John Wesley

“An angel - Yet many undoubtedly thought the whole thing to be purely natural. At certain times - Perhaps at a certain hour of the day, during this paschal week, went down - The Greek word implies that he had ceased going down, before the…”

Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

“Sin no more - It seems his former illness was the effect or punishment of sin.”

And the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

“Let us not wonder then, if our good be evil spoken of: if even candour, benevolence, and usefulness, do not disarm the enmity of those who have been taught to prefer sacrifice to mercy; and who, disrelishing the genuine Gospel, naturally seek to slander and…”

Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself…

“His own Father - The Greek word means his own Father in such a sense as no creature can speak. Making himself equal with God - It is evident all the hearers so understood him, and that our Lord never contradicted, but confirmed it.”

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 - This is not his imperfection, but his glory, resulting from his eternal, intimate, indissoluble unity with the Father.”

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 may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father - Either willingly, and so escaping condemnation, by faith: or unwillingly, when feeling the wrath of the Judge.”

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

“Because he is the Son of man - He is appointed to judge mankind because he was made man.”

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him…

“I can do nothing of myself - It is impossible I should do any thing separately from my Father. As I hear - Of the Father, and see, so I judge and do; A because I am essentially united to him.”

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

“If I testify of myself - That is, if I alone, (which indeed is impossible,) my testimony is not valid.”

Even though I do not accept human testimony, I say these things so that you may be saved.

“But I have no need to receive, &c. But these things - Concerning John, whom ye yourselves reverence, I say, that ye may be saved - So really and seriously did he will their salvation. Most, if not all of them, died in their sins.”

John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

“He was a burning and a shining light - Inwardly burning with love and zeal, outwardly shining in all holiness. And even ye were willing for a season - A short time only.”

nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent.

“Ye have not his word - All who believe have the word of the Father (the same with the word of the Son) abiding in them, that is, deeply ingrafted in their hearts.”

You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,

“Search the Scriptures - A plain command to all men. In them ye are assured ye have eternal life - Ye know they show you the way to eternal life. And these very Scriptures testify of me.”

How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

“While ye receive honour - That is, while ye seek the praise of men rather than the praise of God.”

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

“If any eat of this bread - That is, believe in me: he shall live forever - In other words, he that believeth to the end shall be saved.”

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.

“Unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man - Spiritually: unless ye draw continual virtue from him by faith. Eating his flesh is only another expression for believing.”

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

“This is - That is, I am the bread - Which is not like the manna your fathers ate, who died notwithstanding.”

On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”

“This is a hard saying - Hard to the children of the world, but sweet to the children of God. Scarce ever did our Lord speak more sublimely, even to the apostles in private.”

Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

“What if ye shall see the Son of man ascend where he was before? - How much more incredible will it then appear to you, that he should give you his flesh to eat?”

The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

“It is the Spirit - The spiritual meaning of these words, by which God giveth life. The flesh - The bare, carnal, literal meaning, profiteth nothing.”

However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)

“But there are some of you who believe not - And so receive no life by them, because you take them in a gross literal sense.”

Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”

“Jesus answered the - And yet even ye have not all acted suitable to this knowledge. Have I not chosen or elected you twelve? - But they might fall even from that election.”

About halfway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach.

“Now at the middle of the feast - Which lasted eight days. It is probable this was on the Sabbath day. Jesus went up into the temple - Directly, without stopping any where else.”

But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)

“Moses gave you circumcision - The sense is, because Moses enjoined your circumcision (though indeed it was far more ancient than him) you think it no harm to circumcise a man on the Sabbath: and are ye angry at me (which anger had now continued…”

But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”

“When Christ cometh, none knoweth whence he is - This Jewish tradition was true, with regard to his Divine nature: in that respect none could declare his generation.”