John 5:1

Though there are some that think the feast mentioned here was that of Pentecost, and others that it was the feast of tabernacles, yet the most and best interpreters judge it was the feast of the passover that is here mentioned; and that this was the second passover which happened after our Saviour had entered upon his public ministry. We read of the first, John 2:13; and from that verse of that chapter to this chapter the evangelist (as they think) hath been relating so much of our Saviour’s actions, until the second passover, as it was the will of God we should have upon public authentic record, and had not been recorded by the other evangelists, who give a further account of his actions done this year, Matthew 4:1-25; Matthew 8:1-34; Matthew 9:1-38; Mark 1:1-45; Mark 2:1-28; Luke 4:1-44; Luke 5:1-39. In the time of our Saviour’s public ministry (which was three years and a half) there were four passovers. The other evangelists take notice but of one of them, and that the last. John is thought to have mentioned all the four; the first, John 2:13, the second in this place, the third, John 6:4, the fourth, John 8:1. Another reason they give why the feast of the passover should be here intended is, because from about that time to the harvest were four months, according to what our Saviour had said, John 4:35.

Jesus went up to the passover, to Jerusalem, to show his obedience to his Father’s law, Deuteronomy 16:16.