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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - John 5:18 - 5:18
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Sought the more (mallon ezētoun). Imperfect active of zēteō, graphic picture of increased and untiring effort “to kill him” (auton apokteinai, first aorist active, to kill him off and be done with him). John repeats this clause “they sought to kill him” in Joh 7:1, Joh 7:19, Joh 7:25; Joh 8:37, Joh 8:40. Their own blood was up on this Sabbath issue and they bend every energy to put Jesus to death. If this is a passover, this bitter anger, murderous wrath, will go on and grow for two years.
Not only brake the Sabbath (ou monon elue to sabbaton). Imperfect active of luō. He was now a common and regular Sabbath-breaker. Luō means to loosen, to set at naught. The papyri give examples of luō in this sense like luein ta penthē (to break the period of mourning). This was the first grudge against Jesus, but his defense had made the offense worse and had given them a far graver charge.
But also called God his own Father (alla kai patera idion elege ton theon). “His own” (idion) in a sense not true of others. That is precisely what Jesus meant by “My Father.” See Rom 8:32 for ho idios huios, “his own Son.”
Making himself equal with God (ison heauton poiōn tōi theōi). Isos is an old common adjective (in papyri also) and means equal. In Phi 2:6 Paul calls the Pre-incarnate Christ isa theōi, “equal to God” (plural isa, attributes of God). Bernard thinks that Jesus would not claim to be isos theōi because in Joh 14:28 he says: “The Father is greater than I.” And yet he says in Joh 14:7 that the one who sees him sees in him the Father. Certainly the Jews understood Jesus to claim equality with the Father in nature and privilege and power as also in Joh 10:33; Joh 19:7. Besides, if the Jews misunderstood Jesus on this point, it was open and easy for him to deny it and to clear up the misapprehension. This is precisely what he does not do. On the contrary Jesus gives a powerful apologetic in defense of his claim to equality with the Father (verses 19-47).