John 5:1

The Third Sign: Healing the Sick

1 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:1 Meaning and Commentary

John 5:1

After this there was a feast of the Jews
After Christ had been in Samaria, which was four months ago, ( John 4:35 ) , and had been in Galilee for that time, and had cured the nobleman's son, and had done other mighty works, the time came on for one of the three festivals of the Jews; either the feast of Pentecost, as some think; or as others, the feast of tabernacles; or rather, the feast of the passover, so called, in ( John 4:45 ) since John is very particular, in giving an account of the several passovers, in Christ's ministry:

and Jesus went up to Jerusalem;
according to the law of God, which obliged all the males to appear there at that time; and to show his compliance with it, and obedience to it, whom it became to fulfil all righteousness; and this he did also, that he might have an opportunity of discoursing, and doing his miracles before all the people, which came at this time, from the several parts of the land.

John 5:1 In-Context

1 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades.

3 Within these lay a multitude of the sick-blind, lame, and paralyzed [-waiting for the moving of the water,

4 because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].

5 One man was there who had been sick for 38 years.