John 5:17

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.

My Father ... Jesus here, as usually, affirmed the unique relationship between himself and God. He taught the disciples to pray "Our Father," but many times used "My Father" in his own reference to God. Jesus' argument here is that such an interpretation as the priests insisted upon would make God himself a sabbath-breaker! Does God not heal on the sabbath? Is not the maintenance of the universe a work of God going on every second of time, sabbath days and all? These are the implications of Jesus' words, "My Father worketh hitherto." Also, it should be noted that Jesus here, by the use of the first person possessive, "My Father," and by his statement that he also works (on the sabbath day) claimed equality with God, a claim made more dogmatically later on in the interview, but clearly visible here also.

And I work ... By this, Jesus affirmed that he was doing exactly what God was doing. The Father had never ceased to work in the support and maintenance of all things, and therefore the Lord was in full character with the Father when he healed a man on the sabbath day. Furthermore, no sabbath regulation of any divine sanction had ever forbidden such an act.