Introduction
In the article “Jesus Worked on the Sabbath – John 5:17“, we will seek to understand the context in which Jesus made this statement and what it really means. Many people interpret this verse as a justification for disregarding Sabbath observance, but is this what Jesus was trying to teach? By examining the events surrounding this passage, such as the healing performed by Christ and the reactions of the Jews, we will be able to discover the true meaning of this statement. We will also explore the role of Jewish tradition, the concept of work on the Sabbath, and what Jesus was really defending with his response.
Jesus Worked on the Sabbath
John 5:17 – “”And Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.“
The above verse has been somewhat controversial for some people. Some claim that Jesus was showing that under the new covenant, Sabbath keeping would no longer be in effect and therefore permitted work on that day. Based on this text, such people have argued that Jesus did on the Sabbath what was not permitted by the Law, since the commandment said “Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work.” (Exodus 20:9-10).
Analyzing the Context
To know if this is indeed what Jesus was trying to show, we need to keep the context in mind. What happened in the verses preceding this passage? Let us read the main verses of the story described in the context above:
John 5:8-11 – “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ Immediately the man was made well; he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. Then the Jews said to him who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.’ He answered them, ‘He who made me well said, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’’“
When we read the context of the suppressed verses, we realize that this man was paralyzed, because he was lying down and needed people to take him to the pool to cure him of his illness, according to the belief of the time. The text mentioned above shows that Jesus appeared before this man and cured his illness, ordering him to get up, take up his bed and walk. At that very moment, that man got up and “became healthy“, and such an account occurred on the Sabbath day. Did Jesus work on the Sabbath because he accomplished such a work?
The Man Had Been Sick for 38 Years!
A man had been sick for 38 years, but Jesus miraculously cured him. What behavior would we expect from the people who were contemporary with this sick man when they saw him cured of the problem that had tormented him for almost 4 decades? Certainly one of the behaviors we would expect from these people would be happiness. However, the biblical account describes a completely different reaction. In addition to expressing happiness for this cure, they soon criticized him, saying that he was “a foolish man“. Saturday not being “lawful to take the bed” that belonged to Him. For these people, they believed that Jesus worked on the Sabbath, performing works that were not lawful!
Jesus Orders the Sick Man to Carry His Bed
The people’s attention was focused on the fact that he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath. As we read in the commandment, the Sabbath does not allow for “any work” (Exodus 20:11). However, Jesus ordered the sick man to take up his bed and walk. For the Jews of that time, the commandment restricted even any type of work to be done on the Sabbath day. And this included the simple work of carrying something. History shows that the Jews themselves created many rules for the “correct” observance of the Sabbath. Such rules ended up becoming part of the interpretation of the Law itself over time. Many of these rules were not part of God’s will, but were in reality “doctrines and precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated that he did not come to destroy or abrogate the Law, but to fulfill it, and that “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.(Matthew 5:17,19). Therefore, by ordering the sick man to take up his bed and walk, Jesus was not leading this person to transgress God’s Law. The fact that He carried His bed on the Sabbath day was not a transgression, even in the eyes of the men of His day. This means that Jesus worked on the Sabbath, but not from the same point of view that the Pharisees had in His day.
Works That Are Permitted on the Sabbath
The entire context shows a healing that Jesus performed on the Sabbath, and, as we read in Matthew 12:12, the performance of beneficial works on this day is permitted by the Law. By reading the passages that precede and follow the text in question, we will understand a little better why Jesus said such words. Let us see:
John 5:16-18 – “And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the sabbath. And he answered them, My Father worketh until now, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.“
Part of the problem was related to the works that Jesus was doing on that day. Because they were in disagreement with their tradition and understanding of Sabbath keeping, they wanted to apply the penalty of the Law to Christ. Because of this wrong understanding, Jesus responded that the work (the works) that He was doing was in harmony with the Law, because His Father also performed such works.
To be more precise, Jesus did not perform the healings and miracles on that day by His own power, but the power to perform such works came from His Father. If God did not grant power to Christ at that time, He as a human being could not perform such miracles. Therefore, it is clear why Jesus mentioned that He worked in the same way as His Father had worked up until that time.
What was Jesus’ profession?
Another point that many do not take into consideration is the text of Mark 6:3, where the Jews mention what Jesus’ profession was:
Mark 6:3 – “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and of Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended in him.“
Jesus was a carpenter. If He was indeed working in a secular manner on that day, contrary to what the Law commanded, then He must have been performing some kind of carpentry work, and not works of righteousness as He was doing on this occasion. Therefore, we can say that Jesus did not work on the Sabbath! At least, not according to His profession.
Conclusion
It follows, therefore, that the work of Jesus mentioned in John 5:17 was not the secular work that the Law restricted, but was the work that the Father had appointed Him to do. These works were in harmony with the Law of the Sabbath commandment.
May God bless the reader.
