With lowering brows they interrupted him, asking why he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. They sternly reminded him that it was not lawful to bear burdens on the Lord's day. In his joy the man had forgotten that it was the Sabbath; yet he felt no condemnation for obeying the command of One who had such power from God. He 204 answered boldly, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk." They asked who it was that had done this, but he could not tell. These rulers knew well that only One had shown Himself able to perform this miracle; but they wished for direct proof that it was Jesus, that they might condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker. In their judgment He had not only broken the law in healing the sick man on the Sabbath, but had committed sacrilege in bidding him bear away his bed.

De afbrød ham med rynkede bryn og spurgte ham, hvorfor han bar på sin seng på sabbatsdagen. De mindede ham strengt om, at det ikke var tilladt at bære byrder på Herrens dag. Manden havde i sin glæde glemt, at det var sabbat; dog følte han sig ikke skyldig, fordi han havde adlydt befalingen fra én, som havde en sådan magt fra Gud. Han svarede dristigt: "Han, som gjorde mig rask, sagde til mig: 'Tag din seng og gå!" De spurgte ham, hvem det var, der havde gjort dette, men han kunne ikke sige dem det. Disse rådsherrer vidste godt, at der kun fandtes én, som havde vist sig i stand til at gøre dette mirakel; men de ønskede et direkte bevis for, at det var Jesus, for at de kunne få ham dømt som sabbatsbryder. Efter deres bedømmelse havde han ikke blot overtrådt loven ved at helbrede den syge på en sabbat, men han havde begået helligbrøde ved at byde ham bære sin seng bort.