Key Thought : Various laws governed society in the time of Christ. An understanding of the historical and cultural context provides a framework for God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments.

[Lesson plan for Laws In Christ’s Day March 31. 2014]

1. Have a volunteer read Luke 2:1-5.

a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. Why would Joseph and Mary obey the law of the land on taxes when she was pregnant and in no shape to travel?
c. Personal Application: How should we react and respond to civil laws that we find irritating or pointless? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “I think the government is illegitimate, and I refuse to pay taxes. I’ll support God with my tithes and offerings, but I refuse to support a corrupt government system.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Leviticus 1:1-9.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
b. How important was it for the Jews to follow the ceremonial/sacrificial laws in their age and culture?
c. Personal Application: How important is it to you to obey the cultural/civil laws of the society you live in? What does God think about your obedience or disobedience to these laws? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “In what ways are God’s laws and state laws similar?” Are most cultural moral laws based on God’s law? How would you respond to your neighbor?

3. Have a volunteer read Luke 14:1-6.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. Does this passage show that Jesus broke the Ten Commandment law of God and broke the Sabbath?
c. Personal Application: How can we know for sure what is lawful and not lawful to do on the Sabbath to keep it holy? Do members tend to be too legalistic or too lax on Sabbath-keeping? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Because Jesus broke the Mishnah rules of the Rabbis, was He showing us that we can disobey man’s laws that we don’t agree with?” How would you respond to your friend?

4. Have a volunteer read Matthew 19:16-19.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. What does this passage tell us about the lives of those who claim to be followers of Christ?
c. Personal Application: Is what we believe is right or wrong based on our culture, our place in history, or in what society believes is right or wrong? 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.

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