Introduction

The Sabbath in the Gospel of John is of interest to this project(1) for at least two reasons. First, the Sabbath occurs in four different locations in the Gospel of John.(2) No study of the Sabbath in the New Testament would be complete without an examination of these texts. Second, John 5:17-18 provides, in the minds of many Sunday-keeping scholars, the definitive evidence that Jesus abolished the Sabbath as a requirement for those who follow him.
We will examine, therefore, the various occurrences of the Sabbath in the Gospel of John, with special emphasis on the Sabbath conflict miracles in chapters 5 and 9.(3) We will do so in conversation with earlier scholarship, including representatives of those who disagree regarding the ongoing validity of the Sabbath for Christians.

The Four Sabbath Texts in John

The first reference to the Sabbath is found in John 5:9 and following, at the heart of the story about a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda. Healing the man gets both Jesus and the former paralytic in trouble. The second reference to the Sabbath in John is found in 7:22-23. Jesus briefly draws the attention of �the Jews� back to the Sabbath healing of chapter 5.

The third reference to the Sabbath is found in John 9:14, 16. Jesus heals a man born blind on the Sabbath day, using a poultice made from mud. The healed man not only comes to believe in Jesus, but argues ably in His behalf. The fourth and final reference to the Sabbath in John is found in the story of the crucifixion, John 19:31. It notes the ritual concern of the Jews that the victims of the crucifixion not hang on the cross during Sabbath hours.(4)

John 5:17-18 as Evidence for
the Abolition of the Sabbath

John 5:17-18 is seen as evidence for the early abolition of the Sabbath by a number of NT scholars. Nevertheless, there is little agreement among them in terms of how the passage should be read. Barnabas Lindars,(5) Rudolf Bultmann,(6) and Heather McKay,(7) for example, argue from John 5:17 that God is not bound to rest on the Sabbath and the same liberty belongs to His Son. Bultmann goes even further to state that in chapter 5, Jesus asserts this liberty and extends it to those who follow Him by ordering the healed man to carry his bedroll on the Sabbath (8-12).(8)

Paul Jewett, Herold Weiss, Oscar Cullmann and Willy Rordorf argue from John 5:17 that the decisive rest of God was not achieved at the end of the first creation. God�s work of salvation continued �until now� and was completed in Jesus Christ. The Sabbath, therefore, was a foretaste of the new creation rest in Christ. In fulfilling the ultimate intent of the Sabbath by His redemptive work, Christ set it aside, to be replaced by Sunday or by a daily celebration of redemption.(9)

There is a third major approach that assumes a negation of the Sabbath in John 5:17-18. Rudolf Schnackenburg argues on the basis of the Greek behind �was breaking� in John 5:18 (NIV) that Jesus not only violated the Sabbath, but completely abolished it.(10) Schnackenburg, therefore, takes the statement of 5:18 at face value. Jesus both made Himself equal with God and broke the Sabbath.(11) Beside these major positions, there are a couple of other Sabbath-abolishing approaches that are too idiosyncratic to gain wide support.(12)

Dale Ratzlaff takes something of an �all of the above� approach.(13) Like Bultmann, he argues that Jesus has a divine right to work on the Sabbath and extends that right to the healed man by ordering him to carry his bedroll.(14) Like Rordorf and others he argues that the primary purpose of the Sabbath law was to point forward to the salvific work of Christ.(15) And like Schnackenburg, he accepts the statements of John 5:18 at face value. Jesus was breaking the Sabbath.(16) He unites these arguments with a covenantal perspective(17) that he imports from his study of other parts of Scripture.(18)

Conclusion

What all these scholars have in common is the belief, as Bacchiocchi puts it, that John 5:17-18 is �an implicit (if not explicit) annulment of the Sabbath commandment.�(19) Jesus replaces the Sabbath with Sunday or an ever-present rest in the finished work of Christ. This essay will not attempt a point by point refutation of the arguments offered by these scholars. Instead, we will carefully investigate the Sabbath texts in the Gospel to understand their meaning in the larger context. We will then conclude with the implications of the exegetical analysis for the debate over the ongoing validity of the Sabbath for Christians.

