Albert Barnes

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

“I sent you - In the commission given you to preach the gospel. You have not labored or toiled in preparing the way for the great harvest which is now to be gathered in.”

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him, ... - There is seldom an instance of so remarkable success as this.”

After two days, Jesus left for Galilee.

“Into Galilee - Into some of the parts of Galilee, though evidently not into Nazareth, but probably direct to Cana, Joh 4:46.”

Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.

“For Jesus himself testified ... - See the notes at Mat 13:57. The connection of this verse with the preceding may be thus explained: “Jesus went to Galilee, but not to Nazareth, for he testified,” etc.”

When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.

“He went unto him - Though high in office, yet he did not refuse to go personally to Jesus to ask his aid.”

“Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

“Come down ... - The earnestness of the nobleman evinces the deep and tender anxiety of a father. So anxious was he for his son that he was not willing that Jesus should delay a moment - not even to address the people.”

Then the father realized that this was the very hour in which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and all his household believed.

“Himself believed - This miracle removed all his doubts, and he became a real disciple and friend of Jesus. His whole house - His whole family. We may learn from this, 1. That sickness or any deep affliction is often the means of great good.”

Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

“A feast - Probably the Passover, though it is not certain. There were two other feasts - the Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles - at which all the males were required to be present, and it might have been one of them.”

On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

“Impotent folk - Sick people; or people who were weak and feeble by long disease. The word means those who were “feeble” rather than those who were afflicted with “acute” disease. Halt - Lame.”

One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

“An infirmity - A weakness. We know not what his disease was. We know only that it disabled him from walking, and that it was of very long standing. It was doubtless regarded as incurable.”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.

“Sir, I have no man ... - The answer of the man implied that he did wish it, but, in addition to all his other trials, he had no “friend” to aid him. This is an additional circumstance that heightened his affliction.”

Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now this happened on the Sabbath day,

“The Sabbath - To carry burdens on the Sabbath was forbidden in the Old Testament, Jer 17:21; Neh 13:15; Exo 20:8-10.”

so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.”

“Not lawful - It was forbidden, they supposed, in the Old Testament. The Jews were very strenuous in the observation of the external duties of religion.”

But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“He that made me whole - The man reasoned correctly. If Jesus had power to work so signal a miracle, he had a right to explain the law.”

“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.

“What man is he ... - In this verse there is a remarkable instance of the “perverseness” of men, of their want of candor, and of the manner in which they often look at a subject.”

But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.

“Wist not - Knew not. Had conveyed himself away - Was lost in the crowd. He had silently mingled with the multitude, or had passed on with the crowd unobserved, and the man had been so rejoiced at his cure that he had not even…”

But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

“My Father - God. Worketh hitherto - Worketh “until now,” or until this time. God has not ceased to work on the Sabbath. He makes the sun to rise; He rolls the stars; He causes the grass, the tree, the flower to grow.”

So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it.

“The Son can do nothing of himself - Jesus, having stated the extent of his authority, proceeds here to show its “source and nature,” and to prove to them that what he had said was true.”

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

“As the Father raiseth up the dead - God has power to raise the dead. By his power it had been done in at least two instances - by the prophet Elijah, in the case of the son of the widow of Sarepta 1Ki 17:22…”

so that 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.

“That all men should honour ... - To honor is to esteem, reverence, praise, do homage to. We honor one when we ascribe to him in our hearts, and words, and actions the praise and obedience which are due to him.”

Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will…

“The hour - The time. Is coming - Under the preaching of the gospel, as well as in the resurrection of the dead. Now is - It is now taking place. Sinners were converted under his ministry and brought to spiritual life.”

And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

“Hath given him authority - Hath appointed him to do this. Has made him to be judge of all. This is represented as being the appointment of the Father, Act 17:31.”

and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

“Shall come forth - Shall come out of their graves. This was the language which he used when he raised up Lazarus, Joh 11:43-44.”

If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid.

“If I bear witness of myself - If I have no other evidence than my own testimony about myself. My witness - My testimony; my evidence. The proof would not be decisive.”

You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

“Ye sent unto John - See Joh 1:19. He bare witness ... - See Joh 1:26, Joh 1:29, Joh 1:36. This testimony of John ought to have satisfied them.”