The miracles performed by Jesus on the Sabbath were all for the relief of the afflicted, but the Pharisees had sought to use these works of mercy as a cause by which they might condemn him as a Sabbath-breaker. They endeavored to arouse the Herodians against him; they represented that Jesus was seeking to set up a rival kingdom among them, and consulted with them how they should destroy him. They had sought to excite the Romans against him, and had represented him to them as one who was trying to subvert their authority. They had tried every pretext to cut him off from influencing the people, but they had so far been foiled in their attempts; for the multitudes who witnessed the works of mercy and benevolence done by Jesus, and heard his pure and holy teachings, knew that these were not the words and deeds of a Sabbath-breaker and a blasphemer. Even the officers sent by the Pharisees had been so influenced by the divine presence of the great Teacher that they could not lay hands upon him. In desperation the Jews had finally passed an edict that if any man confessed that he believed on Jesus he should be cast out of the synagogue. {2SP 368.1}

De mirakler, Jesus udførte på sabbaten, skete alle for at hjælpe de besværede; men farisæerne havde forsøgt at benytte disse barmhjertigheds-gerninger som noget, der kunne give dem anledning til at fordømme ham som sabbatsovertræder. De forsøgte også at opirre herodianerne mod ham. De forestillede dem, at Jesus søgte at oprette et rige, hvilket ville omstyrte deres, og de rådslog med dem om, hvorledes de kunne omkomme ham. De havde forsøgt at opvække romernes had imod ham og havde fremstillet ham for dem som en, der forsøgte at omstyrte deres myndighed. De havde forsøgt under ethvert foregivende at afskære hans indflydelse fra folket; men deres forsøg var hidtil strandet; thi mængden, som var vidner til de barmhjertigheds- og kærlighedsgerninger, som Jesus udførte, og lyttede til hans rene og hellige lære, vidste, at en sabbatsovertræder og bespotter ikke kunne tale sådanne ord eller udrette sådanne gerninger. Endog tjenere, som farisæerne udsendte, var blevet påvirket af den Store Lærers guddommelige indflydelse, så at de ikke kunne lægge hænder på ham. I sit raseri havde jøderne til sidst udgivet en befaling, (369) at dersom nogen bekendte, at han troede på Jesus, skulle han udelukkes af synagogen.