Why was Jesus persecuted for His action on the Sabbath? John 5:16–18

 

In John 5:16–18, Jesus was persecuted for healing a man on the Sabbath and for claiming equality with God. Here’s a breakdown of the passage:

John 5:16: "So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute Him."  

The Jewish leaders believed that healing was considered "work," which was prohibited on the Sabbath according to their interpretation of the law. By healing a man who had been disabled for 38 years (John 5:1–15), Jesus was seen as violating the Sabbath.

John 5:17 NIV: "In His defense, Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.’"  

Jesus responds by pointing out that God the Father never ceases to sustain the world, even on the Sabbath. By aligning His actions with God’s continuous work, Jesus implied that He shared in God's divine authority, which deeply troubled the Jewish leaders.

John 5:18: "For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God."  

The Jewish leaders not only viewed Jesus as breaking the Sabbath law, but they also understood His claim to be the Son of God as a declaration of equality with God. This was considered blasphemy, which under Jewish law was punishable by death.

So, Jesus was persecuted for two key reasons:

1. Violating their interpretation of the Sabbath by performing work (healing).

2. Claiming to be equal with God, which they saw as blasphemy.

These actions and claims were central to the growing opposition from the religious leaders.