.

             The impotent man isn't the only one stuck in a rut here. It's obvious that the Jewish religious leaders have the same problem. Here they have the messiah in their midst, and all they can do is go on about the Sabbath. Someone was just healed – the lame are walking – and the Jews obsess about minute little laws. They accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, and at last he tells them the truth that is more important than the sabbath – That he is one with the Father. He tells them about the resurrection, about the time when the dead will all walk, and still all they can think about is how if the dead walk, they hope it won't be on the Sabbath.

             There's a very interesting flow to this story – at one moment it's historical, going over the conflict between Jesus and the Jews – and at the next moment Jesus is proclaiming himself as the second member of the Trinity, and introduces the idea of the resurrection. "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live," he says. The impotent man who was able to rise and take his bed is only the beginning, soon Jesus says that all the dead will rise. .

             What's really powerful about this section, though, is the way that Jesus talks about himself as the Son and his relationship with the Father. He sees himself as an extension of the Father, he can do nothing without him. The love between them is also palpable – The Father loves the Son and shows him everything. There's such a strong sense of communion in these words. Not only does it talk about the Trinity, it also talks about family. .

             #4- Critical Understanding.

             From my study of the critical sources involved, it seems the most important critical issues here have to do with life. First, it's important to note that some of the verses describing the setting of the pool of Bethesda have been called into question as possibly being not part of the original text.