August 31, 2023

Scripture: John 5:17 – “In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

What it means

This was immediately after The Lord Jesus had healed an invalid near the pool of Bethesda.  This was the pool where all who had some physical ailment would congregate at in the hopes of getting in the pool while the water was periodically stirred.  Unfortunately, many of Jesus’ healings happened to fall on the Sabbath, which was a no-no back in His time, so He was under tremendous persecution for daring to work on the Sabbath. His response was what we just read in verse 17- “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”  This didn’t help matters for Jesus – He was, in effect, making Himself equal with God Himself, which would have been deeply offensive except for the fact…it happened to be true.

What it means to me

If we keep reading in chapter 5, Jesus goes on to give a spirited defense of His actions…the gist being that He wasn’t capable of doing any of the miracles that He performed without the direct intervention and help from His Father…and if He occasionally had to heal someone on the Sabbath…get over it.  The pressing issue of all this becomes one of authority – specifically, what He did and did not have the authority to do.  If He was just a great teacher, but a fellow human being just like you and I, then all the arguments leveled against Him are certainly valid.  And yes, He was fully human…and yet fully divine at the same time.  We’re going to start using The Nicene Creed this next Sunday, and this very issue was addressed at the conference at Nicea where this creed was originally penned.  The specific language is “of one Being with The Father.”  They are separate beings, and yet they are also of the same essence at the same time.  It’s a difficult concept to explain to an unbeliever…actually to a believer as well…but Jesus and His Father are One Being.  So if Jesus found it necessary to heal on the Sabbath…He had the authority to do so…we just need to be okay with that.

Love you guys, see you in church on Sunday!

In Christ,

Brian