5:19 So Jesus answered them, 15 “I tell you the solemn truth, 16 the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, 17 but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father 18 does, the Son does likewise. 19
5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, 20 the one who hears 21 my message 22 and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, 23 but has crossed over from death to life. 5:25 I tell you the solemn truth, 24 a time 25 is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Then 42 they said to Jesus, 43 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 44 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 45 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 46 I 47 have not come on my own initiative, 48 but he 49 sent me.
10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, 50 the one who does not enter the sheepfold 51 by the door, 52 but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
12:34 Then the crowd responded, 59 “We have heard from the law that the Christ 60 will remain forever. 61 How 62 can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, 66 ‘The one who eats my bread 67 has turned against me.’ 68
17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward 80 to heaven 81 and said, “Father, the time 82 has come. Glorify your Son, so that your 83 Son may glorify you –
20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, 103 and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 104 Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. 108 (This was the disciple 109 who had leaned back against Jesus’ 110 chest at the meal and asked, 111 “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) 112
1 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Grk “said to them.”
3 tn Grk “about the tenth hour.”
sn About four o’clock in the afternoon. What system of time reckoning is the author using? B. F. Westcott thought John, unlike the synoptic gospels, was using Roman time, which started at midnight (St. John, 282). This would make the time 10 a.m., which would fit here. But later in the Gospel’s Passover account (John 19:42, where the sixth hour is on the “eve of the Passover”) it seems clear the author had to be using Jewish reckoning, which began at 6 a.m. This would make the time here in 1:39 to be 4 p.m. This may be significant: If the hour was late, Andrew and the unnamed disciple probably spent the night in the same house where Jesus was staying, and the events of 1:41-42 took place on the next day. The evidence for Westcott’s view, that the Gospel is using Roman time, is very slim. The Roman reckoning which started at midnight was only used by authorities as legal time (for contracts, official documents, etc.). Otherwise, the Romans too reckoned time from 6 a.m. (e.g., Roman sundials are marked VI, not XII, for noon).
4 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 18.
5 tn A close parallel to the aorist οἰκοδομήθη (oikodomhqh) can be found in Ezra 5:16 (LXX), where it is clear from the following verb that the construction had not yet been completed. Thus the phrase has been translated “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years.” Some, however, see the term ναός (naos) here as referring only to the sanctuary and the aorist verb as consummative, so that the meaning would be “this temple was built forty-six years ago” (so ExSyn 560-61). Ultimately in context the logic of the authorities’ reply appears to fit more naturally if it compares length of time for original construction with length of time to reconstruct it.
6 sn According to Josephus (Ant. 15.11.1 [15.380]), work on this temple was begun in the 18th year of Herod the Great’s reign, which would have been ca. 19
7 tn The same Greek word, πνεύματος (pneumatos), may be translated “wind” or “spirit.”
8 sn Again, the physical illustrates the spiritual, although the force is heightened by the word-play here on wind-spirit (see the note on wind at the beginning of this verse). By the end of the verse, however, the final usage of πνεύματος (pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit.
9 tn Or “a Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” The same term occurs in the plural later in this verse. In one sense “Judean” would work very well in the translation here, since the contrast is between residents of the two geographical regions. However, since in the context of this chapter the discussion soon becomes a religious rather than a territorial one (cf. vv. 19-26), the translation “Jew” has been retained here and in v. 22.
10 tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
11 tn D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [Jn 4:7ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.
sn The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.
12 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
13 tn Or “knew.”
14 tn Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
16 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
17 tn Grk “nothing from himself.”
18 tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 sn What works does the Son do likewise? The same that the Father does – and the same that the rabbis recognized as legitimate works of God on the Sabbath (see note on working in v. 17). (1) Jesus grants life (just as the Father grants life) on the Sabbath. But as the Father gives physical life on the Sabbath, so the Son grants spiritual life (John 5:21; note the “greater things” mentioned in v. 20). (2) Jesus judges (determines the destiny of people) on the Sabbath, just as the Father judges those who die on the Sabbath, because the Father has granted authority to the Son to judge (John 5:22-23). But this is not all. Not only has this power been granted to Jesus in the present; it will be his in the future as well. In v. 28 there is a reference not to spiritually dead (only) but also physically dead. At their resurrection they respond to the Son as well.
20 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
21 tn Or “obeys.”
22 tn Or “word.”
23 tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”
24 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
25 tn Grk “an hour.”
26 tn Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).
sn Do not work for the food that disappears. Note the wordplay on “work” here. This does not imply “working” for salvation, since the “work” is later explained (in John 6:29) as “to believe in the one whom he (the Father) sent.”
27 tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.
28 tn Grk “on this one.”
29 sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
30 tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.
31 tn Grk “receives circumcision.”
32 sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca.
33 tn Or “made an entire man well.”
34 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
35 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.
36 sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.
37 tn Or “I have many things to pronounce in judgment about you.” The two Greek infinitives could be understood as a hendiadys, resulting in one phrase.
