John 5:17 Meaning and Explanation
“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus responds to the persecution by claiming equality with God: 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.'
The Context of John 5:17
Jesus reframes the Sabbath law in light of God's own continuous work in sustaining creation.
What Does John 5:17 Mean?
My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Jesus does not apologize. He does not argue that this particular healing was an exception. Instead, he claims a principle: God the Father has never ceased from working. Not even on the Sabbath. God sustains the universe, holds atoms together, keeps hearts beating on the seventh day. If God works without ceasing, why should the Son be bound to a Sabbath rest? The work of healing is divine work; therefore, it transcends the law of rest.
This is a staggering claim. It asserts that Jesus shares the Father's work, the Father's nature, the Father's authority to act outside the boundary marked by law. The authorities will understand it exactly as John intends: Jesus is claiming to be God.
John 5:17 in the Original Language
ergazomai (Greek), 'work' -- to labor, to act, to perform; used of both the Father and the Son
Where John 5:17 Echoes in Scripture
Genesis 2:3 (God rested from his work); yet the Talmudic principle that God never truly rests from sustaining creation.
How to Apply John 5:17 Today
We are called to participate in God's work. That work will sometimes put us in tension with the rules made by those who do not see what God sees.