The Purpose of John�s Gospel

We begin our examination of the Sabbath in the Gospel of John with a brief summary of the purpose for which the Gospel was written. Understanding the purpose of the Gospel is crucial to understanding how the Sabbath functions in the places where it appears, particularly in chapter 5. Out of the four gospels in the New Testament, only Luke (Luke 1:1-4) and John (John 20:30-31) have clear statements of purpose. It would be foolish to examine the purpose of either gospel without careful attention to the statements of purpose placed in each.

John 20:30-31

John expresses the purpose of his gospel in the following words (John 20:30-31, ESV):

�30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.�

We are told here that the events recorded in the Fourth Gospel are selected from a much larger body of events. There is a purpose in the selection. It is �so that� (translates a Greek expression of purpose) the reader may believe that Jesus is �the Christ, the Son of God� and in so doing experience life at its fullest.(20) Since the latter is the consequence of the former, the crucial purpose of the Gospel is to convince the reader that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish expectation,(21) and more than this, that He is the Logos, who was with the Father from the beginning. The Sabbath miracles chosen by John uniquely serve this purpose of the Gospel.(22)

The Prologue of the Gospel

In the Prologue to the Gospel of John (1:1-18), the author summarizes its main themes. Before Creation, the Word was already in existence (John 1:1a) and was a constant companion of the Father (1:1b, 18). While distinct from �God� (the Father), He completely shared the divine nature (1:1c). Not only this, He was the God of creation.(23) Apart from Him, not a single thing was made (1:3). The identity of Jesus is clearly central to the opening verses of the Gospel.

John then introduces two creation themes that will be crucial for our main texts. Jesus is the source of both life and light (1:4-5). In the main body of the Gospel He brings life to the paralytic in chapter 5 and light to the blind man in chapter 9. These stories become real-life parables, demonstrating who Jesus really is and how human beings should regard Him. Both of these healing miracles occur on the Sabbath, further reminders of the original creation week in Genesis.(24)

The Prologue moves to a stirring conclusion in verses 14-18.� Though the Word always �was� (1), in verse 14 He �became� (Greek), the same term used to describe the original creation in 1:3 and Genesis 1. The Word went from being �with God� (1-2) to being �with us� (14). Although He does not replace Moses (1:17), He and His mission certainly exceed who Moses was and what he was able to accomplish for God.(25) The One who was always �with God� (John 1:1-2), who is now again at the Father's side (1:18), this is the One who became flesh and dwelt among us (1:14).

The Prologue to John, therefore, interprets everything that happens in the Gospel in the larger perspective of eternity. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus says and does things that only make sense in the light of His identity in the Prologue. In light of this introduction, it is clear to the reader why �the Jews� and others in the Gospel had such a hard time understanding many of Jesus� sayings and actions. While readers know what the Prologue says, the characters in the stories do not.

Conclusion
John 20:30-31 clearly states the purpose of the Gospel of John: to bring the reader to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. The identity of Jesus, who is the object of Johannine faith, is clearly stated in the Prologue to the Gospel (1:1-18). The body of the Gospel, then, portrays human beings in the earthly context grappling with who Jesus really is. It is in the latter context that the Sabbath conflict stories of John 5 and 9 are set.

The Sabbath Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5)
The Preceding Context

The identity of Jesus is at the heart of the narrative in John 1:19 - 4:54. This section begins with a debate between John the Baptist and �the Jews� (Pharisees� John 1:19, 24) regarding �the Christ� (the Messiah� 1:19-28). John then identifies Jesus as the Messiah (1:30) and the Son of God (1:34), titles central to the purpose statement of John 20:30-31.

The next chapter introduces the theme of believing(26) as the appropriate human response to the words and deeds of Jesus (John 2:11, 22-23).(27) Then Nicodemus, being impressed with what Jesus did in the temple (John 3:2), struggles to make sense of it.(28) In story after story, the Gospel portrays people wrestling with the issue of who Jesus is and how to explain His words and actions.