38 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
40 tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”
41 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
42 tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sys,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë13 33 Ï). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the combined testimony of two early papyri for the conjunction is impressive, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 52). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA27 has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
43 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
44 sn We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus’ opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus’ true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents’ suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story.
45 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
46 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
47 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
48 tn Grk “from myself.”
49 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
50 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
51 sn There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus’ day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, αὐλή [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).
52 tn Or “entrance.”
53 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
54 tn Grk “in the temple.”
55 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
56 tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”
57 tn Or “bears.”
58 tn Grk “much fruit.”
59 tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”
60 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
61 tn Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Ps 89:36-37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but “law” could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus’ use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David’s “seed” remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the “anointed” (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5, 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).
62 tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
63 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
64 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
65 tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).
66 tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”
67 tn Or “The one who shares my food.”
68 tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.
sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.
69 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
70 tn Or “will do.”
71 tn Grk “the works.”
72 tn Or “that I do.”
sn See the note on miraculous deeds in v. 11.
73 tn Or “will do.”
74 tn Grk “greater works.”
sn What are the greater deeds that Jesus speaks of, and how is this related to his going to the Father? It is clear from both John 7:39 and 16:7 that the Holy Spirit will not come until Jesus has departed. After Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit to indwell believers in a permanent relationship, believers would be empowered to perform even greater deeds than those Jesus did during his earthly ministry. When the early chapters of Acts are examined, it is clear that, from a numerical standpoint, the deeds of Peter and the other Apostles surpassed those of Jesus in a single day (the day of Pentecost). On that day more were added to the church than had become followers of Jesus during the entire three years of his earthly ministry. And the message went forth not just in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, but to the farthest parts of the known world. This understanding of what Jesus meant by “greater deeds” is more probable than a reference to “more spectacular miracles.” Certainly miraculous deeds were performed by the apostles as recounted in Acts, but these do not appear to have surpassed the works of Jesus himself in either degree or number.
75 tn Grk “an hour.”
76 tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
77 sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
78 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
79 tn Grk “the Father.”
80 tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).
sn Jesus also looked upward before his prayer in John 11:41. This was probably a common posture in prayer. According to the parable in Luke 18:13 the tax collector did not feel himself worthy to do this.
81 tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
82 tn Grk “the hour.”
sn The time has come. Jesus has said before that his “hour” had come, both in 12:23 when some Greeks sought to speak with him, and in 13:1 where just before he washed the disciples’ feet. It appears best to understand the “hour” as a period of time starting at the end of Jesus’ public ministry and extending through the passion week, ending with Jesus’ return to the Father through death, resurrection, and exaltation. The “hour” begins as soon as the first events occur which begin the process that leads to Jesus’ death.
83 tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C3 L Ψ Ë13 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.
tn Grk “the Son”; “your” has been added here for English stylistic reasons.
84 tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”
85 tn Grk “and guarded them.”
86 tn Or “by your name.”
87 tn Grk And not one.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
88 tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).
sn The one destined to destruction refers to Judas. Clearly in John’s Gospel Judas is portrayed as a tool of Satan. He is described as “the devil” in 6:70. In 13:2 Satan put into Judas’ heart the idea of betraying Jesus, and 13:27 Satan himself entered Judas. Immediately after this Judas left the company of Jesus and the other disciples and went out into the realm of darkness (13:30). Cf. 2 Thess 2:3, where this same Greek phrase (“the son of destruction”; see tn above) is used to describe the man through whom Satan acts to rebel against God in the last days.
89 sn A possible allusion to Ps 41:9 or Prov 24:22 LXX. The exact passage is not specified here, but in John 13:18, Ps 41:9 is explicitly quoted by Jesus with reference to the traitor, suggesting that this is the passage to which Jesus refers here. The previous mention of Ps 41:9 in John 13:18 probably explains why the author felt no need for an explanatory parenthetical note here. It is also possible that the passage referred to here is Prov 24:22 LXX, where in the Greek text the phrase “son of destruction” appears.
90 tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
91 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
92 tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.
93 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
94 sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.
95 tn Or “garden.”
96 tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.
97 sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman statesman and orator Cicero (106-43
98 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
99 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
100 sn How are Pilate’s words “You take him and crucify him” to be understood? Was he offering a serious alternative to the priests who wanted Jesus crucified? Was he offering them an exception to the statement in 18:31 that the Jewish authorities did not have the power to carry out a death penalty? Although a few scholars have suggested that the situation was at this point so far out of Pilate’s control that he really was telling the high priests they could go ahead and crucify a man he had found to be innocent, this seems unlikely. It is far more likely that Pilate’s statement should be understood as one of frustration and perhaps sarcasm. This seems to be supported by the context, for the Jewish authorities make no attempt at this point to seize Jesus and crucify him. Rather they continue to pester Pilate to order the crucifixion.
101 tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.
102 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
103 tn Grk “were inside”; the word “together” is implied.
104 tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
sn See the note on the phrase locked the doors in 20:19.
105 tn Grk “they said to him.”
106 tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
107 tn The words “the net” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
108 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
109 tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.
110 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
111 tn Grk “and said.”
112 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.