The Savior was frequently criticized by the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders for how He observed the Sabbath day. Jesus’s responses to these religious leaders will help you better understand the purpose of the Sabbath and how to more fully invite the Lord’s blessings into your life.
Student preparation: Invite students to think about a favorite way that they draw closer to the Savior, individually or with their families, on the Sabbath day.
Possible Learning Activities
The purpose of the Sabbath
For the following activity, consider assigning students partners and inviting each partner to respond to one of the situations.
Imagine the following two situations. In one situation, someone tells you that the Sabbath day has many dos and don’ts and that if you don’t follow them all, you are breaking God’s commandments. In another situation, someone tells you that Sunday is no different from any other day and that you should do whatever you like on Sundays.
How comfortable do you feel responding to these situations?
What questions do you have about the Sabbath day?
As students share questions, consider writing them on the board. If students are uncomfortable sharing their questions with the class, invite them to write their questions in their study journals. Do not try to answer questions at this time, but encourage students to look for answers as they continue their study.
As you study how the Savior kept the Sabbath holy, look for answers to your questions. Seek guidance from Heavenly Father to help you.
The law of Moses taught that the people of Israel should not work on the Sabbath (see Exodus 31:14–15). The scribes and Pharisees added their own interpretations to the law of Moses, changing its original intent.
Read the following verses, marking phrases that show how Jesus views the Sabbath day.
Mark 2:23–28—The Pharisees questioned the appropriateness of picking and eating grain on the Sabbath.
Mark 3:1–6—The Pharisees questioned the appropriateness of healing someone on the Sabbath.
Consider asking students to share what they marked and why.
The outline for Matthew 11–12; Luke 11 in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 discusses the Sabbath day. If the timing of today’s lesson corresponds with that Come, Follow Me outline, consider asking students to share what they learned in their study at home. Students could also be encouraged to share insights from class with their families.
President Russell M. Nelson provided the following insights on the purposes of the Sabbath day:
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President Russell M. Nelson
What did the Savior mean when He said that “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”? [Mark 2:27]. I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite [or relief] from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.
What did you learn about the Lord’s purposes for the Sabbath day?
What can we learn about the Savior from His actions and behavior on the Sabbath?
Help students identify principles like the following: The Lord gave us the Sabbath day to do good and rest from the rigors of daily life.
How do you think God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy shows His love for us?
How can you honor the Sabbath day?
Understanding the purposes of the Sabbath day and the blessings God has for you can motivate you to keep the Sabbath holy. By learning how to better honor the Sabbath day, you learn to more fully invite the Savior’s healing and relief into your life.
Provide students with the following information on a handout, or display it at the front of the class. Students could study the information individually or in small groups.
Study the following sources to learn more about the Sabbath and the blessings we can receive by honoring it.
President Russell M. Nelson taught the following about showing our love to God on the Sabbath:
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President Russell M. Nelson
In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.
What did you learn about the purpose and blessings of the Sabbath day?
Watch the video “Share Your Sabbath” (0:53), which shares several ways to “do good” on the Sabbath day.
The following question can give students an opportunity to share their thoughts from the suggested student preparation activity.
What are some of your favorite ways to come closer to Jesus Christ on Sunday?
As students share, recognize that they may have different views of what is or is not appropriate on the Sabbath day. If necessary, remind students to be understanding and respectful of others’ views.
How did what you learned in this lesson help answer your questions about the Sabbath day?
If you did not find answers to your questions, what could you do to continue to seek them?
What impressions have you received about what you could do to more fully enjoy the blessings of honoring the Sabbath?
Consider bearing testimony of the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. Also invite students to share their testimonies if they would like to.
Commentary and Background Information
Why did the Pharisees criticize the disciples for “pluck[ing] the ears of corn” on the Sabbath?
Under the law of Moses a person could pick some grain by hand as long as he or she did not take this privilege too far by using a sickle to harvest (see Deuteronomy 23:25). The Pharisees’ oral law, however, went further than the law of Moses and said that hand-picking grain on the Sabbath was forbidden.
How can gratitude bless your experience with the sacrament and the Sabbath?
In the video “Gratitude on the Sabbath Day” (3:38), President Henry B. Eyring invites people to allow the power of gratitude into their Sabbath-day experience. This video is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What else can I do to invite the blessings of the Sabbath day?
President Russell M. Nelson gave several insights about effective ways to invite the spirit of the Sabbath day in his talk “The Sabbath Is a Delight” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 129–132).The video “Make the Sabbath a Delight by Finding Your Ancestors” (2:57) illustrates how taking time on Sunday to do family history work can make a great impact on your day and on your life. This video is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
How can honoring the Sabbath day bless my family?
The video “How We Have Changed—Saisopa Family and the Sabbath Day” (5:03), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, shares the experience of a family whose busy lives were changed by accepting the gospel and honoring the Sabbath.
Supplemental Learning Activity
How can you prepare for the Sabbath day?
Students might benefit from hearing each other’s ideas about how to prepare for the Sabbath during the week. Consider asking the class, “What have you found to be helpful preparation during the week to make the Sabbath more of a blessing?”