John 5:10

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. THE JEWS - that is, those in authority (see the note at ). THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM THAT WAS CURED, IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR THEE TO CARRY THY BED - a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! In ordinary circumstances the rulers had the law on their side (; ). But when the man referred them to "Him that had made him whole" as his authority, the argument was resistless....

10._It is the Sabbath. _It was the duty of all to maintain the sanctity of the Sabbath, and, therefore, they justly and properly accuse the man. But, when the excuse offered by the man does not satisfy them, they already begin to be in fault; for, when the reason was known, he ought to have been acquitted. It was a violation of the Sabbath, as we have said, to carry a burden; but Christ, who laid the burden on his shoulders, discharges him by his own authority. We are therefore taught by this example to avoid every rash judgment, until the reason of each action be fully known. Whatever contradicts the word of God deserves to be condemned without hesitation; but, as it frequently happens that there are mistakes in this matter, we ought first to inquire modestly and calmly, that our decision may be sound and sober. For since the Jews, prejudiced by wicked dispositions, have not patience to...

10-16 Those eased of the punishment of sin, are in danger of returning to sin, when the terror and restraint are over, unless Divine grace dries up the fountain. The misery believers are made whole from, warns us to sin no more, having felt the smart of sin. This is the voice of every providence, Go, and sin no more. Christ saw it necessary to give this caution; for it is common for people, when sick, to promise much; when newly recovered, to perform only something; but after awhile to forget all. Christ spoke of the wrath to come, which is beyond compare worse than the many hours, nay, weeks and years of pain, some wicked men have to suffer in consequence of their unlawful indulgences. And if such afflictions are severe, how dreadful will be the everlasting punishment of the wicked!...

NOT LAWFUL - It was forbidden, they supposed, in the Old Testament. The Jews were very strenuous in the observation of the external duties of religion....

EXPOSITION Here commences the second division of the Gospel (John 5:1) II. THE CONFLICT WITH THE CHOSEN PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM, GALILEE, AND JERUSALEM, TO THE DEATH SENTENCE RECORDED BY THE SANHEDRIN. JOHN 5:1 1. _Christ proved, by signs and wonders and testimonies, to be Source of life._ JOHN 5:1 (1)

THE JEWS THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM THAT WAS CURED,.... When they saw him, either at the place, or as he walked through the streets, with his bed on his back: IT IS THE SABBATH DAY: do not you know it? surely you forget yourself, or you would never be guilty of such an action as this; IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR THEE TO CARRY THY BED. It was forbid by the law, to carry any burden on the sabbath day; see Ne 13:15; for "carrying out and bringing in anything, from one place to another, is said x to be work, and one of the principal works;'' and therefore forbid by the law, which says, "thou shall not do any work"; and one of the traditions of the elders is this y, "whoever carries anything out (i.e. on the sabbath day), whether in his right hand, or in his left, in his bosom, or על כתיפו, "on his shoulder", is guilty; for so carried the Kohathites.'' And pa

John 5:1. _After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem._ For he had respect to the Law. As long as the Law lasted, Christ observed it. Oh, that we were as careful to obey the rules of the Gospel as our Lord was to observe the ritual of the Law! Moreover, he went to Jerusalem because he had an opportunity of addressing great numbers of people there. While I have been resting at Menton, I have been very glad to be of service to a few friends who were either seeking the Saviour, or needing some guidance in their spiritual life; but I cannot tell you how happy I am to be once more in the Tabernacle, preaching to the great congregation. Fisherman like to cast their nets where there are plenty of fish; and fishers of men delight to be where there are many men who may be enclosed in the gospel net. «After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jer...

CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The Healing of the Impotent Man. (John 5:1 .)_ 2. The Opposition of the Jews. (John 5:10 .) 3. His Unity with the Father. (John 5:19 .) 4. The Present Hour. Believers Delivered from Death and Judgment. (John 5:24 .) 5. The Future Hour. His Power to Raise the Dead. (John 5:26 .) 6. Witness Concerning Himself. (John 5:30 .) 7. The Witness of John. (John 5:33

JOHN 5:9 _B_ - JOHN 5:15. THE CONFLICT WITH THE AUTHORITIES. With the man himself the Jews raise the question of bearing burdens on the Sabbath (_cf._ Jeremiah 17:21). The man's ignorance of who had healed him is _one_ of the many details which suggest that the author is following tradition, or using his memory, rather than inventing for didactic purposes. In John 5:5_ b_ a reference is often found to the thirty-eight years of the wandering in the wilderness, mentioned only in Deuteronomy 2:14, too obscure a passage for the origin of the detail,

THE JEWS, THEREFORE, SAID UNTO HIM. "Therefore," points to the fact that he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. The term, "the Jews," does not refer to the people, but to the authorities. John always uses it to signify, not the multitude, but the rulers. The man was officially stopped and questioned. The bearing of burdens on the Sabbath was forbidden, not only by Jewish tradition, but by the law. See Exodus 31:13; Jeremiah 17:21 and Nehemiah 13:15-19. The Pharisees, however, had carried the matter to extremes never designed. Their doctors had gravely decided that "on the Sabbath. nailed shoe could not be worn; it was. burden; but an unnailed shoe could be worn; that. person could go with two sho