A verse for 12/16/11

Joh 5:16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."
Joh 5:18 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.
Joh 5:19 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

The Jews were persecuting Jesus and they actually sought to kill Him because He had done some healing on the Sabbath day. He had violated their man-made Jewish tradition by healing on the Sabbath and making a man carry his bed, which they thought to be a violation of their tradition. Now Jesus responds to them. He answers them in verse 17 and His answer is an absolutely amazing affirmation of who He is. First of all He says, "My Father works in this way and I work," 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...what?...equal with God. To the Jewish mind to say "God is My Father" is to say that I'm of the same essence as God. And that's exactly what was intended to be said by the angel to Mary. Now what is so devastating to these Jewish people is that when Jesus says "My Father works and I work," He is claiming to be equal in nature with God. Did you get that? Equal in nature with God. He's really saying this, look Mark 2:27 said it, "Sabbath was made for man." The Sabbath was made for man, not for God.