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Mark | 1:1-11 | 1:12-34 | 1:35-45 | 2:1-20  | 2:21-3:12 | 3:13-35 | 4:1-20 | 4:21-41 | 5:1-20 | 5:21-43 | 6:1-13 | 6:14-29 | 6:45-56 | 7-12| 13-16 |

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Mark 2:23-3:12 Bible Study and Discussion Questions – Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

Outline

I. Controversy about the Sabbath (23-28)
II. Jesus heals a man’s hand on the Sabbath (3:1-6)
III. Large crowds follow Jesus (3:7-12)

I. Controversy about the Sabbath (23-28)

Discussion Questions

• What accusation did the Pharisees level at Jesus’ disciples?
• Were they accurate in saying that the disciples were breaking the Sabbath?
• What was Jesus’ reply? Does He defend the disciples or agree with them?
• Was David right in taking the food from the house of God for his hungry men?
• Why does Jesus mention this example here? What is His point?
• What do verses 27-28 tell us about the Sabbath? What can we conclude about the purpose of the Sabbath from this passage?

Cross-References

Matthew 12:1-8 – This parallel passage contains more explanation.

1 Samuel 21:1-6 – Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

Deuteronomy 23:24-25 – “If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The Pharisees scrutinize Jesus and His disciples – Jesus’ enemies often spied on Him. But here we see that this scrutiny didn’t extend only to Jesus. His disciples were under this same microscope because of their close association with Christ. Any Christian who identifies as a follower of Christ in public may also face this same scrutiny.

2. The Pharisees accuse the disciples –

Mark 2:24 – And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

The Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath law. The question is, did they break it?

Exodus 35:2 – Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

The exact commandment is to have a solemn rest holy to the Lord, and not to do any work. The question is what does “work” mean? According to physics, work equals force multiplied by distance. From this definition, we all do work every time we move. Did God give us a command that was impossible to follow? Did He really mean not to move at all on the Sabbath? Obviously not.

If then the strictest definition is not meant, we have to derive what is meant. For that, a passage in Nehemiah 13:15-22 is helpful. The people are condemned for using the Sabbath as a day to make profit. The idea is that they are still “going to work” on the Sabbath.

They are still working at their occupation for the sake of personal gain. And that is what the Old Testament law prohibits. People already spend six days a week on themselves. The seventh is to be a holy day for God. That doesn’t mean that a person cannot lift any objects, but it does mean that a person must not labor at their job. What the disciples were doing did not break the Old Testament law. A person could pick grain from fields as they passed through as long as it wasn’t for personal profit (the same problem with working on the Sabbath).

Deuteronomy 23:24-25 – If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

3. Jesus defended them – Most importantly, we know that the disciples did not break God’s law because Jesus defended them. He would not have defended them if they were breaking it but would have rebuked them.

The Pharisees had compiled a detailed set of rules in thirty-nine different categories on what could or could not be done on the Sabbath. One of the things forbidden was harvesting.

The disciples broke this man-made tradition that the Pharisees added to the Old Testament law.

However, it is a very different thing to pick an apple or a few grains to eat and to harvest your field for profit. The disciples had not broken God’s original commands.

Application – Do not add or subtract from the Bible. We must be careful not to add our own traditions to the teaching of God’s Word. These traditions can cause bondage and legalism. At the same time, be very careful not to judge others for things that the Bible doesn’t condemn.

4. Jesus used the example of David – He showed them that sometimes the spirit of the law is more important than the letter. This doesn’t mean that we can just chuck aside any law that we don’t like at that moment because of a greater heart motivation. Jesus is God and can make this comparison, but we should be careful before doing likewise.

Mark 2:27-28 – And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath was made for man. This day was not meant as a yoke of bondage where people would sneak around scared of breaking one of the thousands of rules on this day. Rabbis had added many detailed rules to the ones in the Old Testament, including how many steps you could take on the Sabbath and forbidding spitting on dirt because when the dirt turned to mud, that is work.

