After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the specific feast remains a mystery, its mention serves a crucial purpose: it highlights Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem, not just for a religious observance, but as a setting for a profound encounter with human suffering and divine power that would challenge the very fabric of religious law.
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jesus' interactions in Samaria, he travels to Jerusalem for an unnamed Jewish feast. His presence at this gathering sets the stage for a significant encounter at the pool of Bethesda, where he heals a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. This miraculous healing, performed on the Sabbath, immediately sparks conflict with the religious leaders and leads into Jesus' powerful defense of his actions and his divine authority.
Why does John mention a feast but leave its name a mystery? What does this seemingly small detail reveal about Jesus' mission?
The Gospel of John often highlights key moments in Jesus' life by referencing Jewish feasts, which were central to Israel's worship and identity. However, in this passage (John 5:1), the specific feast Jesus attended is unnamed. This has led to much scholarly debate, with possibilities ranging from Passover to Purim to Pentecost.
Why the Ambiguity?
Ask a follow-up
Jesus travels to Jerusalem for a feast, but instead of joining the celebration, he is drawn to a place of profound human misery. What does this tell us about his heart?
The narrative immediately shifts from the religious gathering to the pool of Bethesda, a place teeming with people suffering from various ailments – blind, lame, and withered. It was a place of waiting, of dashed hopes, and of intense need.
The Divine Compassion:
Jesus doesn't wait for the 'angel' or the 'troubled water.' He speaks a single command, and immediate, transformative healing occurs. What does this reveal about his authority?
The contrast between the traditional, passive method of healing at Bethesda and Jesus' direct command is striking. The legend suggested a physical stirring of the water, perhaps by an angel, and a race to be the first in.
A Different Kind of Power:
Understand the original words
heorte · Greek Noun
A divinely appointed festival or celebratory occasion, often marking historical events in Israel's history and requiring pilgrimage or worship.
Hierosolyma · Greek Noun
The Holy City, central to Jewish worship and the site of the Temple, representing the dwelling place of God’s presence on earth.
While the specific feast is debated among scholars (Purim, Pentecost, or Passover are possibilities), this event marks a significant point in Jesus' ministry, moving from Galilean teaching to a confrontation in Jerusalem that highlights his divine authority and the growing opposition from Jewish leaders.
c. December AD 27
Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman
Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well, stating, "As for you, the harvest is four months away."
c. January AD 28
Jesus ministry in Galilee begins
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, healing and teaching. The Gospels indicate a period of ministry here.
c. March AD 28— this verse
Jesus attends a Jewish feast in Jerusalem
Jesus travels to Jerusalem for an unnamed Jewish feast. He heals a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath.
c. March AD 28
Jesus' discourse on the Sabbath
Following the healing at Bethesda, Jesus delivers a significant discourse explaining his relationship with the Father and asserting his divine authority.
c. April AD 28
Second Passover
The Passover feast occurs, marking the second Passover Jesus attends during his public ministry.
This passage describes the institution of the Feast of Purim, which is a strong candidate for the 'feast of the Jews' mentioned in John 5:1. Purim celebrated God's deliverance of His people, much like the healing that occurs in John 5.
Deuteronomy 16:16This Old Testament law requires Israelite men to appear before the Lord at the appointed feasts, providing the religious and cultural context for Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, demonstrating His obedience to God's commands.
1 Kings 17:9This passage shows God's provision through Elijah for a widow in need, paralleling Jesus' presence and power to heal among those in need at the pool of Bethesda, even when human help fails.
Isaiah 35:5-6This prophetic passage foretells the restoration of the blind, lame, and deaf, which directly mirrors the types of healing Jesus performs at the pool of Bethesda, highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises.
Jeremiah 17:21This verse details the prohibition against carrying burdens on the Sabbath, which directly relates to the conflict that arises in John 5 when Jesus heals the man and tells him to carry his mat, demonstrating a clash between religious law and divine mercy.
ellicottJohn 5:1: "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."
(1) A feast of the Jews. —The writer does not tell us what feast this was, and we must be content to remain without certain knowledge. There is, perhaps, no Jewish feast with which it has not been identified, and it has been even proclaimed confidently that it must have been the Day of Atonement! (Caspari, Chron. and Geogr., Introd., Eng. Trans., p. 130). Our reading is to be regarded as the better one, though…
calvinJohn 5:1-9: "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."
- After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2. And there was in Jerusalem, at the sheep-market, a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. 3. In these lay a great multitude of diseased, blind, lame, withered, [93] waiting for the motion of the water. 4. For an angel went down, at intervals, [94] into the pool, and troubled the water. Whosoever we…
While the specific feast remains a mystery, its mention serves a crucial purpose: it highlights Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem, not just for a religious observance, but as a setting for a profound encounter with human suffering and divine power that would challenge the very fabric of religious law.
Following Jesus' interactions in Samaria, he travels to Jerusalem for an unnamed Jewish feast. His presence at this gathering sets the stage for a significant encounter at the pool of Bethesda, where he heals a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. This miraculous healing, performed on the Sabbath, immediately sparks conflict with the religious leaders and leads into Jesus' powerful defense of his actions and his divine authority.
Following Jesus' interactions in Samaria, he travels to Jerusalem for an unnamed Jewish feast. His presence at this gathering sets the stage for a significant encounter at the pool of Bethesda, where he heals a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. This miraculous healing, performed on the Sabbath, immediately sparks conflict with the religious leaders and leads into Jesus' powerful defense of his actions and his divine authority.
"After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem." — While the specific feast remains a mystery, its mention serves a crucial purpose: it highlights Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem, not just for a religious observance, but as a setting for a pro…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026