In chapter 4 we encounter two more responses to the words and actions of Jesus. The Samaritan woman, somewhat like Nicodemus, is skeptical of Jesus at first. But after He reveals His prophetic insight into her life, she becomes totally receptive to Him. Then, the encounter with the royal official at the end of chapter 4 again highlights faith as a response to who Jesus is (4:46-54). In a real sense, the healings of 4:46-54 and 5:1-9 are quite similar, so the second sign at Cana (4:54) sets the stage for the healing sign of chapter 5.(29)

Chapters 2-4 also prepare the way for the healing at Bethesda by introducing the themes of temple and water.(30) The ineffectual healing water at Bethesda (5:2, 7) recalls the ineffectual waters of purification at Cana (2:6). Nicodemus is informed that he must be born of both water and the spirit (3:5). Jesus begins his encounter with the Samaritan woman by requesting a drink of water (4:7). He then offers the woman living water (4:10, 14).

The mention of the temple in John 5:14 is anticipated by the Passover cleansing of the temple in 2:14-17.(31) Jesus� cleansing of the temple did not result in faith on the part of �the Jews,� instead it led to confrontation. While John 2 sets the stage for John 5, the decisive difference is that Jesus� sign in John 5 occurs on the Sabbath. If the healing of the paralytic had occurred on any other day, it would not have caused a stir, any more than the healing of the royal official�s son in chapter 4 did (46-54). While the core issue of the Gospel has to do with the identity of Jesus, the Sabbath plays a central role in how that issue works itself out in chapter 5, as we will see.

An Exegesis of John 5

John 5 centers on a story of conflict between Jesus and �the Jews.�(32) The conflict arises on account of a Sabbath healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-14), which lies today just north of the temple mount in the vicinity of St. Anne�s church.(33) In the story, Jesus healed the man arbitrarily. He picked one man out of a whole crowd of people; a man who hadn�t sought Jesus out, a man who didn�t even know Him, a man who expressed no faith in Him before being healed.(34) Jesus also clearly chose to heal the man on the Sabbath.(35) It was not an accident, the timing was deliberate.(36) The rabbis allowed for healing on the Sabbath in emergencies, but this was no emergency.(37) After all, since the man had been crippled for thirty-eight years, a day or two�s delay for the sake of the Sabbath would not have made a major difference.(38) So Jesus was deliberately making a point here.(39)

The man�s responses make it clear that he had no idea who Jesus was in human terms, much less in the cosmic perspective of the Prologue (John 5:7, 11). In contrast, the reader is well aware of Jesus� divine origin (1:1-2) and miraculous powers (2:1-11; 4:46-54).(40) Taking up the bed roll and walking (John 5:8-9a) was not part of the healing itself, but the proof that the healing had occurred.(41)

It is at this point in the story that the author introduces the crucial detail.(42) The healing had taken place on the Sabbath day (5:9b). This introduces a decisive complication into the narrative and changes the whole direction of the action to follow.(43) The Sabbath is central to the purpose of this chapter in the Gospel.(44) The whole matter comes to a head when the man, after finding out who had healed him (5:14(45)), immediately goes to �the Jews� and identifies that it was Jesus who had healed him (5:15).(46)

In John 5:18 the religious leaders level two distinct charges against Jesus. They accuse him, first of all, of breaking the Sabbath and, second of all, of making Himself equal with God. Actually, both claims are false in the context of the Gospel.(47) While there are strong statements in the Gospel that assert Jesus� equality with God in the ultimate sense (1:1; 10:30; 20:28), �the Jews� in this text accuse Him of �making Himself� equal with God, something He would have no right to do if He were merely human, as the religious leaders perceive Him. The very point of John 5:19-30 is to argue that Jesus� divine work is directly authorized by His Father.