Jesus reminded these hypocrites that the purpose of this day was to rest from their work and spend time learning about and worshiping God as a family and country.

How could a person ever rest if he had to count every step he took during the day, weigh out everything he carried to make sure it wasn’t too heavy, and look before spitting? These kinds of rules crush people and turn them off from following God. They create a burden too big to carry.

It was supposed to be a day of rest. Knowing they weren’t supposed to work in the fields, gather grain, or plow, the people could truly rest. They could put aside all of their worries for one day and just enjoy each other and the Lord. God’s commands are not burdensome, but ours very well could be.

1 John 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Application – Spend some time evaluating your life and your church and consider if you have slipped into legalism. Are you rigidly following any man-made traditions?

II. Jesus heals a man’s hand on the Sabbath (1-6)

Discussion Questions

• What were the Pharisees doing when Jesus first entered the synagogue? Why?
• What do we learn from this passage about their hearts?
• What do we learn about Jesus’ character?
• Did Jesus break the Sabbath?
• Are there any laws in the Old Testament forbidding what He did?
• If not, what was their problem with it?
• From verse 4, what can we learn about God’s intention for the Sabbath?
• What is the difference between God’s intention for the Sabbath and how man kept it?
• Is there any lesson for us today? What application can we make from this passage?
• How did the Pharisees react to this?

Cross-References

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Colossians 2:21-23 – Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Human regulations like do not taste or touch have the appearance of wisdom.

Galatians 5:13-15 – For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 – Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. They were watching Him – From the very moment Jesus entered the temple, people were watching Him, seeking a chance to accuse Him. At first, they didn’t say anything. They watched in silence. This was typical for Jesus’ entire ministry. The Jewish leaders were always seeking a way to trap Him or discredit Him.

Reflect – Can you think of any other Biblical characters who were scrutinized this closely by people seeking to hurt them?

One example is Daniel. His enemies spied on him to try to find any dirt they could use against him.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

People under his influence help him in this task. It happened in Jesus’ time and still happens today.

Those living in darkness hate the light because their deeds are evil.

John 3:20 – For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Like the Pharisees attacking Jesus for healing a man, the enemies of God seek to extinguish the guilt in their hearts by finding a problem in believers. They do this so that they can justify their own sin by saying that everyone is the same.

Satan takes true pleasure in bringing down Christians. People are watching us. Not all are watching out of evil desire. Some are watching out of curiosity. They want to know what a Christian is and does. What should we do?

We must follow the teaching in Titus.

Titus 2:7-8 – Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

Daniel was an amazing example because the only thing they could find to accuse him of was praying to God too much. Wouldn’t it be great if, after close scrutiny, someone could say the same thing about us?

Reflect – If people spied on you, what accusation would they make against you? What would you be worried about them finding out?

3. Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath? –

Jesus revealed an important purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day to do good to others. It is a day to heal. It is a day to share God’s love. It could easily be argued that there is no better day to show God’s power and love by healing someone than on the Sabbath day.

This fulfills the purpose of the Sabbath as a day to rest from our pursuit of profit and take time apart to worship and glorify God together with other believers.

At the time of Jesus, many rabbis taught that healing could not be done on the Sabbath as it is work. Modern-day Judaism recognizes what Jesus did; healing should be allowed on the Sabbath. Jewish doctors today are permitted to perform emergency procedures. Jesus made this argument long before it was commonly accepted. He was often scorned for it.

4. They kept silent – As normal, the Jewish leaders could find nothing to say to refute Jesus. His logic was undeniable. But were their hearts changed? No. Jesus “bested” them in this “debate.” He showed them clearly they were wrong. But they wouldn’t admit it. Not once in Jesus’ entire ministry do we see the religious leaders admit their wrong view and correct it. They never say, “Oh, we never thought of it from that angle before. You are right, Jesus.”

