John the apostle wrote how Jesus told a man who was crippled to “rise, take up your bed and walk”, and “immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day:it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up your bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto you, Take up your bed, and walk? And he that was healed did not know who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole”, and in chapter five and verse sixteen of his book, John shared, “therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him” where we read:
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him,
because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
The verse reads, “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, ...”. John began with the words, “and therefore” or “and then, wherefore, consequently and these things being so” “did the Jews” which means “the Jewish people continued to” “persecute Jesus” or “to harass, trouble, molest and mistreat the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation”, “and sought to slay him” which means “and strove, craved, demanded and required to destroy, allow to perish, abolish and kill Jesus in any way whatsoever”. John shared how the “Jewish people” “harassed” Jesus and desired to “kill” Him in any way possible.
The verse goes on to say, “... because he had done these things on the sabbath day.” John continued with the words, “because he had done these things” which means “since and on account that Jesus performed and produced the miracle and instructed the man to carry his bed” “on the sabbath day” or “upon the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”. John shared how the Jewish people “persecuted” Jesus and desired to “kill” Him because He “cured” the man with the thirty-eight year infirmity and told him to “carry his bed” on the “sabbath day” of rest.
When we consider John's words in this verse, we learn about the reaction of the Jewish people when they were told by the man who was cured of his thirty-eight year infirmity that Jesus made him whole. Rather than praising Jesus and giving Him honor for who He is and what He did, they “persecuted” Him and wanted Him dead. This is the normal reaction of a non-believing world. Because they follow their traditions and rules, they often miss a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the “Lord and Savior” of the world, and though people “persecute” Him and desire that He be eliminated and die, He still remains the “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords” and everyone will answer before Him. Let all who read these words believe and trust in Jesus and put away their rules and traditions that have become barriers to having a personal relationship with Him.
Next time see John shares how, “Jesus answered them, my Father works hitherto, and I work”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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