The issue of Sabbath breaking is not taken up directly until chapter seven, where there is a clear reference back to the Sabbath healing at Bethesda (7:21-23).(48) In that passage Jesus clearly denies being a Sabbath breaker. He justifies the Sabbath healing on the grounds that circumcision is not postponed on the Sabbath (7:23).(49) The argument is quite logical, from an ancient Jewish perspective. Circumcision on the Sabbath appears to be breaking the Sabbath law, but it is necessary in order to make a small part of a baby boy conform to God�s will. Making an entire person conform to God�s will would be even more important on the Sabbath.(50) It would fulfill the creation purpose of the original institution.(51) So in Jesus� own mind He was honoring the Sabbath.(52) He was disputing their inconsistent practice of the Law�s principles (7:24).(53)

In light of chapter seven, let�s return to the assertion of John 5:18 (NIV) that Jesus �was breaking the Sabbath.� The Greek translated �was breaking� (e;luen) readily means to destroy something (2:19) or to violate the law (7:23, cf. Matt 5:19) in John, so the translation is not at issue here. We need to keep in mind, however, that the claim of Sabbath-breaking does not come from Jesus� mouth or the pen of the evangelist, rather it is an accusation from His opponents. And throughout the Gospel �the Jews� are portrayed as very unreliable characters, their opinion on this question should not be taken at face value.(54)

To argue that Jesus here annuls the Sabbath through these words (as Schnackenburg does(55)), therefore, is to hold the same position as Jesus� accusers, a charge Jesus explicitly refuses to admit in John 7:21-24.(56) Jesus also states later on (John 10:35) that Scripture cannot be �broken� (luqh/nai). Why would we accept the characterization of His enemies rather than His own testimony regarding Himself?(57) Jesus� healing of the paralytic did not abolish the Sabbath, He was acting as God�s agent to do what God does on the Sabbath, as noted in the previous verse.(58)

In John 5:17 (NIV), Jesus summarizes his response to the accusation of Sabbath breaking (John 5:16, 18). Jesus said to them, �My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.�(59) Jesus asserts that His Sabbath work involves participation in God�s ongoing work to sustain and redeem His creation.(60) Behind this assertion lay a long history of Jewish debate about the relation of God to the Sabbath. It was clear to Jews of the time that God could not stop working on Sabbath or life as we know it would cease.(61) God�s ongoing action on the Sabbath was clear to them from the fact that children are born and nourishing rain occurs on that day. While various ancient Jewish thinkers justified God�s actions in different ways,(62) there was a general consensus that God is able to work on the Sabbath without in any way breaking the Sabbath.(63)

Jesus� assertion that God is always at work, therefore, would have gone over well with his accusers if He had left it at that. His claim that He had the same right as God to work on Sabbath did not go over well.(64) �The Jews� clearly understood Him to be claiming prerogatives that belonged to God alone.(65) To the reader of the Gospel, Jesus� claim made perfect sense in light of the Prologue. The religious leaders, on the other hand, were enraged that He might consider Himself equal with God.(66)

So the introduction of the Sabbath in chapter 5 served to highlight the identity of Jesus.(67) If He was truly the Messiah, the Son of God, then He did not really break the Sabbath. Instead, He did what God always does on the Sabbath, sustain and rescue His creation.(68) He was not usurping the power and authority of God, He was doing what the Logos had done from the beginning (John 1:1-3). As the Creator, He was the author of the Sabbath and was therefore Lord of how to keep it (cf. Matt 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5).

With Jesus� statement in John 5:17, therefore, the story turns once more. It is no longer centered on the Sabbath, but is now centered on the identity of Jesus,(69) on His claim to a special relationship with God, His Father.(70) The central point of this chapter is not the Sabbath nor the healing of the paralyzed man, it is John�s ongoing mission to convince the reader that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31).(71) To make the ongoing validity of the Sabbath the point of contention in the chapter is to miss the point.

By claiming equality with God, however, Jesus was not claiming independence from God.(72) Rather, in John 5:19-20 Jesus defends Himself by clarifying two things: 1) The Son in no way acts independently of His Father (John 5:19-21, 30), and 2) He has both natural right (5:26) and divine authorization (5:22-23, 26-27) to act as God acts in both the giving of life (5:21, 25) and judgment (5: 22, 27-29).(73) He is not defying God�s will, He is carrying it out.(74) They are not honoring the God of Israel when they dishonor Him (John 5:23).

