How does John 5:17 connect with Genesis 2:2 about God's rest? Key Texts “On the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” (Genesis 2:2) But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” (John 5:17) God’s Rest in Genesis 2:2 • Scripture records an actual seventh-day rest following six literal days of creation. • “Rested” (Hebrew shabath) means “ceased” or “stopped,” not “became idle.” • God’s rest signals the completion and perfection of His creative work, a model later built into the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). • Because God is omnipotent, His rest was not recovery from fatigue (Isaiah 40:28). The Father’s Continued Work in John 5:17 • Jesus heals on the Sabbath and states that the Father is still “at His work.” • This refers to God’s sustaining, providential, and redemptive activity: – He “upholds all things by His powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). – “In Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). – He “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4). • Jesus identifies His own works—miracles, salvation, judgment—as unified with the Father’s ongoing work (John 5:19-21). How the Two Passages Fit Together • Creation work finished — sustaining work continues. • Sabbath rest established — mercy and life-giving deeds never cease (Matthew 12:11-12). • Genesis shows God ceasing from creative labor; John shows God still active in caring for creation and redeeming sinners. • Jesus stands in perfect continuity with the Father: the One who rested from making the universe is the same One now working through the Son to restore it. Implications for Believers • We can truly rest because the Creator sustains everything without interruption. • Sabbath observance is grounded in Genesis yet interpreted through Christ, “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). • There “remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9-10); we cease from our own works and trust in Christ’s finished redemption while serving in His ongoing mission. |
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