Jesus worked on the Sabbath – John 5:1-17
“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” John 5:1-17
The Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth in six days. The Bible, after telling of the six days of creation, says in Genesis 2:1-3: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Though God rested from His creative work on the seventh day, He did not quit preserving all that He had made. Again the Bible tells us that He — God the Son — is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:1-4). The Bible says in Nehemiah 9:6: “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” In Psalm 36:6, we read: “O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.”
God does not stop caring for His creation and preserving it on the Sabbath or any other day. He continues His work. Nor does God cease being merciful on the Sabbath. The Bible tells us that “the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5). He remains “good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon” Him (Psalm 86:5).
Therefore, should we be surprised that Messiah Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, would show compassion and mercy on the Sabbath? When He came by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, on the Sabbath, and saw there a man who had suffered from an infirmity for 38 years, He asked this man if he wanted to be made well. The man, not knowing Jesus, said he had no one to help him into the pool when an angel came and stirred the water.
The Bible tells us that many crippled and sick people were lying there waiting for the moving of the water because an angel would come at certain times and stir the waters. The first person to enter the water after it was stirred was healed. (It is sad that many modern translations, following the faulty reading of a few manuscripts, omit this part of the sacred text.)
Even though this man did not know Jesus or yet trust in Him, Jesus had compassion on him and told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. When Jesus said those words, the man was immediately made whole and did so.
Who is it who forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s? (Cf. Psalm 103.) It is the LORD God! Even when healed through medicines and treatments of physicians, who is it who makes these things work to grant relief and healing to our bodies? Though physicians may collect the fees, it’s God who heals the disease!
But the troubles of the poor man who had suffered so for 38 years were not over. As soon as he had been miraculously healed by the almighty words of our Lord Jesus, he was accused of sin — of breaking the Sabbath for carrying his bed.
“The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”
How often this happens to us! We lie helpless under the great burden of our sin and guilt. We are unable to remove it and we face certain death and everlasting punishment. But Jesus comes to us in His Word and tells us that He was lifted up on the cross and bore the punishment for our sins — that our salvation is complete and finished. He tells us, “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matthew 9:2). And so we are raised up in faith and begin to walk in the confidence that we are forgiven and accepted of God for Jesus sake, that we are God’s dear children. But what happens? The old evil foe — together with those who still seek to be righteous in God’s eyes by their own keeping of the law — accuse us of sin and seek to drag us back down into faithlessness and despair. They tell us we are guilty and condemned because we have broken the Sabbath or not observed and kept some other rule or regulation they deem necessary for salvation.
This poor man answered his accusers and said, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.”
When those Jews who sought to be righteous by their keeping of the law found out it was Jesus who had healed this man with an infirmity for 38 years, they also accused Jesus. Not only had he told a man to break the Sabbath by carrying his bed, Jesus had healed on the Sabbath! Scripture tells us: “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.”
And is it not true of those today who would be righteous by their own works and accuse those who simply trust in Christ Jesus that they are enemies of Christ? They say or imply that it is not enough to trust in Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for sin, that one must do more and keep certain commandments and regulations to be saved. Not only do they trouble true believers, they persecute Christ Jesus Himself and reject His Gospel.
Jesus told those who accused Him of sin, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
Jesus — God the Son in human flesh — simply told them the truth. God the Father — Jesus’ Father — works on the Sabbath and everyday caring for His people and showing mercy to them. So also Jesus worked, showing the mercy and loving kindness of God to people.
And how thankful we can be that He does! He continues to forgive our sins, heal our diseases, redeem our lives from destruction, crown us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies and satisfy our mouths with good things (cf. Psalm 103:1ff.). Jesus works — even on the Sabbath — that we might find rest for our souls and be confident in Him.
Thank you, dearest Jesus, for having mercy upon us, for going to the cross to bear the punishment for our sins, for rising again in victory, for assuring us in Your Word that our sins are forgiven, for raising us up from the infirmity of our sin which has clung to us throughout our lives, for laying no more burden upon us but promising us life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.
[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]