In the rest of this chapter (John 5:31-47), Jesus brings forth witnesses to undergird His own testimony concerning Himself. The testimony of John the Baptist, the nature of Jesus�s works, the Father himself, the Scriptures and Moses, rightly understood (5:33-45), all testify that the Father has sent Jesus to do His works. Rather than defending the God of Moses and Israel, Jesus� accusers are resisting that God (5:45-47). If Jesus had been attempting to abolish the Sabbath, He would not have appealed to Moses and the Law as part of His defense (John 5:39, 45-47).(75) His dispute with the Jews is not about the validity of the Sabbath, but about how the Sabbath ought to be kept.

Anyone who looks for justification of a casual observance of the fourth commandment will not find it here. The Sabbath is written into the order of the universe, and Jesus does not challenge or change that order.(76)

Conclusion

It was not the purpose of John 5 to demonstrate that Jesus broke the Sabbath and thereby abolished it for His followers. Healing the man by the Pool of Bethesda was performed by the same God who created the Sabbath (John 1:1-3; Gen 2:1-4). If the Sabbath was valid throughout OT times, it was certainly still valid at the time when John was written. The Sabbath is not introduced in John 5 to assess whether it has ongoing validity, but as the trigger point of a controversy which enabled Jesus to more clearly outline His divine nature and activity.(77)

The Sabbath Healing Outside the Temple (John 9)
The Preceding Context

The context of John 9 clearly goes back to chapter 5.(78) In both narratives water plays a central role (John 5:2, 7; 9:7). In both narratives Jesus takes the initiative to heal on the Sabbath (5:9; 9:14) and the religious leaders accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath (5:10; 9:16). In both narratives the healed person doesn�t know where or who Jesus is (5:13; 9:12). Sin is discussed in relation to each man�s suffering (5:14; 9:3). In both cases, Jesus ends up seeking the man out and inviting belief (5:14; 9:35). Both narratives concern the identity of Jesus. And in both narratives, Jesus justifies His actions with a lengthy speech in defense.(79) The two passages, therefore, need to be looked at together, as we are doing here.(80)

The theme of conflict between Jesus and His religious contemporaries is taken up again in chapter six. Jesus returns to Galilee (John 6) and engages in a lengthy debate with �the crowd� (John 6:24) and �the Jews� (6:41, 52) over his Bread of Life statements. The sense of conflict is clear, but there is no mention of the Sabbath in this chapter.

At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, the stage moves back to Jerusalem (John 7:1-14), where Jesus engages His opponents in the temple (7:14 - 8:59). The wording of John 8:59 and 9:1 makes it clear that the story of John 9 is an extension of the Feast of Tabernacles narrative of John 7 and 8.(81) As we have seen, there is a brief reference to the Sabbath in chapter seven, but the main source of controversy in this section, as usual, is the identity of Jesus.

The debate over Jesus� identity escalates throughout this section until Jesus� opponents take up stones to kill Him (8:59). Two themes of chapters 7 and 8, in particular, set the stage for the Sabbath controversy in John 9. Both themes are based on the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated the miraculous provision of water in the desert and the pillar of fire and cloud during the Exodus. In John 7:37-39 Jesus applies the metaphor of water to Himself. What the Feast of Tabernacles promised to the worshiper is provided by Jesus.

In John 8:12, Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the World. Just as the pillar of fire provided light in the wilderness, Jesus provides spiritual light to those who follow Him. Both themes, water and light, are taken up in chapter 9. The reference to the Pool of Siloam (John 9:7) recalls how Jesus transforms the literal elements of Jewish worship (including the water procession of the Feast of Tabernacles) into spiritual realities by faith. The healing of the blind man is a living illustration of Jesus� role as Light of the World (9:5).
While the conflict motif of John 5 is continued in chapters 6-8, the Sabbath is not at the center of that conflict, except for the brief recollection of John 5 in John 7:22-23. It is only in chapter 9 that the author of the gospel takes up the Sabbath once more as a focal point in the conflict over Jesus� identity.

