Key Thought : Jesus tells us that He did not come to do away with the law, but to magnify it and show the need of the Holy Spirit in order to keep it.

[Lesson plan for Christ and the Law in the Sermon on the Mount April 21, 2014]

1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:17-20.

a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. Why does Jesus emphasize the law while rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees for their emphasis on the law?
c. Personal Application: Could we be guilty of focusing on our obedience and other’s obedience in petty things and forgetting grace and mercy? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “When Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the law in us. Thus we don’t have to keep or obey commandments anymore. All He asks us to do is love God and love each other.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:27-32.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
b. Is Jesus saying here that the action can’t occur unless the thought comes first and the mind agrees to it? Or is He just saying that sin is sin whether it be in thought or action?
c. Personal Application: Why are divorce rates so high today even among Christians? Don’t they believe what Jesus said here? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Are we supposed to cut off the hand of a thief, or pluck out the eye of one who loves pornography? If this isn’t literal, what was Jesus saying?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

3. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 23:21-23.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. How can we as Christians have people know that we are people who speak the truth?
c. Personal Application: How many broken promises have you made in your life? How can we learn to keep our promises and not make promises that we don’t keep? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your friends states, “I think Christians who get themselves in debt and don’t pay their bills and become a burden on society and on others are a very bad and poor witness for any kind of faith they might profess.” How would you respond to your friend?

4. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:44,45.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. How can you handle situations where people make you angry? Is praying for them a first option? Does it ever become an option?
c. Personal Application: When was the last time you blessed someone who abused or misused you in some way? How do we gain the mind of Christ in this situations? 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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