Sorting out the Sabbath

Study Guide

The following may help you reflect further on the message
(the points could also be used as a discussion guide at fellowship groups)

1. How do you view the way Christians live on Sunday? Why have things changed so much? Should we go back to things as they were?
2. How do you understand Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Luke 6:1-5? What was the problem of adding do’s and don’ts to the Sabbath?
3. Discuss the following: Sabbath means to stop and rest. We need to do this more than ever today. We need to stop and rest; we need to stop and reflect; we need to stop and refresh; we need to stop and renew; we need to stop and rejuvenate. Rest is a gift from God and should be seen as an end in itself and not just a means to an end.
4. How is Jesus Lord of the Sabbath? How should we relate to this idea? How do you understand Genesis 2:2 and Exodus 20:8-11 in this context?
5. How do you understand what David and his friends did in Luke 6:3-4?
6. How significant is the name Son of Man in Luke 6:5? How does this fit in with what Jesus said in Mark 2:27: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
7. Discuss the idea that people and their needs, are greater than laws and their principles. How does this relate to Luke 6:3-4 and vs.6-11? See also Matthew 12:11-12.
8. How can we best enjoy a day of rest today? Discuss this in the light of our new covenant relationship with Jesus—in the Spirit. How does this relate to Matthew 11:28? Is it possible to keep the Sabbath today? If so, how?