R. C. Sproul: Did God Create the Universe and Then Step out of the Picture?

What was the defense that Christ presented for telling the paralyzed man that it was OK to carry his bed on the Sabbath day? It was brief but astonishing. He said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). You may wonder what is so interesting about that simple statement. Jesus was reminding the Jewish authorities that Sabbath rest was built into creation because God created all things in six days, then rested on the seventh day. That set the pattern for man to work six days and then rest every seventh day. But Jesus showed these theologians, who should have known this already, that when the Bible says that God rested on the seventh day, it doesn’t mean that God ceased being active. Keep reading

This excerpt is taken from R.C. Sproul’s commentary on John. Download the digital edition free through January 31, 2014.