rocketman said: John seems to be the one commenting at John 5:18, and though he could perhaps be making his comment in a way that is expressing the viewopint of the Pharisees who opposed Jesus, the verse seems more easily understood as John adding a comment of his own which reflects his own view. However, Jesus is also accused of 'breaking the Sabbath'. Certainly, in the view of the Pharisees, he was a Sabbath-breaker. But was he really breaking the Sabbath? I don't think he was, and thus here John does indeed seem to be comenting from their view rather than his own. It may stand to reason then that he is doing the same thing at the end of verse 18.
Jeremiah Chapter 17
21: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
22: Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
John Chapter 5
8: Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9: And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10: The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11: He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12: Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13: And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14: Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15: The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16: And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17: But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18: Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus was Lord of the sabbath, and thus was able to set aside the command for the man not to carry his bed (which did brake the sabbath.) The comments at the end of verse 18 "because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." are I believe John's words and not just a recording of the opinion of the Jews. Thus John under inspiration states that Christ's claim that God was his Father was a claim to equality.
