John 5:9 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And immediately the man was made whole A divine power going along with the command of Christ. What a joyful surprise was this to the poor cripple, to find himself, all of a sudden, so easy, so strong, so able to help himself! What a new world was he in, in an instant! Reader, nothing is too hard for Christ to do! And took up his bed, and walked Finding himself whole, he did not object against his Deliverer's command, though contrary to the precepts of the doctors. He rose up immediately, and, by carrying away his bed with uncommon vigour, showed the greatness and perfection of his cure, not caring who blamed him, or threatened him for doing it. Thus the proof of our spiritual cure is our rising and walking. Hath Christ healed our spiritual diseases? Let us go whithersoever he sends us, and take up and bear whatever he is pleased to lay upon us, and walk before him. And the same day was the sabbath That is, Either the first holy convocation in the feast of unleavened bread, that is, the morrow after the passover solemnity, which was one of the greatest sabbaths, (John 19:31,) or the ordinary sabbath happening on the passover week, and consequently the day on which the disciples plucked the ears of corn, as mentioned Matthew 12:1-8. The Jews Who saw him pass along the streets in this manner; said, It is the sabbath day, it is not lawful to carry thy bed How is it, then, that thou art so presumptuous as to profane this holy day? It does not appear whether they who thus spoke were magistrates, who had power to punish him, or common people, who could only inform against him; but thus far was commendable, that while they knew not by what authority he did it, they were jealous for the honour of the sabbath, and could not, without concern, see it profaned; like Nehemiah 13:17. He answered, He that made me whole He that with a word restored my strength in an instant; said unto me, Take up thy bed, &c. As if he had said, I do not do this in contempt of the law and the sabbath, but in obedience to one who, by making me whole, hath given an undeniable proof that he is greater than either. He that could work such a miracle as to heal me in a moment of an inveterate disease, doubtless might give me such a command as to carry my bed; he that could overrule the powers of nature, might doubtless overrule a positive law, especially in an instance not of the essence of the law; he that was so kind as to make me whole, would not be so unkind as to bid me do what was sinful. Christ, by curing another paralytic, proved his power to forgive sins; here to give law: if his pardons are valid, his edicts are so, and his miracles prove both.