Jesus' "Breaking" the Sabbath as Evidence of His Equality with the Father

originally posted 12/8/14

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.- John 5:18

This verse is often used by Trinitarians to try to show the equality of the Father and the Son. Unfortunately, they often don't address non-Trinitarian objections to using this verse for that purpose. I'll attempt to address those objections here.

Objection: This passage can't be teaching that Jesus is equal with the Father since it is merely describing the opinion of the Jesus' Jewish opposition. If you're going to say that this verse teaches the equality of the Father and the Son, then you're going to also have to say that the Jewish opinion that Jesus broke the sabbath is also true. But if Jesus broke the sabbath, that would be sin. Therefore, that cannot be the correct interpretation since Jesus never sinned.

 There is a sense in which Jesus did and didn't break the sabbath.

1. On the one hand Jesus didn't break the sabbath in the sense that Jesus was actually fulfilling part of the intent of the sabbath. That's why Jesus could condemn the Jews on other occasions when they protested His healing the sick on the sabbath. For example, the healing of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6; Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11), the woman with the disabling spirit (Luke 13:10-17) and the man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6).

12 He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.- Matt. 12:11-13

 2. In another sense Jesus was "breaking" the sabbath. That is, as the Jews understood it in it's limited sense. Jesus was able to "break" the sabbath in that He was actually breaking their misunderstood interpretation of the sabbath. Also (and more importantly) because like the Father, who is exempt from the sabbath command, He as the Son can also work on the sabbath just like the Father can work on the sabbath.

But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."- John 5:17

 Notice that this verse (17) is JUST BEFORE verse 18. Therefore, Jesus is implying that just as God the Father can work on the sabbath because the Father is not a man, so the Son can work on the sabbath because He (i.e. Jesus) is not merely a man, but the Father's Son who is equal with the Father.

This is precisely why just a few verses later (verse 23) Jesus was able to say, we are to honor the Son just as we honor the Father.

 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.- John 5:23

 Here Jesus and the author(s) of the Gospel of John take a stand on verse 18 which deals with whether the Son is equal with God the Father. Jesus and the authors side with Jesus being equal with the Father. Is it any wonder that this idea of equality with the Father comes up again in John 10:

Objection: Jesus said He was able to do the works of the Father by the empowering of the Father (John 14:10; John 5:19 etc.) just as Jesus said we would be able to do the works of God by God's empowerment. Therefore, the above argument proves too much. Since, if it proves the equality of the Son with the Father, it also proves the equality of the Apostles with the Father. Therefore, the Apostles are also God. Which is patently false.

Jesus was able to perform such miracles because of His inherent and unique connection with the Father as John 10:30, 38 and other verses point out (though, anti-Trinitarians have objections to citing verses like these which I will address in a future blogpost). It is not (and cannot be) said of the Apostles that we are to honor them in the same way we are to honor the Father. Yet, we are to honor the Son in the same way as the Father. Clearly, there is a major difference between how the Son performed miracles and how the Apostles did. The Apostles did so "in the name of Jesus." They prayed and asked the Father "in the name of Jesus." In fact, the critical text of John 14:14 has the word "me" in it contrary to the majority text with omits the word "me."

12    "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.- John 14:12-14

 In summary,

1. Contrary to the idea that Jesus couldn't be equal with God since it would make Him a breaker of the Sabbath; the fact that Jesus was able to work on the sabbath as God the Father does implies Jesus' equality with the Father. Hence, Jesus is God (as many other passages in this Gospel teach). To put it another way, Jesus was saying that as the Son of God, He like the Father was able to work on (and so "break") the Sabbath. So, rather than disproving Christ's divinity, this actually supports it. This ability of Jesus to supersede some Old Testament ceremonial laws is also why Jesus remained ritually pure even though the unclean woman with the issue of blood touched Him (Mark 5:25ff.). Also why Jesus could touch a leper (Mark 1:40ff.) and remain ritually clean. Moreover, Jesus appealed to how the Law has different priorities so that some laws take precedence over others (like the command to circumcise on the 8th day even if it is on the Sabbath; John 7:21-24) and how there are "weightier matters of the law" (Matt. 23:23). Moreover, the New Covenant laws and principles supersedes Old Covenant laws and principles when they conflict (as the book of Galatians teaches).

2. Contrary to the ideal that the Jews only wrongly interpreted Jesus' claim to be God's Son as a claim to equality with God the Father, we have Jesus and the author(s) of the Gospel of John teach we are to honor the Son as we honor the Father. Which best fits with an interpretation that Jesus is equal with God the Father. That is to say, verse 23 takes a stand on verse 18 in agreeing that Jesus is equal with the Father.

See also Steve Hays' blog: Was Jesus a Sabbath-breaker?

3. Finally, I want to point out that Jesus' claim to be God's Son implies full deity because of the Jewish understanding that like begets like. Kind begets kind. Species produce offspring with the same nature. Just as Genesis chapter one teaches both flora and fauna reproduce "according to their kinds."  I've gone into further depth on this third point in another post here:

Jesus the True and Proper SON of God

 Just as I made similar statements there which I made here. The following is a reproduction of what I wrote in that blog:

In this passage the Jews interpreted Jesus' teaching that He was the Son of God and that God was His Father as blasphemy because it was equivalent to "making himself equal with God." Thus showing how genuine sonship/progeny implied possessing the same nature as the parent. It is argued by non-Trinitarians that this passage cannot be teaching Jesus' equality with the Father because the Jews also thought Jesus broke the sabbath. They argue that either both are true or both are false. Since Jesus could not have broken the Sabbath, therefore Jesus couldn't be equal with God. However, Jesus could have "broken" the Sabbath not by violating it, but by superseding it precisely because Jesus is God. Jesus said He was able to perform miracles on the Sabbath because His Father was working on the Sabbath. "My Father is working until now, and I am working" (John 5:17). So, rather than disproving Christ's divinity, this actually supports it. This is also why Jesus remained ritually pure even though the unclean woman with the issue of blood touched Him (Mark 5:25ff.). Also why Jesus could touch a leper (Mark 1:40ff.) and remain ritually clean. Moreover, Jesus appealed to how the Law has different priorities so that some laws take precedence over others (like the command to circumcise on the 8th day even if it is on the Sabbath; John 7:21-24) and how there are "weightier matters of the law" (Matt. 23:23).