Matthew 12: 1 - 8

Pastor Brian McGuffin

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Introduction

Can you think of any practices or expectations that you experienced over your life in a church or religious setting that you found difficult or unreasonable? For example, 50 years ago, women were expected to wear a hat to a church service.

In what way do you think those practices/expectations were trying to make you a better Christian or please God?

Scripture

Matthew 12: 1 - 8  NIV

"At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[Hosea 6: 6] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Hosea 6: 6 "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

Discussion Questions

1. a) In your own words, tell the story given in Matthew 12: 1 - 8.  

    b) Read Exodus 20: 8 - 11. What do these verses tell us about the Sabbath? 

    c) Why did Jesus let his disciples pick grain to eat?

    d) What does Jesus say God wants from us?

2. The Ten Commandments tell us to have a day of rest every week. Do you try to have a "day of rest" each week? What do you tend to do on that day? How many hours would you likely consider "rest"?

3. In Matthew 11: 28, Jesus said that people who are weary or heavy laden should come to Him for rest. What does that instruction from Jesus mean to you in practical ways?

4. Pastor Brian says that the words of the Bible help us to disrupt Satan's works against us. Do you have a particular verse - or verses - that you go to in times of need/unrest?

5. In what ways have the words of the Bible gotten "tangled" in our society today so that the             Word's full impact has been lessened?

6. Pastor Brian said that "Jesus as our sacrifice was better than continually making sacrifices; Jesus was better than priests working in the temple becuase he would stand before the Father making intercession for us; Jesus was better because Gods' special presence wasn't reduced to one location, the temple, but would be spread to all believing hearts through his Spirit."

            a) In what ways, or at what times, have you experienced God's presence in your life?

7. Hosea 6: 6 says,

            NIV "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt             offerings" 

             NLT "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." 

             a) How do we show love to people in our neighbourhood, city, church, etc. today?

             b) How can we know God more?