John 5:18 Meaning: Why Did the Jews Want to Kill Jesus?

Three Greek words open the door to what is happening here. First, the verb eluen (translated “was breaking” or “was loosing”) is in the imperfect tense, continuous, unfinished action. The Jews saw Jesus not just bending the Sabbath rule once, but systematically loosening its authority. This helps explain why they were so angry.

Second, Jesus called God patera idion, “Father his own.” The word idios means private, peculiar, belonging to oneself. It is the same word used for a person’s own property or family. Jesus was not calling God “our Father” (the way He taught His disciples to pray). He was claiming a relationship that was uniquely His.

Third, the phrase ends with ison heauton poiōn tō theō, “making himself equal to God.” Isos is the same word used for something being exactly equal in size, quantity, or quality. The Jews were not misunderstanding; they were reading His words literally. He had claimed a share in the Father’s own work, and they heard equality.

Christian readers across traditions have long noted that the Jews were correct in their understanding. The Wesleyan commentator John Wesley wrote, “It is evident all the hearers so understood him, and that our Lord never contradicted, but confirmed it.” The Protestant scholar Albert Barnes added, “The Jews were the best interpreters of their own language, and as Jesus did not deny the correctness of their interpretations, it follows that he meant to be so understood.” The Anglican Cambridge Bible quotes Augustine: “Behold, the Jews understand what the Arians fail to understand.” While some traditions have stressed Jesus’ full divinity from this verse and others have pressed for a more functional view of Sonship, nearly all agree that the Jews’ reaction, and Jesus’ lack of correction, is significant.

A common misreading goes like this: the Jews were overly literal and missed Jesus’ real meaning, He was only calling God His Father in the sense that all believers can. In fact, the Greek word idion (His own) excludes that interpretation. Jesus never said “our Father” here; He said “my Father” and then claimed the same right to work on the Sabbath that God has. The Jews understood that as equality, and Jesus never corrected them because He was making that very claim.

This verse asks you to decide what you really believe about Jesus. It is one thing to call Him a wise teacher; it is another to accept that He is God’s Son in a way that puts Him on the other side of the line, the very line that cost Him His life. This week, when you pray, notice how you address Jesus. Is He someone you admire, or Someone you worship? And if following Him creates friction with people around you, remember that the same claim that made Him enemies is the claim that saves you. You are not alone in that tension.