Exegesis of John 9

The narrative of chapter 9 is closely linked to the Good Shepherd passage in the next chapter, creating a continuous narrative (9:1 - 10:21).(82) The combined narrative is a unity in which Jesus, the Light of the world (8:12; 9:5), brings judgment on the religious leaders (particularly in 9:39 - 10:21) who resist the shining of His light on the hearts and lives of those who had once served the system.

As mentioned earlier, in John 9 Jesus acts out in real life what He meant when He said, �I am the Light of the world� (8:12; 9:5).(83) In healing the man born blind, Jesus first of all gave him access to literal light; the man could now see (9:7, 11, 15). At the end of the chapter Jesus moves beyond the miracle of physical sight and gives to the man his spiritual sight (9:35-39). His power to give physical sight demonstrated His ability and His authority to give spiritual understanding and spiritual life.

Chapter 9 opens with a brief discussion between Jesus and His disciples regarding who is to blame for the blindness of a man they are walking by (9:1-5). Jesus then anoints the man�s eyes with mud and sends him off to the Pool of Siloam to wash the mud off (9:6-7). At this point in the narrative, the Sabbath has not yet been mentioned, but the method of the healing prepares the way.

There seem to be several breaches of the oral law regarding the Sabbath in this action of Jesus.(84) First of all, mixing was forbidden on the Sabbath.(85) Second, kneading is one of 39 prohibited types of work in m. Shabbath 7:2.(86) Thirdly, the smearing of mud on the man�s eyes could have transgressed the stricture against anointing on the Sabbath.(87) The healing itself would also have been considered unlawful on the Sabbath, as the man�s blindness from birth was far from creating a health-care emergency.(88) So while Jesus does not challenge any written precept of the Mosaic law, His actions are in conflict with a number of strictures in the oral tradition.(89)

As the healed man is brought to the Pharisees for questioning (9:13), the narrative drops the bomb into the discussion. Since the day of the healing was a Sabbath (14), Jesus� actions of making mud and healing the man are problematic for His identity. The fact that it was Sabbath is not critical to the fact of the man�s healing, but it is critical to the Pharisees� condemnation of that healing.(90)

The Pharisees conclude from this new healing on the Sabbath that they have further evidence that Jesus� identity claims are false (9:16).(91) They level once again the same basic accusations expressed in John 5:18: Jesus does not keep the Sabbath, therefore He is not from God. But this time they are divided in their sentiment.(92) Some among them argue that the greatness of the sign militates against a sinful origin (9:16). Their use of the word �signs� reminds the reader that everything Jesus did was designed to develop faith in Him as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31).(93) So the identity of Jesus remains at the core of the issue here. If Jesus was who He claimed to be, He was not breaking the Sabbath in John 9. He was demonstrating His identity as the One who was Lord of the Sabbath and therefore knew how it ought to be kept.

The healed man�s picture of Jesus grows and grows throughout the narrative. He immediately testifies that Jesus must be a prophet (9:17, cf. 4:19). Then he waxes bolder and bolder in sarcastic defiance of the religious leaders who oppose Jesus (9:27, 30-33). His part in the narrative concludes with a full and complete expression of commitment to Jesus (38).

In contrast, the religious leaders� opposition grows in intensity and irrationality as the narrative moves on. In their final statement the religious leaders even let on that they know that the healing was valid (34). The way they cast the man out of the synagogue shows that their opposition to Jesus was not based on reasoned argument, but on blind hatred (39-41).(94) But at this stage, Jesus as the Good Shepherd steps in (John 9:35-38 - 10:21) and cares for the outcast man.

