32Ale je tu iný, ktorý svedčí o mne, a ja viem, že jeho svedectvo je pravé.33Sami ste šli počúvať Jána Krstiteľa na púšť a môžem vás ubezpečiť, že všetko, čo hovoril o mne, je pravda.34Ja však nemusím stavať na ľudskom svedectve, pripomínam ho iba preto, aby ste vy boli zachránení.35Ján Krstiteľ zažiaril jasne ako meteor a vy ste sa radovali z jeho svetla.36Ale je tu ešte jasnejšie svedectvo ako Jánovo, a to sú zázraky, ktoré konám. Sám Otec ma poveril ich konať a ony sú dôkazom, že ma poslal Otec.37A sám Otec vydal o mne svedectvo, hoci vy ste nikdy nepočuli jeho hlas, ani nevideli jeho tvár.38Jeho slovo vo vás nezostalo, lebo tomu, ktorého poslal, neveríte.39Skúmate Písmo a domnievate sa, že ak ho budete plniť, získate večný život. Ale aj Písmo svedčí o mne.40A jednako nechcete prísť ku mne, aby ste mali život.41Nečakám chválu od ľudí,42aj vás dobre poznám a viem, že nemilujete Boha.43Viem to, lebo som prišiel v mene svojho Otca, no odmietli ste ma prijať. Keby niekto prišiel vo vlastnom mene, prijali by ste ho s nadšením.44Nečudujem sa, že mi nemôžete uveriť, lebo vám väčšmi záleží na tom, aby ste sa páčili ľuďom ako Bohu.45A nedomnievajte sa, že ja budem Otcovi na vás žalovať. Vaším žalobcom bude Mojžiš, lebo dúfate, že zachovávaním jeho zákonov sa dostanete do neba.46No keby ste naozaj verili Mojžišovi, verili by ste aj mne, lebo on písal o mne.47Ale keď neveríte jemu, ako by ste mohli veriť mojim slovám?“
1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (Jn 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] (Mt 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.” (Mt 9,6; Mk 2,9; Mk 2,11; Lk 5,24)9And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. (Jn 5,8; Jn 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.” (Ex 20,10; Neh 13,19; Jer 17,21; Mt 12,2; Mk 2,24; Mk 3,4; Lk 6,2; Lk 13,14; Jn 7,23; Jn 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. (Jn 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.” (Ezd 9,14; Jn 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. (Jn 7,23; Jn 9,16; Jn 15,20; Sk 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. (Jn 5,16; Jn 7,1; Jn 10,33; Rim 8,32; Flp 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. (Jn 5,30; Jn 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. (Mt 3,17; Jn 3,35; Jn 7,21; Jn 10,17; Jn 14,12; Jn 15,9; Jn 17,23)21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (Dt 32,39; Jn 6,33; Jn 11,25; Rim 4,17; Rim 8,11; Rim 9,18; 1 Kor 15,45; 2 Kor 1,9)22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (Jn 3,17; Jn 5,27; Jn 9,39; Jn 17,2; Sk 10,42; Sk 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. (Lk 10,16; Jn 8,49; Jn 15,23; 1 Jn 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. (Jn 3,15; Jn 3,18; Jn 3,36; Jn 5,29; Jn 8,51; Jn 12,44; Jn 20,31; 1 Jn 3,14; 1 Jn 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. (Jn 4,21; Jn 4,23; Jn 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. (Jn 1,4; Jn 6,57; Jn 17,2)27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (Jn 5,22)28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice (Jn 5,25; Jn 11,24; Jn 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. (Mt 26,39; Jn 4,34; Jn 5,19; Jn 6,38; Jn 7,18; Jn 8,16; Jn 8,28; Jn 14,10; Rim 15,3)31If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. (Jn 8,13; Jn 8,18; Jn 8,54; Jn 18,21)32There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. (Jn 5,37; Jn 7,28)33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. (Jn 1,7; Jn 1,19)34Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. (1 Jn 5,9)35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. (Mt 13,20; Mt 21,26; 2 Pt 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. (Mt 11,4; Jn 2,23; Jn 3,2; Jn 3,17; Jn 4,34; Jn 5,34; Jn 10,25; Jn 10,38; Jn 14,11; Jn 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, (Mt 3,17; Jn 1,18; Jn 8,18)38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. (1 Jn 2,14; 1 Jn 4,13; 1 Jn 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, (Lk 24,27; Sk 17,11; 2 Tim 3,15)40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (Mt 23,37; Lk 13,34; Jn 3,19; Jn 5,43; Jn 7,17)41I do not receive glory from people. (Mt 6,1; Jn 5,34; 1 Sol 2,6)42But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (Lk 11,42; Jn 2,24; Júd 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. (Mt 24,5; Jn 1,11; Jn 3,11; Jn 3,32; Jn 10,25; Jn 12,13; Jn 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? (Jn 17,3; Rim 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. (Jn 9,28; Rim 2,17)46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. (Nm 21,9; Dt 18,15; Lk 24,27; Jn 5,47; Jn 12,41)47But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (Lk 16,31)