The Apologists Bible Commentary John 5 16And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. CommentaryThe Jewish leaders had developed an overly legalistic interpretation of Sabbath law. While God had set aside the Sabbath and proscribed regular work on this day, as Jesus reminded his critics elsewhere, the Law allowed a man to rescue an animal on the Sabbath, so it certainly allowed for the healing of a disabled man (Luke 14:5). The Jews had earlier accused the man whom Jesus healed of breaking the Sabbath because he was carrying his pallet. Now, they begin to persecute Jesus. Jesus' response is direct and uncompromising. Not only are the leaders incorrect in their view of God's Son, they also are improperly representing God, portraying Him as a cruel tyrant, rather than the loving and gracious Father who loves the world so much that He sends His Only Son to die for it. Grammatical AnalysisPersecute (ediôkon). Inchoative imperfect, "began to persecute" and kept it up (RWP <>).