Daily Devotions
John
Murder on the mind
Text: John 5:16-47
MURDER ON THE MIND
What vivid but sad pictures John drew in his Gospel. There were the Samaritans, considered outcasts by the Jews, and yet they had been so open to Jesus and the Gospel He proclaimed! When they first heard Him, they requested that He stayed on with them to teach them further.
The reception at Galilee was a little better, but then had they not warmed up to Jesus because some had seen Him perform sign-miracles? Their “faith” depended on what they could see. In that sense their depth of faith could not even be compared to that of the Samaritans!
What must have been horrendous to John was the fact that “The Jews” had murder on their mind. Somehow, they were able to justify their mindset. John noted their attitude towards Jesus.
“For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus,
and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things
on the Sabbath.”
John 5:16
What “things’ had Jesus done on the Sabbath? Were the “things” that Jesus had done evil things? Were the things that Jesus had performed truly understood?
Jesus had done nothing deserving of such a ruthless and wicked decision. The Jews had obviously not forgotten nor forgiven Jesus for what He did at the Temple at the last Passover. What He did was an affront to The Jews! Now He dared to teach others that they could take up their bed and walk on the Sabbath! That teaching was offensive to the Jews! The reaction of the Jews was extreme to say the least!
The Jews had confronted Jesus after they learned that He was the One who said to the man He healed that He could take up his bed and walk. Why had He chosen to heal on a Sabbath? Why had He also said that one could carry one’s bedroll on the Sabbath?
Jesus had calmly replied,
“My Father has been working until now,
and I have been working.”
John 5:17
What Jesus said shocked The Jews speechless! What did He say? How dared He speak such words! How dared He speak with such familiarity when He made reference to God?
The Jews had understood what Jesus meant when He said those words. Their rejection of Jesus was not because of ignorance but one of objection to His teaching.
“Therefore The Jews sought all the more to kill Him,
because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said
that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”
John 5:18
THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH
The Jews had strenuously objected to Jesus “breaking” the Sabbath. Their reaction was “extreme” indeed. How do we understand the doctrine of the Sabbath? Was the Sabbath meant to be regarded in this spirit? Would God actually condone such a reaction from The Jews to the keeping of His law?
Let us take time to understand the Sabbath as God meant it to be understood.
1. The Sabbath was indeed a commandment of God
a. It was the fourth commandment in the Decalogue given to Moses at Mt. Sinai by God Himself (Exodus 20:8).
b. It was a day that was meant to be kept “holy” (Exodus 20:8).
c. It was meant to be a day of cessation of normal, legitimate work so that man could rest up after working hard for six days. It was a law of great kindness and understanding (Exodus 20:9; 23:12).
d. It was a day set apart and blessed by the Lord Himself (Exodus 20:11).
2. There was a severe penalty for breaking the Sabbath
a. Was there provision for the severe penalty of death if the Sabbath Law was violated? The answer is “Yes”!
b. The Sabbath was meant to be a sign between God and Israel (Exodus 31:13).
c. If people were to profane the Sabbath, they would be guilty of disregarding this special sign of the covenant between God and Israel (Exodus 31:14). The penalty of death could be pronounced on the person who wantonly disregarded the Sabbath.
d. The Sabbath was meant to be a perpetual sign of the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 31:16).
Of course The Jews embellished the Sabbath Law until it was “unrecognizable” from the pristine form in which God first gave it to Israel. God would be upset with His people if they were to disregard the Sabbath. However, the question was whether Jesus had indeed violated the Sabbath when He healed on that day? God objected to the violation of the Sabbath, but did He also object to doing good on that holy day? Jesus did not think so!
A TRULY PROFOUND ANSWER
Jesus knew that He had to give an answer to The Jews for healing the man on the Sabbath! He could not allow people to think that He was a Lawbreaker! That would have hurt His ministry adversely.
The explanation that He gave was truly profound. Who gave the Sabbath law in the first place? The Jews would identify Him as The LORD God. Jesus spoke of this LORD God as “Father”.
What was His argument? Jesus was in fact saying that even as He saw God working, so He also worked. If God would work on the Sabbath, and that through His Son, then where was the wrong? God would not fault Jesus. God, His Father was the One working in and through Jesus on the Sabbath! Was God guilty of breaking His own law?