nor does His word abide in youThis phrase highlights the importance of internalizing God's word. In the Jewish tradition, the Torah was central to life and worship, and memorization of scripture was common. The word "abide" suggests a deep, ongoing presence, indicating that God's word should dwell within believers, influencing their thoughts and actions. This echoes
Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you," emphasizing the transformative power of scripture when it truly resides within a person.
because you do not believe
Belief is a central theme in the Gospel of John, where faith in Jesus is presented as the pathway to eternal life (John 3:16). The lack of belief here is not just intellectual assent but a failure to trust and commit to the truth of Jesus' identity and mission. This reflects the broader context ofJohn 5, where Jesus is addressing Jewish leaders who are skeptical of His claims and miracles. Their unbelief prevents them from understanding and accepting the deeper truths of God's revelation.
the One He sent
This phrase refers to Jesus as the sent one from God, a concept rooted in the Old Testament where prophets were often described as being sent by God (e.g.,Isaiah 6:8). In the New Testament, Jesus is uniquely the sent one, fulfilling prophecies such asIsaiah 61:1, which Jesus reads inLuke 4:18-21, declaring its fulfillment in Him. The sending of Jesus is a key theme in John, underscoring His divine mission and authority. This also connects to the concept of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God, as seen inJohn 1:14, where the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the Jewish leaders who are questioning His authority and divinity.
2.
Jewish LeadersThe audience to whom Jesus is speaking. They are skeptical of Jesus' claims and are seeking to challenge Him.
3.
JerusalemThe setting of this discourse, where Jesus often engaged with religious leaders and performed miracles.
4.
The FatherGod the Father, who sent Jesus into the world. The relationship between the Father and the Son is a key theme in this passage.
5.
The WordRefers to the message and teachings of God, which Jesus embodies and communicates.
Teaching Points
The Importance of BeliefBelief in Jesus as the One sent by God is crucial for His Word to abide in us. Without belief, the transformative power of God's Word cannot take root in our lives.
The Indwelling WordFor God's Word to abide in us, we must actively engage with it through study, meditation, and application. This requires a heart open to receiving and living out the truth of Scripture.
The Role of FaithFaith is the foundation that allows God's Word to dwell within us. It is through faith that we accept Jesus and His teachings, leading to spiritual growth and maturity.
The Consequences of UnbeliefThe Jewish leaders' failure to believe in Jesus resulted in a lack of God's Word abiding in them. This serves as a warning to us about the dangers of unbelief and the importance of accepting Jesus' authority.
Living Out the WordAs believers, we are called to not only hear the Word but to live it out in our daily lives. This involves aligning our actions and decisions with the teachings of Jesus.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 5:38?
2.How can we ensure God's word "abides in" us daily?
3.What prevents us from believing "the One He sent" according to John 5:38?
4.How does John 5:38 connect with Psalm 119:11 about hiding God's word?
5.What practical steps help us internalize Scripture as John 5:38 suggests?
6.How does John 5:38 challenge our understanding of faith and obedience?
7.What does John 5:38 reveal about the nature of belief and faith in Jesus?
8.How does John 5:38 challenge the understanding of God's word dwelling within believers?
9.Why is the absence of God's word significant in John 5:38?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 5?
11.What defines a victorious Christian life?
12.How can you consistently remain in Him?
13.Jesus says, 'Ask anything in my name, and I will do it' (John 14:13-14), but prayers often go unanswered--why?
14.What does it mean to abide in Christ?What Does John 5:38 Mean
Nor does His word abide in youJesus tells the Jerusalem leaders that the problem is not a lack of information but a lack of internalization.
• God’s Word is meant to take up residence, shaping thoughts and desires. “If you remain in My word, you are truly My disciples” (John 8:31; see alsoColossians 3:16;Psalm 119:11).
• When Scripture stays external—mere facts to master—its life-changing power is blocked (Hebrews 4:12).
• The evidence that the Word is not abiding shows up in their resistance to Christ. FirstJohn 2:14 links the abiding Word with spiritual victory; absent that, blindness follows (2 Corinthians 4:4).
because you do not believeFaith is the doorway through which God’s Word enters the heart.
