Matthew Henry

so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.”

“It does not appear whether they 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…”

“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.

“They enquire not, no, not for curiosity, "Who is it that made thee whole? " While they industriously caught at that which might be a ground of reflection upon Christ ( What man is it who said unto thee, Take up thy bed?”

But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.

“Those that are active for God in their generation must expect to pass through evil report and good report; and it is wisdom as much as may be to keep out of the hearing of both; lest by the one we be exalted, and by…”

Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

“9 . [2.] He gives him a caution against sin, in consideration hereof, Being made whole, sin no more.”

And the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

“See, (1.) How absurd and unreasonable their enmity to Christ was. Therefore, because he had made a poor sick man well, and so eased the public charge, upon which, it is likely, he had subsisted; therefore they persecuted him, because he did good in Israel.”

Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him.

“The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day; but he here enlarges on it. He pleads that he was the Son of God, plainly intimated in his calling God his Father; and, if so, his holiness was unquestionable and his sovereignty incontestable…”

Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself…

“(2.) Yet it was unjustly imputed to him as an offence that he equalled himself with God, for he was and is God, equal with the Father ( Phil. ii.”

So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it.

“It was the copy of that great original; it was Christ's faithfulness, as it was Moses's, that he did all according to the pattern shown him in the mount.”

The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.

“Many are brought to marvel at Christ's works, whereby he has the honour of them, who are not brought to believe, by which they would have the benefit of them.”

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

“It was therefore ridiculed at Athens as an absurd thing, Acts xvii. It is purely the work of a divine power, and the knowledge of it purely by divine revelation.”

For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.

“Secondly, It is as certain that he has given to the Son to have life in himself. As the Father is the original of all natural life and good, being the great Creator, so the Son, as Redeemer, is the original of all spiritual life…”

After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

“Christ did not go directly over cross this inland sea, but made a coasting voyage to another place on the same side.”

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

“Christ was now driven to be a field preacher; but his word was never the worse, nor the less acceptable, for that, to those who knew how to value it, who followed him still, not only when he went out to a desert place, but…”

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

“Christ, though so useful in the places of concourse, yet chose sometimes to be alone, to teach us to sequester ourselves from the world now and then, for the more free converse with God and our own souls; and never less alone, says the serious…”

Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

“(2.) See here the weakness of his faith in that word, " But what are they among so many? To offer this to such a multitude is but to mock them."”

Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

“Observe, (1.) It was done with thanksgiving: He gave thanks. Note, [1.] We ought to give thanks to God for our food, for it is a mercy to have it, and we have it from the hand of God, and must receive it with thanksgiving…”

When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

“The Pharisees despised them as not knowing the law; but, it should seem, they knew more of him that is the end of the law than the Pharisees did.”

Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

“But, [2.] It was an irregular zeal; for First, It was grounded upon a mistake concerning the nature of Christ's kingdom, as if it were to be of this world, and he must appear with outward pomp, a crown on his head, and an army…”

When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.

“Here is the stormy wind arising and fulfilling the word of God. They were Christ's disciples, and were now in the way of their duty, and Christ was now in the mount praying for them; and yet they were in this distress.”

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.

“It is natural for heavy bodies to sink in water, but Christ walked upon the water as upon dry land, which was more than Moses's dividing the water and walking through the water. (2.)”

Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

“(1.) They welcomed Christ into the ship; they willingly received him. Note, Christ's absenting himself for a time is but so much the more to endear himself, at his return, to his disciples, who value his presence above any thing; see Cant. iii. (2.)”

However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

“Note, Those that would find Christ must accomplish a diligent search, must seek till they find, must go from sea to sea, to seek the word of God, rather than live without it; and those whom Christ has feasted with the bread of life should…”

When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

“If men have no more to show for their love to Christ than their running after sermons and prayers, and their pangs of affection to good preaching, they have reason to suspect themselves no better than this eager crowd.”

Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

“Observe here, First, Who gives this meat: the Son of man, the great householder and master of the stores, who is entrusted with the administration of the kingdom of God among men, and the dispensation of the gifts, graces, and comforts of that kingdom, and…”

Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

“They knew this was the likeliest place to seek Christ in, for it was his custom to attend public assemblies for religious worship, Luke iv.”