05: Christ and the Sabbath – Lesson Plan
Key Thought : Christ came to magnify the Sabbath as the symbol of Creation and of Redemption.
[Lesson plan for Christ and the Sabbath April 28, 2014]
1. Have a volunteer read Exodus 20:8-11.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. Why does the commandment also tell us to work six days? Can a person be guilty of breaking this commandment by not working the other six days?
c. Personal Application: What makes the Sabbath a day of delight and rest for you? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Wasn’t the Old Testament law and the Sabbath given for the Jews, and grace and mercy and the law of love given to the New Testament church?” How would you respond to your relative?
2. Have a volunteer read Mark 2:27,28.
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
b. How do you feel about sleeping in on Sabbath morning and missing church? Is 3ABN TV church a viable option?
c. Personal Application: What kind of things can you do on the Sabbath that you can’t do as easily on the other days of the week? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “If the Sabbath was made for man, doesn’t that mean we are in control of it? That we can choose to do or not do what we want on the Sabbath?” How would you respond to your neighbor?
3. Have a volunteer read John 5:1-9.
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. Why did Jesus’ opponents accuse Him of Sabbath-breaking? Did He break the Sabbath?
c. Personal Application: What is your Sabbath-keeping experience? Is it a day of rest and freedom, or a day of bondage and stress? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Since Jesus healed on the Sabbath, does that mean it’s okay for medical workers to work on Sabbath as part of their regular shifts?” How would you respond to your friend?
4. Have a volunteer read Luke 13:10-17.
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. Why did Jesus take the opportunity to relieve suffering on the Sabbath?
c. Personal Application: What acts of kindness and type of physical relief can we provide for others on the Sabbath? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.
(Note : “Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.” MH p. 149.
(5)
This is an interesting study to have this week. I think just like the Pharisees many of us may have missed the whole point, how Jesus really wants us to look at the Sabbath. It should be a delight and not a burden and as such should not be governed by burdensome 'rules'.
The above texts shows us that Christ set this day aside for us so we can be freed from the worldly cares and sin which are as a result of Satan's rebellion. We should really rejoice and praise Jehovah when he calls us to that sweet day of prayer because of that and also thank him for redeeming us when we should have perished. We also ought to rejoice when we see ourselves and others doing the will of our Father on this day. If someone needs Jesus or help why not offer what you have?
The Sabbath was made for our benefit for spiritual renewal we must avoid secular activities on Sabbath bt to heal the sick is permitted.So for physicians it s permissible to work on Sabbath but that day must not be paid for,it is dedicated to God,they offering the service for free of charge
What about a worker in a power plant? Don't we need electricity on Sabbath? What about police? What about water supply? What about customer services? Where do you draw the line? Why is the pastor being paid for working on Sabbath?
Be careful to not only think inside your box.
The Lord gives wisdom to those who ask and who want to truly keep the Sabbath. Most workers can arrange to trade shifts with someone else. Failing that, they can dedicate Sabbath income to missions. Some who have done that have found that they tended to work fewer Sabbaths after that.
Not sure what you mean about "customer services," but it does not sound like a life-saving or life-preserving necessity.
And, by the way, pastors are not paid "for working on the Sabbath." They are paid to be pastors, and that happens to involve preaching in the Sabbath. There's a difference. It is much like the priests in in Israel - and like God. He's busier on the Sabbath than any other day, because more requests ascend to Him.
But if we focus on rules, we will miss the blessings of the Sabbath, no matter how carefully we keep them. And the focus on rules can make us rationalize all sorts of activities as "necessary" so we may do them. (For instance, it is "necessary" to make money, or my family will die.) If we focus on nurturing our relationship with God and His children, we will naturally tend towards activities that do that. We will trust God when we cannot see how we can not work on Sabbath and survive, and He will surely bless.
Could we keep our teenagers and adolescents interested and involved by having them prepare finger food sandwiches and taking it into community youthr centers?
Having them present our message of salvation with music and visit children's group homes? Serving in areas like these remind me of what Jesus did and would enthuse our young ones and minister to our communities while introducing the real meaning of one of the aspects of Sabbath keeping.
Yes, those are very good things that the younger people can do as well as alternate those with teaching to them the bible by the use of bible games etc.