knew the plight of this man and exactly how long he had his paralysis. He did not need anyone to tell Him. As the Son of God, He knew all things past, present, and future about all people everywhere. His was and is a supernatural knowledge. The question Jesus asked the man does sound a little strange and at first seems unnecessary. However, ever thirty-eight years it would not be surprising that one may have at times given up. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?” Without knowing or probably caring who was speaking to him, the man in need answered with a sad complaint. “No one has ever tried to help me when I try to get into the water”, he said. “In fact, they always rush ahead of me” (v. 7), he added.
Immediately, Jesus responded by telling him to get up, pick up his pallet, and walk (v. 8). What a bold request that was for one who had not walked for thirty-eight years. But the disabled man did exactly what Jesus told him to do. He did it immediately without any prodding or repeating of the instruction. Though not a problem with Jesus or with the healed man, what both had done was a big problem for the Jewish leaders who either witnessed the miracle or were told about it. The incident took place on the Sabbath. That was their problem
In the minds of the Jews, both Jesus and the healed man had violated the fourth commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The Jewish leaders who were already trying to find some fault with Jesus, trying to trap Him, had added much to the law of Moses. What they added, in time, became just as authoritative as the law itself for them and the people in general. Both Jesus and the healed man probably did violate the tradition of the Jews, but neither of them had violated the true meaning of the law God gave Moses.
The Murmuring Jews’ Response to the Miracle, vv. 10–18
It seems that the Jews, a specific group of leaders, did not let the man who had just been miraculously and marvelously healed walk very far before they approached him. They did so not to rejoice with him at what Jesus had done. Oh no, they only wanted to accuse him of carrying his pallet on the Sabbath (v. 10). He was not at all concerned about what day of the week it was now that he could walk. No longer would he ever have to come hoping for someone to help him get into the water as he had done for years and years. He was healed! He could walk. He could even carry his pallet!
Without hesitation, the healed man told his accusers that whoever it was who healed him told him to pick up his pallet and walk. In other words, he was not about to quibble with the Jews over what day it was. What he really did in his response was tell the Jews to go away, find the One who healed him and air their scrupples with Him (v. 11).
It seems these accusing Jews pretended they did not know who it was who told the cripple to get up, pick up his pallet, and walk. Truthfully, the one-time cripple told them he did not know who it was. We can almost see him turning away then from the Jews and joyfully maybe even jogging away from them. Maybe as he was leaving, he turned his head back and said, “I really don’t know who told me that.” There was a large crowd there and Jesus had slipped away on purpose.
Very likely, after seeing the paralyzed man get up and walking and carrying what he had been lying on, Jesus went to the temple and even there looked for him. He found the man and approached him. We must remember this one-time cripple did not know who had spoken to him and enabled him to walk. Jesus said to His friend, “Behold you have become well” (v. 14). But He did not stop with that. He went on to tell the man to go and sin no more. And Jesus added, “So that nothing worse may befall you.” These words from Jesus seem to imply that the man’s physical handicap may have been the result of some sinful behavior.
The walking miracle went away and told the Jews, probably the same ones who had come to him before, that Jesus had performed the miracle. Ah, the Jews now had the excuse they were looking for to persecute Jesus. Little did these people care whether or not the handicapped man walked. It is in fact obvious they did not care about him at all. As far as they were concerned, Jesus had violated the law according to their tradition. He had not only worked on the sabbath but told His convert to work also on the sabbath.
Jesus’ answer to the Jews who were persecuting Him was, “My Father is working until now and I myself am working” (v. 17). This statement angered them even more and resulted in more heated persecution of Jesus. Jesus called God, in His reply, His Father. They took that to mean He was making Himself equal with God (v. 18). And they were right. That is precisely what He intended to do because, in fact, He and God the Father were and are of the same divine essence or nature. Verse 18 is key to understanding this portrait.
Jesus had an altogether unique relationship with God. He was the “only begotten,” the unique, the one and only of a kind, Son of God (3:16). Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Substitute for their sins become sons and daughters of God in His heavenly family. But Jesus’ Sonship does not mean He is merely in God’s family. It means He is totally equal in deity with the Father.
God the Father continues to work on the Sabbath as He has always done, Jesus said. Since He is equal in nature with God, He too is free to work the work of God whenever and wherever He chooses. What He chooses to do is always right and is always in harmony with God’s law whether or not it is in harmony with any of the traditions the Jews have added to that law.
Jesus’ claim to have God as His Father infuriated these Jews beyond description. This caused them to seek even more to kill Him. Why? Because they got His message. Indeed He was making Himself equal with God, v. 18).
Personal Applications
Jesus gave the people around Him every opportunity to believe in Him, to accept Him as God’s remedy for their sin. We have seen from every angle of this portrait examples of Him doing this. He healed the man who could not walk, not only to help him walk but to demonstrate to him and all around him that He was all He claimed to be.
Gazing at this portrait should cause us to think about whom we can help along life’s way. Do we run ahead of those less fortunate than we are? Do we who are not handicapped park in the spot for those who are handicapped? Often, we do not mean to do this but without thinking we fail to offer a hand to the needy. Why not start looking for opportunities to do this? It may open a door for telling someone about Jesus who though pursued by killers was compassionate and helpful.
Study Questions
1. What was the portrait of Jesus we looked at before this one?
2. How does this one we saw here compare with that one?
3. Why do you think Jesus chose to minister to the man who could not walk?
4. How did the Jews respond to the miracle Jesus performed?
5. What was the difference between the response of the healed man and that of the Jews to Jesus’ miracle?
6.
7.
Equal with God
Portrait 7
John 5:19–47
A man who had not walked for thirty-eight long years was healed by Jesus. As we have seen in John’s sixth portrait, Jesus healed him on the Jewish Sabbath day. A group of Jews who were determined to not only oppose Him also wanted to kill Him. They thought they had caught Jesus in a trap. In their way of thinking Jesus had not only broken the Sabbath law, but He had also made Himself equal with God. For this reason, the Jews were emboldened to kill Jesus. Their law allowed them to do this to any mere human who claimed to be equal with God. Jesus, of course, was fully man, but He was also fully God. In the portrait before us we will see how He substantiated His claim to be equal with God.
Affirmations
