Notes. John V. 16—23.
\Q,—-{^Thi>ref ore... Jews persecute^ etc.] The verbs in this verse are all in the imperfect tense. It may be doubted whether the mean- ing is not, strictly speaking, something of this kind : — " The Jewa from this time began to persecute Jesus, and vi^ere always seek- ing to Siay Him, because He made a habit of doing these things on the Sabbath day." It is some confirmation of this view that our Lord at a much later period refers to this very miracle at Bethesda, as a thing which had specially angered the Jews of Jerusalem, and for which they hated Him and sought still to kill Him. It was long after the time of this miracle when He said, — *' Are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day ? " (John vii. 23.)
17. — [But Jesus answered.] This seems to have been the first reply which our Lord made wheo charged with breaking the fourth commandment. It was a short, simple justification of the law- fulness of doing works of mercy on the Sabbath. There seems to have been an interval between this reply and the long argu- mentative defence which begins in the 19th verse.
[^fy Father worJceth hitherto, and I also work.] The words rendered "hitherto," are, literally, "until now," — that is, from the beginning of creation up to the present time.
I can only see one meaning in this pithy sentence: — "My Father in heaven is continually working works of mercy and kindness in His providential government of the world, in supply- ing the wants of all His creatures, in maintainmg the whole fabric of the earth in perfection, in giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, in preserving and sustaining life. All this He does on Sabbaths, as well as week days. Were He to cease from such works, the whole world would be full of confusion. When He rested from His works of creation He did not rest from His works of providence. I also, who am His beloved Son, claim the right to work works of mercy on the Sabbath. In working such works I do not break the Sabbath any more than My Fa- ther does. My Father appointed the fourth commandment to be honoured, and yet never ceased to cause the sun to rise and the grass to grow on the Sabbath. I also, who claim to be One with the Father, honour the Sabbath, but I do not abstain from works of mercy upon it."
Two things should be observed in this sentence. One is the plain practical lesson that the Sabbath w^as not meant to be a day of total idleness, and of entire cessation from all kinds and sorts of work. " The Sabbath was made for man," — for his benefit, comfort, and advantage. Works of mercy and of real