• “The message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed” (Hebrews 4:2).
• Unbelief hardens; belief softens. Compare the contrast Jesus draws inJohn 3:18—belief brings life, unbelief leaves a person “already condemned.”
• The leaders’ scholarly knowledge could not substitute for trust.James 1:22 warns that hearing without doing deceives; here, hearing without believing blinds.
the One He sentEverything rises or falls on the response to Jesus.
• “This is the work of God: to believe in the One He has sent” (John 6:29).
• Rejecting the Sent One means rejecting the Sender (John 12:44; 13:20).
• The Father repeatedly testifies to the Son—through John the Baptist (John 5:33-35), through miracles (v. 36), and through Scripture itself (v. 39). Ignoring that testimony exposes a heart closed to God’s Word.
• By emphasizing “the One He sent,” Jesus centers salvation on His own person, echoingJohn 3:17 and pointing forward to His prayer inJohn 17:3.
summaryJohn 5:38 diagnoses spiritual anemia: Scripture is on the lips but not in the heart, because faith in Christ is absent. When the Word is welcomed with belief, it abides, transforms, and leads straight to the One the Father sent—Jesus, the living Word who alone brings life.
(38)
Abiding in you.--This striking thought of the word taking up its abode in the mind, and forming the mind in which it dwells, meets us only in St. John. (Comp.
John 15:7;
1John 2:14;
1John 2:24;
1John 3:9;
1John 3:17; and Note on
John 6:36.) They had, indeed, the word of God, but they had it not as a power ever living in them. They locked it up with sacred care in ark and synagogue, but it found no home in their inmost life, and had no real power on their practice. They could take it up and put it down. It was something outside themselves. Had it been in them, it would have produced in them a moral consciousness, which would have accepted, as of the same nature with itself, every fuller revelation from God. Their own spirits, moulded by the word of God dwelling in them, would have received the Word of God now among them. (Comp.
Excursus A: Doctrine of the Word.) The fact that they believed not Him whom God
sent (not "hath sent") was itself the proof that they had not the abiding word. . . .
Verse 38. -
And further, you have not his Word (
ΤΟΝ ΛΟΓΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ) abiding in you. The Word of the Father (for the
αὐτου refers to the Father),
i.e. the full expression of the Father's heart, was sounding through the voice of the Son of God, and might have entered into and become an abiding power in their inmost conscience and their spiritual life; but they had not received the "Word" of the Lord through the "Voice" of the Lord. The reason given is,
Because him whom he (the Father)
sent, him (this One)
ye believe not. In other words, "Your lack of faith in me accounts for your perverse misconception, for your inability to see and hear all that there is of the Father's personal testimony to me." Some suspect a
petitio principii in this argument, but the reasoning seems to be this; there is abundant evidence, corroboration, and cooperative glory, affirming the truth of all that Christ has said about himself as the Source of life and Judge of man; but the moral susceptibility of his hearers is paralyzed, and their faith in the most fundamental facts of their own experience is at fault. They seem impervious, not only to Christ's Word, but to the corroborative testimonies themselves.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
[nor]καὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.[does]ἔχετε(echete)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192:To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.Hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.wordλόγον(logon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056:From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.abideμένοντα(menonta)Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3306:To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.you,ὑμῖν(hymin)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.becauseὅτι(hoti)Conjunction
Strong's 3754:Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.youὑμεῖς(hymeis)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.{do} notοὐ(ou)Adverb
Strong's 3756:No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.believeπιστεύετε(pisteuete)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.the [One]τούτῳ(toutō)Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.Heἐκεῖνος(ekeinos)Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1565:That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.sent.ἀπέστειλεν(apesteilen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 649:From apo and stello; set apart, i.e. to send out literally or figuratively.
Links
John 5:38 NIVJohn 5:38 NLTJohn 5:38 ESVJohn 5:38 NASBJohn 5:38 KJV
John 5:38 BibleApps.comJohn 5:38 Biblia ParalelaJohn 5:38 Chinese BibleJohn 5:38 French BibleJohn 5:38 Catholic Bible
NT Gospels: John 5:38 You don't have his word living (Jhn Jo Jn) 
