Despite the evil intentions of the pharisee's Jesus had compassion even on the Sabbath day and healed the man with the withered hand. The pharisee's had many rules about the Sabbath day and pressured people to follow those rules, no work was allowed of any kind, such as gardening, housework, field work such as planting, reaping (cutting or harvesting any plants or crops (Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. Exodus 34: 21)  carrying anything is also considered a violation of Sabbath rules (Jerimiah 17:20-25) and many other Sabbath rules many of which were described in the Old Testament. The punishment for violating Sabbath rules could be severe and even deadly as many people were put to death for violating these rules which were considered as laws, in Biblical times and even afterwards.  Jesus was sharply reprimanded by the ruler of the synagogue for healing a woman with a spirit of infirmity (feebleness, frailness, or having a disease or malady) on Sabbath day. He also healed a man with a withered hand on Sabbath and many others. Obviously, Jesus and Abba God do work on the Sabbath.  Jesus considered healing as a way to release people from the bondage of their illness and therefore healing  to save a life is not a violation of Sabbath rules. Jesus quickly put the ruler of the Synagogue to shame when He called him a hypocrite and gave as an example of people taking their ox or ass from the stall to water them to make His point.

Jesus reprimanded for healing a woman  with a spirit of infirmity on Sabbath day

• Luke 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
• Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
• Luke 13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
• Luke 13:13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
• Luke 13:14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
• ​Luke 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
• Luke 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
• Luke 13:17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Jesus healed the man with the withered hand and many more people on the Sabbath

The Pharisee's watched Jesus closely to see if He would heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath so that they could stand and accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath. Jesus entered the synagogue, saw the man suffering with a withered hand and had compassion for him. It made Jesus angry when He saw that the Pharisee's had taken counsel with the Herodians to conspire against Him when He was doing something good to help the man with the withered hand.

• Mark 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
• ​Mark 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
• Mark 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

​Jesus knew what the Pharisee's and Herodians were doing and He asked them, if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to do evil? To save a life, or to kill? and they did not answer Jesus. This not only angered Jesus but it grieved (to feel grief, sadness, or sorrow) Him but it did not stop Jesus from healing the man. Jesus told the man to stretch his hand out and the man's withered hand was restored whole just as his other hand.

• Mark 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
• ​Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
  Mark 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.​

After Jesus healed the man's hand Jesus left with His disciples and went to the sea and great multitudes of people from Galilee and Judea followed him. These people had heard all the great things Jesus did and came to Him, many in need of healing from illness and evil spirits. There were so many people that Jesus had His disciples get a small ship to wait on him so that he was not thronged by the mob of desparate people. Jesus was exhausted by the end of the day and yet He did not consider preaching or healing as a violation of Sabbath.

• Mark 3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea.
• ​Mark 3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
  Mark 3:9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

​The man with the withered hand was not the only one who had been healed that Sabbath day. Jesus healed so many people that they pressed in close to Him wanting to touch Him so that they could be healed as well. Many were healed from plagues (sickness, diseases, viruses) and unclean spirits.

• Mark 3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
• Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. Read Mark Chapter 3

Jesus healed an impotent man who could not walk on Sabbath day

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
​John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
John 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
John 5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
​John 5:13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Jesus worked on the Sabbath so does that mean we no longer have to observe the Sabbath?

Jesus worked on the Sabbath because He is the son of Abba God. God works every day. Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.

• Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
• Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

More About Sabbath Day