Study note

John 5:1

In this section, Jesus attends several Jewish feasts and uses their imagery to reveal deeper truths about himself.

He appears at:

  • a Sabbath feast (chapter 5),

  • Passover (chapter 6),

  • the Feast of Tabernacles (chapters 7–9), and

  • the Feast of Dedication (also called Hanukkah; chapter 10).

In each case, Jesus himself replaces an important element in the ceremonies of the feast.