The One Who Restores Rest

Small Group Questions

Read Mark 2:23-28

1.  The Sabbath in the Old Testament was given to teach Israel her rest was ultimately in God alone. Read Exodus 20:8-11 & 31:12-18. Discuss what the Sabbath is designed for compared to our notion of days off from work or vacation.

2.  Jesus reminds his hearers of King David. Read 1 Samuel 21:1-9 .  It doesn’t appear to be connected to the Sabbath but it does highlight a violation of the letter of the law. Why would Jesus respond like this?

3.  Read Mark 2:27-28 . What is Jesus trying to teach the Pharisees and us?

Read Mark 3:1-6

4.  The healing of the man drives home the point that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.  What does Jesus show us about the Pharisees in these verses?

5.  What is the answer to Jesus’ question in verse 4? Does that mean that any of God’s laws can be broken if we think there is a good outcome such as we see in verse 5?

6.  Read verse 6 and discuss the response of both the religious (the Pharisees) and the irreligious (the Herodians). Are we any different in our response to Jesus today, i.e. responding as the religious or the irreligious?

7.  Jesus says he is “Lord of the Sabbath”.  What does that mean? What does it mean for you, particularly about “rest”?  Why and from what do you need rest?