 |  |
In self-justification, however, opposition needs a reason, or an excuse. In this third
sign the excuse was to hand. The man had been healed and had carried his bed on the
sabbath day.
"And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on
the same day was the sabbath" (John 5: 9).
There are thirteen occurrences of the word "sabbath" in John's Gospel, nine being
found in chapters 5:-9: and the remainder in those chapters which deal with the
crucifixion and the resurrection (John 19:, 20:). It is evident that John has placed the
third and the sixth sign in correspondence, for, among many other parallel features, these
are the two which were wrought on the sabbath day.
"And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made clay, and opened his eyes" (John 9: 14).
The way in which John adds this comment in 5: 9 and 9: 14, makes us mentally
supply the ellipsis, "How shocking!"
These passages that deal with the sabbath group themselves sufficiently to enable us to
perceive the underlying intention behind them.
Sabbaton in
John 5: - 9:
A | 5: 9. The same day was the SABBATH.
B | 5: 10, 16, 18. The SABBATH broken. "Sought to slay Him."
C | 7: 22, 23. Moses and the SABBATH. "The principle involved.
A | 9: 14. It was the SABBATH day.
B | 9: 16. He keepeth not the SABBATH day.
If there are thirteen references to the sabbath in John's Gospel, there are also thirteen
to Moses. If those to the sabbath are distributed under the grouping nine and four, (nine
as above, and four at the close of the Gospel), so is the name Moses, distributed under a
grouping of nine and four. Four times John spells the name Mouses, and nine times
Moses. The latter spelling is more in line with the Hebrew, whereas the former is derived
from the Egyptian.
"Hereupon it was that Thermathis imposed this name Mouses upon him, from what
had happened, when he was put into the river; for the Egyptians call water by the name
Mo, and such as are saved out of it by the same Uses" (Josephus Ant. 2: 9: 6).
There is no discovered assignable reason why one spelling or the other should have
been used by the writers of the N.T., and we will not waste time in empty speculation.
The conflict in John is due to the misunderstanding of the law as interpreted by the
legalists and ritualists of the day, and the gracious interpretation put upon it by the Lord.
Thus, Moses lifted up the serpent, a blessed anticipation of John 3: 16. Moses gave the
Manna, a blessed type of the True Bread that came down from heaven (John 6:). To
avoid breaking the law of Moses, circumcision was performed even on the sabbath day