A crucial point in the narrative, for our purpose, is the response of the religious leaders to the man�s question, �Do you also want to become His disciples (9:27, ESV)?� In response, they assert that they are disciples of Moses (9:28). Moses is the one they trust to speak for God, not Jesus (9:29).(95) The basis for this contrast is their understanding of the Sabbath. The disciples of Moses claim to exhibit their discipleship by scrupulously observing the Sabbath laws given by Moses.

The reader of the Gospel, however, already knows that the opposition between Jesus and Moses, between the gospel and the law, is a false dichotomy. First, as the messianic Son of God, who was with the Father from the beginning and who created everything that was made (1:3), Jesus enjoys the same prerogatives as the Father. He is not the adversary of Moses, but the One who elaborates and expands on the Law (1:17). In the Old Testament, the Sabbath celebrated both creation (Exod 20:8-11) and re-creation (Deut 5:12-15). So for Jesus to do works of healing on the Sabbath day was to participate in God�s continuing work of sustaining His creation (John 5:17, 19-30). If Jesus is who He claims to be, He has not broken the Sabbath, He has rather affirmed its celebration of creation in His work of re-creation (5:26-27).

It is on this point that the fourth Sabbath text in the Gospel of John has relevance. In John 19:31, �the Jews� show more concern for the ritual observance of the Sabbath than they do for the Lord of the Sabbath. They are acting as disciples of Moses, yet they ironically demonstrate that Jesus has obeyed Moses at a far deeper level than they comprehend (19:36; cf. Exod 12:46; Num 9:12). The cause of this Sabbath controversy in John 9, therefore, was not the action of Jesus, but the Pharisees� lack of understanding of the words God spoke through Moses (5:45-47).(96)

The healed man underscores this very point in 9:30-33. His healing is without precedent �since the world began� (9:32). This allusion to creation recalls to the reader�s mind the role of the Logos in creation (1:3) and Jesus� earlier claim to be exercising God�s sustaining power in the current situation (John 5:17, 19-30). In a sense, by giving the man something he was born without, Jesus was bringing the work of creation to its perfect completion (see John 5:36).(97) The healed man affirms this conclusion by his words and actions in verse 38.(98)

The narrative of John 9, therefore, invalidates the judgments of �the Jews� with regard to Jesus. First, the fact that God�s power is at work in Him means that he cannot be a sinner (cf. 9:16, 24), in other words, a Sabbath breaker. Second, the unprecedented nature of the healing indicates there must be a special relationship between Jesus and the God of creation Himself. Jesus� Sabbath healings, therefore, are not violations of the Sabbath, they are testimonies to the unique identity of Jesus, who does the work of the Father on this earth.(99)�

Conclusion

As many scholars and other chapters in this book make clear, the authors of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts assume that the Sabbath was honored by Jesus and His disciples.(100) The same would appear to be the case in the Gospel of John. But the purpose of the Sabbath texts in John is not to address whether the Sabbath should be kept by Christians, it is to highlight the identity of Jesus.(101) He is the One apart from whom nothing was made (1:3), the one who is equal with the Father (10:30), who works on the Sabbath as His Father works (5:17). It would be taking the evidence too far, therefore, to say that the author of John, or the Jesus he portrays, is intentionally re-affirming the validity of Sabbath observance for his readers.(102)

What is clear, however, is that the Sabbath texts in the Gospel of John do not support the idea that the Sabbath has been abolished for Christians. Even D. A. Carson, who organized and edited the most thorough case for a shift from Sabbath to Sunday,(103) agrees that John 5:17-18 does not make that case. �John, by taking the discussion into Christological and eschatological realms, does not deal explicitly with the question of whether or not Christians are to observe the weekly Sabbath.�(104) This conclusion is affirmed by Geza Vermes, who wrote, �If, as is often claimed, the evangelists aimed at inculcating. . . Christian doctrine such as the annulment of the Sabbath legislation. . . they did a pitiful job which falls short of proving their alleged thesis.�(105) Jesus did not reject the Sabbath, He simply kept it in a way that was different from most of His contemporaries.(106) While Jesus clearly rejected the rabbinical rules for Sabbath keeping, He honored the deeper principles implied within the Sabbath command He Himself had established at creation.