Jesus as God
Jesus Makes Himself Equal with God
Jewish Sabbath theology allowed God's providential sustaining work to continue even while human beings rested.
How this passage contributes to the case:
The labels below identify the kinds of evidence for Jesus' divinity found in this passage.
Select a label for an explanation.
Divine Identity
Divine Authority
Authority over God's Law
Unique Relationship with the Father
Rules the Sabbath
Exercises Divine Authority
Claims Unique Sonship
Strength of evidence: Strong.
This passage provides substantial evidence relevant to Jesus' divine identity when read in its literary and historical context.
James Tissot — Life of Christ
Scripture
What Was Said or Done
Jesus defends his Sabbath work by saying his Father is working and he is working; John says his opponents understood him to be making himself equal with God.
Historical and Cultural Context
The Sabbath is grounded in God's own creation rest, yet God remains sovereign over life and providence.
Old Testament Background
Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11 provide the Sabbath background.
Exposition
Jesus grounds his own ongoing work in the Father's ongoing work. The following discourse explains rather than retracts the extraordinary Father-Son relationship.
Why This Points to His Divinity
John explicitly frames the controversy as involving equality with God, then develops that equality in function and honor in verses 19-23.
Response of the Hearers
Jesus' opponents seek all the more to kill him.