THE following verses are used as proof texts by some that Jesus broke the Sabbath command, notice:
"Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.' Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." (John 5:17-18)
First thing to ask: Who was it who thought that Jesus 'broke' the Sabbath? It says, it was "the Jews who sought to kill him", because they thought "He broke the Sabbath" (v.7) In John 5, during Sabbath, Jesus was at the pool of Bethesda together with the sick people, blind, lame and the paralyzed (v.3). They were expecting to be healed from the pool as they believe it can miraculously heal whenever an angel stirred it up. But Christ went ahead and healed them! However, some people attributed his miraculous healing to that of breaking the Sabbath!
Second question: Where in the Scripture it was stated that healing the sick on the Sabbath is prohibited? None. Obviously it was just a made up "tradition" that Jesus was consistently opposing (see, Mark 7:9-13).
The above verses are not the only occasion where Jesus was accused by His detractors, the scribes and Pharisees.
Because Jesus performed miracles of healing on the Sabbath, some Pharisees accused Him of 'breaking' the Sabbath:
"And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'—that they might accuse Him." (Matthew 12:10, See also, Mark 3:2).
On another Sabbath occasion, Jesus restored sight to a blind man on the Sabbath, and this was how the Pharisees protested:
"Therefore some of the Pharisees said, 'This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?' And there was a division among them." (John 9:14-16)
The Gospels actually recorded seven Sabbath healings, but all the Pharisees and scribes saw were 'violations' of the Sabbath.
Again, were the Pharisees correct in accusing Jesus of breaking the Sabbath command? Should we follow that same narrative even among preachers today that since Jesus "broke the law", there is no need to keep the Sabbath anymore?
Moreover, as we have seen in John 5: 17-18, when Jesus was accused to have "broken the Sabbath" (John 5:18), John was describing Jesus' actions from the Pharisees' perspective (compare 9:14-16), not from God or the Bible. Therefore, those who say Jesus did actually break the Sabbath are agreeing with Christ's enemies—His 'accusers' --that He was a "Sabbath-breaker".
When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He was not breaking the Sabbath, but fulfilling its mandate, because one is not at "rest" when afflicted, oppressed or bound by sickness or disease. It was His Messianic work to deliver anyone from every form of 'bondage' (Luke 4:18).
That's why He was found to have healed people on many occasions--that in itself is an affirmation of spiritual intent of the Sabbath. Jesus' desire to heal was expressed in His invitation to everyone:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt.11:28).
This was Jesus' response to those who accused him of breaking the Sabbath:
"If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:23-24).
Obviously, the Pharisees were wrong in its observance and application of the Sabbath. Thus, Jesus corrected them by saying that the Pharisees, not understanding the law, had "condemned the guiltless" (Matthew 12:7).
Clearly, Jesus was falsely accused, and was not guilty of breaking the Sabbath as charged. The record of Scripture is that Jesus kept the Sabbath faithfully, as God intended it to be kept.
“'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent." (Mark 3:4)
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