Instead, each and every time Jesus shows them they are wrong, they stubbornly shut their mouths and begin thinking of something else they can argue with Jesus about.

Application #1 – We don’t always have to be right in every discussion. It is better to be humble and teachable than to be right. Be willing to admit your mistakes and learn from others instead of “going down on a sinking ship” every time.

Application #2 – These people’s hearts weren’t changed even when Jesus defeated them in debates. Don’t think that by debating people you can win their hearts for God. It is probably useful to spend more time praying for them instead of arguing with them

In many cases, Jesus responded to them because of the crowd who were watching. He knew that the Pharisees would not budge. His answers were often not primarily for their benefit but for others in the crowds who were open to the truth. It is good to be able to discern the difference between the two types of people.

5. Jesus was grieved at their hardness of heart – Their hardness of heart was the real issue. This is what prevented them from admitting that they were wrong and agreeing that Jesus should heal this man. We can see in verse 6 just how hard their heart was. After Jesus healed this man, they angrily left the synagogue and began conspiring how to destroy Jesus. They wanted to murder Jesus because He healed a man.

Everyone should have been happy, excited, and filled with awe. Never in this passage do we see even one iota of concern for this sick man. There is no compassion. There is no congratulations. To the Pharisees, he was merely a pawn in their chess match. His own life and feelings are of no consequence to them at all. This is a sad reflection of the state of peoples’ hearts without God.

6. What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?

• Jesus was compassionate.
• Jesus cared more about what was right than appearances.
• Jesus did what was right regardless of the consequences. He knew that healing this man would stir up the anger of the leaders. He knew they would even try to kill him for it. He could have tried to find an alternative, such as asking this man to come back the next day. But He didn’t look for the easy way out. Jesus did what was right even when it brought personal danger to Himself.

III. Large crowds follow Jesus (3:7-12)

Discussion Questions

• What motivated the crowds to follow Jesus?
• What are some wrong motivations for going to church today?
• What are some right motivations?
• Why did Jesus forbid the unclean spirits from speaking about Him?

Cross-References

John 2:23-25 – Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The crowd followed Jesus – The signs and wonders Jesus was doing attracted a large audience. Within such a large crowd, there would have been people with many different motivations. Some likely faced ailments and sought healing. Others wanted healing for their friends. Many were likely curious. There was no television at that time so there were few sources of entertainment. Watching Jesus would be an interesting way to spend the afternoon. Also, there was no good way to get news except by personal observation.

Some would have been genuinely interested in the message Jesus was preaching. No one had ever taught like He did. His teaching was filled with authority (Mark 1:21-28).

However, the crowds were fickle and easily influenced. At times, massive numbers of His followers fell away. At Jesus’ trial in front of Pilate, the crowds were demanding His execution.

Application – Those in ministry should not emphasize numbers. It can be easy to think success is equal to crowds. Jesus’ primary ministry was focused on the disciples. Their numbers were few, but their lives were changed and they were the ones who impacted the world after Jesus’ ascension. If you are ministering to others, keep an even keel and pay attention to invest deeply in those who are hungry and teachable. Don’t get too up when there are crowds or too down when there aren’t any. Do what God has called you to do.

Also, evaluate your own motivations for going to church. It should not be a social club or merely a habit. We should be motivated by a desire to worship God and learn how to follow Him better.

2. Jesus commanded the demons not to talk about Him – It is an interesting instruction. Jesus knew that the demons would not share about Him out of goodwill. Like their father, their goal was to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

It was crucial for Jesus to reveal things about Himself at the right time, in the right way, and to the right people. The unclean spirits were not interested in any of that. They were the authors of chaos and sought to oppose Jesus wherever possible. By revealing things at the wrong time and in the wrong way, they attempted to disrupt His ministry.

Quite simply, He didn’t allow it. This salvation mission was planned from ages past and He would not allow it to be derailed by His enemies.