It is the Sabbath, and Jesus sees a man at the pool who has been sick for 38 years. Being aware of the long duration of the man’s sickness, Jesus asks: “Do you want to become sound in health?”

He answers Jesus: “Sir, I do not have a man to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; but while I am coming another steps down ahead of me.”

Jesus says to him: “Get up, pick up your cot and walk.” With that the man immediately becomes sound in body, picks up his cot, and begins to walk!

But when the Jews see the man, they say: “It is Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry the cot.”

The man answers them: “The very one that made me sound in health said to me, ‘Pick up your cot and walk.’”

“Who is the man that told you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” they ask. Jesus had turned aside because of the crowd, and the one who was healed did not know Jesus’ name. Later, however, Jesus and the man meet in the temple, and the man learns who it is that healed him.

So the healed man finds the Jews to tell them that it is Jesus who has made him sound in health. On learning this, the Jews go to Jesus. For what reason? To learn by what means he is able to do these wonderful things? No. But to find fault with him because he is doing these good things on the Sabbath. And they even begin persecuting him!

Answering His Accusers

WHEN the Jewish religious leaders accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, he answers: “My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.”

Despite the claim of the Pharisees, Jesus’ work is not of the type forbidden by Sabbath law. His work of preaching and healing is an assignment from God, and in imitation of God’s example, he keeps on doing it daily. However, his answer makes the Jews even angrier than they were before, and they seek to kill him. Why?

It is because now they not only believe that Jesus is breaking the Sabbath but consider his claim of being God’s personal Son to be blasphemy. However, Jesus is unafraid and answers them further regarding his favored relationship with God. “The Father has affection for the Son,” he says, “and shows him all the things he himself does.”