“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:17, NKJV)
In the last couple of teachings we have started looking at John 5:1-20, at the events narrated and what this teaches us about Jesus and the sabbath. It largely confirmed what we have delineated in terms of the Scripture thus far, but enriched our understanding of the glory of the new dispensation where every day is a sabbath day. Indeed this is done, as verse 20 says, so “that you may marvel”. Indeed the typological intersection of all these mysteries is marvellous, but the use of this specific word is also significant for another reason, a revelation with which we will be concluding this subsection.
In the previous teachings we discussed the chapter up until verse 7. As most people miss the sabbath typology of this section, the discussion of the problematic nature of the sabbath only really starts in verses 8-9: “Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.”
Despite the fact that Jesus unscrupulously heals the lame man, whilst knowing that it can, according to the law, be seen as “work”, he takes it a step further – He order the man to carry his bed, which under the law is also considered “work”. If He wanted to ensure that the Pharisees would not be offended He could tell the man to collect his bed the next day, as it was not an urgent matter. But he does exactly the opposite. Jesus clearly points out that He has a completely different understanding of the sabbath than the one held by the Pharisees.
When He is confronted by the Pharisees, he takes it yet another step further, by noting that He knew that He was working on the sabbath. But even more offensive to their sensibilities, he notes that He did so in the steps of his Father, Yahweh – “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” (John 5:17). Jesus does not mince words.
The Complete WordStudy Dictionary provides the complete semantic use for the Greek word work, which is ergázomai: “To work, labor. Particularly in a field; at a trade; generally. In the sense of being active, i.e., to exert one’s powers and faculties Also to do business, i.e., to trade, to deal. To work, perform by labor, to do, produce … In the sense of to till, cultivate, e.g., the earth In the sense of to work for, labor for, earn, e.g., one’s food …” Two of the Hebrew transliterations of this word provided by this dictionary, is Ex. 5:18 (“Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.”), and interestingly enough, Deut. 5:13 (“Six days you shall labor and do all your work …”)!
Remember – this is the word Jesus uses to point out that He and His Father are constantly working! It is thus very clear that the “rest” of the seventh day means something completely different in the new covenant; it does not entail taking a day of physical rest. A God who “neither slumber[s] nor sleep[s]” (Ps. 121:4) clearly does not need a day of rest.
Jesus did not attempt to defend His work, or the work of the man He healed, but rather qualified it within the new covenant understanding of sabbath.
If Heb. 4:15 speaks of Jesus, noting that He was in all instances like us, but “without sin”, it is immensely important that we recognize the difference between transgression, inequity and sin (Ps. 32:5; 51:2-3; Isa. 53:5 & 12). The word for sin is hamartano, which means to miss your mark, to not fulfil your purpose. Transgression is the term that is used when a law is transgressed, and inequities entail the transfer of sin and transgression across generations. The example of Adam and Eva offers a good comparison of the various terms – they transgressed a law of God (eating of the tree of good and evil), and were thus guilty of a transgression. This brought about losing their purpose and calling, and thus they fell into sin. This became an inequity as all people, from then until now, fell prey to death through Adam and Eve’s original transgression (Rom. 5:12).
Even though Jesus transgressed the law concerning violating the sabbath, He was still “without sin”. In this light it is then clear what the Scriptures of 1 John 3:6b, 8-9 clearly state: “Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him … He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
From this it follows absolutely logically that there exists a completely different understanding of works when you are walking within your calling and purpose – “do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10)! Those who walk within their purpose and calling are thus free of works (even if he is doing that which God asks – Matt. 5:16), as it is actually the Father doing the works, and not him! This is what it means to walk within the sabbath rest of God (Heb. 4:9)! Therefore Jesus uses a work metaphor to explain this work yoke within Him, in Matt. 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Read Heb. 4:10-11 again: “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” What disobedience? Disobedience in listening to the voice of God (Heb. 4:7). Back to the story in John 5:19-20, which Jesus concludes with the following words: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.’” These works flow from intimacy with the Father: “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:37-38). And obviously this not only pertains to Jesus, but to every member of the Bride: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12). [Note that there is often a reference made specifically to “works”.]
James extensively argues the importance of works, and then states in James 1:25 – “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” The Greek word for work here is poiēsis – the root word for your word in God’s poem, the culmination of your calling and purpose! Be amazed at Jesus’ revelation of the sabbath – it is the perfect law of freedom!
- Selah: Explain to someone the sabbath revelation of John 5:1-20, the perfect law of freedom.
- Read: 2-3; Luke 2:39-52 & 3; Mark 1.
- Memorise: 3:11-12.