“Truly, Truly”
The account of Jesus healing a helpless man at the Pool of Bethesda, described in John’s Gospel, chapter 5, serves as a catalyst for a major controversy during Jesus’ lifetime. While one might expect a miracle to universally cause celebration, the reaction of the religious leaders was hostile, leading them to ultimately seek to kill Jesus. This confrontation was sparked not just by the miracle itself, but by the profound claims Jesus made about himself.
The Transformation at the Pool
The setting for this event was near a gate and a pool—specifically, the Pool of Bethesda—which was surrounded by five roofed colonnades (alcoves). The location was frequented by poor individuals who were drawn there by stories of the pool’s healing properties. These individuals waited, hoping to be the first to enter the water when it was stirred.
Among them was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Unlike the paralyzed man in Mark chapter 2 who was brought to Jesus by friends, this man had no support system. When Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed?” the man did not respond with an enthusiastic “Yes,” but simply explained his predicament: he had no one to put him into the pool when the water was stirred.
Jesus responded by telling the man, “You don’t need to worry about the pool… get up, get up”. Immediately, the man was healed. The profound nature of this transformation was evident because the man, who had been an invalid for 38 years, took up his mat (paleas) and walked.
For those familiar with the Old Testament, such an event—where the lame leap like a deer, and the deaf and blind are healed—was understood as a sign of the Messianic Day, signaling that the Kingdom of God was at hand. This healing was an unmistakable and undeniable evidence of the King’s power.
The Sabbath and the Cruelty of Legalism
The healing miracle, however, took place on the Sabbath. John introduces this crucial fact, which immediately sets the stage for the conflict that followed.
The religious authorities, who were witnesses to this transforming event, lost sight of the healing and the opportunity to rejoice. Instead, they focused on what they believed should not have been done. Their commitment was so rigid that they had added 39 extra requirements concerning the Sabbath to the Law of God, including prohibitions against carrying things.
When the healed man carried his bed, they objected, saying, “No you can’t do that it’s the Sabbath”. The Law itself provided exceptions for “works of necessity and for works of mercy,” which is the difference between performing a necessary or merciful act (like visiting a sick person) and setting up a business (like selling beds).
Jesus, who was aware it was the Sabbath, deliberately chose this day for the miracle. He was not breaking the true intent of the Sabbath, but rather exposing the cruel hearts of the “Sabbath police”. These fidious people were so committed to external rules that they could not rejoice in the provision of mercy, forgiveness, joy, and rest that the Sabbath was meant to represent.
When challenged, the healed man initially “passes the buck,” saying the person who told him to carry his bed was responsible. Later, Jesus meets the man in the temple and advises him, “Don’t sin anymore a lot worse could happen to you,” referring to facing the judgment of God unforgiven.
The Deepest Claim: Equality with God
The core reason the Jews sought to kill Jesus was not just the Sabbath “violation,” but because Jesus was “even calling God his own father”. The religious leaders understood the full significance of Jesus’ claims.
The opposition intensified when Jesus stated: “My father is working until now and I am working”. The Jews concluded, “That’s it, the die is cast, he’s actually claiming to be equal with God”.
Jesus further clarified this relationship in what Ryle, a 19th-century Anglican Bishop, called one of the “deepest things in the Bible,” found in John 5:19:
“Truly, truly I say to you,” says Jesus, “the son can do nothing of his own accord but only what he sees the father doing for whatever the father does that the son does likewise”.
In this explanation, Jesus clarifies his perfect dependence upon God while simultaneously asserting that he shares the rights and the power of God Himself. Jesus was making an express claim to his deity, which the Jewish leaders fully understood.
The Three Evidences of Deity
Jesus presented three specific areas where his authority mirrored that of the Father, affirming his equality:
1. The Giving of Life
Jesus claimed the power to give life, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life. Jesus stated that “the son gives life to whom he will,” unequivocally declaring, “I’m God”. He is the source of life, giving eternal life to others.
2. The Execution of Judgment
The Father has given all judgment to the Son. Jesus asserted that he will be the one who executes judgment at the end of the age. Paul later confirmed this truth, preaching that God has appointed a day when the Son will judge the world, providing proof of this authority through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
3. Accepting Honor
Jesus claimed that all should honor the Son “just as they honor the Father”. He stressed that whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
This claim forces a choice: if Jesus is not equal with God, his claims are a display of “silliness and conceit unrivaled by any character in history”. If a person believes there is a God but refuses to honor Jesus, they do not honor God, because “in Jesus all the fullness of the Godhead has appeared in bodily form”.