Joh 5:13 | KingComments | STEP | It is the Sabbath when the Lord heals the man. The first time there is mention of the Sabbath in the Word of God, without mentioning that name, is at creation ( ). There we see the basic meaning. It is the rest of God after He created the first creation. The sin of man put an end to that rest ( ). The Jews do not realize this. They can only think in the line of the law and the tradition. They want to rest in their God-given ordinances, which they do not keep, but which they still hold on to. They do not see how hopelessly they are condemned by God’s ordinances, but instead boast of them. They have no sense of grace, as people who use the law as the norm for their own life and the life of others always lack the sense of grace. It is the harshness of people who have no idea of their own inability to keep the law. Otherwise they would rejoice that a human being has become healthy and have seen the Sabbath as a day of God’s grace. But they have made the Sabbath a yoke. This can only lead to a conflict with the Lord Jesus. Every time the Sabbath is mentioned in connection with Christ, He deprives the Sabbath of the meaning the Jews gave it ( ; ; ; ). It seems that He deliberately performs so many healings on the Sabbath to make it clear that the condition to keep it is lacking. By acting on the Sabbath, He shows that the whole system of which the Sabbath is the main characteristic, the system of the law, has been set aside by Him. The man does not allow to be bound by these Jews for a walk under the law. He keeps the word of the Lord and appeals to it. Because He has said it, it is good. For us as well, this is the only right reaction to legislative thinking of ourselves or others. The answer of the man is at the same time a rejection of the self-satisfied observance of the Sabbath by the Jews which reveals that they are turning against their Messiah. The reaction of the Jews to the answer of the man shows their contempt for the Lord. They speak with contempt of “the man”, even though they probably knew Who that “man” was, for the Lord had already done many signs in Jerusalem. Because of his powerlessness the cured man has not yet been able to meet Him, bound as he was to his place at the pool. The Lord had not revealed Himself to him either, as He had done with the Samaritan woman ( ). He deals with every human being differently because He takes a different path with every human being whom He connects to Himself. The Lord Himself has left because He does not want publicity for Himself. He has not called the man as one of His disciples who follow Him on His way.

‏ John 5:13

The Jews and the Cured Man

It is the Sabbath when the Lord heals the man. The first time there is mention of the Sabbath in the Word of God, without mentioning that name, is at creation (Gen 2:2). There we see the basic meaning. It is the rest of God after He created the first creation. The sin of man put an end to that rest (Jn 5:17). The Jews do not realize this. They can only think in the line of the law and the tradition. They want to rest in their God-given ordinances, which they do not keep, but which they still hold on to.

They do not see how hopelessly they are condemned by God’s ordinances, but instead boast of them. They have no sense of grace, as people who use the law as the norm for their own life and the life of others always lack the sense of grace. It is the harshness of people who have no idea of their own inability to keep the law. Otherwise they would rejoice that a human being has become healthy and have seen the Sabbath as a day of God’s grace. But they have made the Sabbath a yoke. This can only lead to a conflict with the Lord Jesus.

Every time the Sabbath is mentioned in connection with Christ, He deprives the Sabbath of the meaning the Jews gave it (Mt 12:1-13; Mk 1:21-31 ; Mk 2:23-28 ; Mk 3:2-6; Lk 4:31-37 ; Lk 6:1-11 ; Lk 13:10-16 ; Lk 14:1-6; Jn 5:1-18 ; Jn 7:22-23 ; Jn 9:14-16). It seems that He deliberately performs so many healings on the Sabbath to make it clear that the condition to keep it is lacking. By acting on the Sabbath, He shows that the whole system of which the Sabbath is the main characteristic, the system of the law, has been set aside by Him.

The man does not allow to be bound by these Jews for a walk under the law. He keeps the word of the Lord and appeals to it. Because He has said it, it is good. For us as well, this is the only right reaction to legislative thinking of ourselves or others. The answer of the man is at the same time a rejection of the self-satisfied observance of the Sabbath by the Jews which reveals that they are turning against their Messiah.

The reaction of the Jews to the answer of the man shows their contempt for the Lord. They speak with contempt of “the man”, even though they probably knew Who that “man” was, for the Lord had already done many signs in Jerusalem. Because of his powerlessness the cured man has not yet been able to meet Him, bound as he was to his place at the pool. The Lord had not revealed Himself to him either, as He had done with the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:26). He deals with every human being differently because He takes a different path with every human being whom He connects to Himself.

The Lord Himself has left because He does not want publicity for Himself. He has not called the man as one of His disciples who follow Him on His way.