Mark 2:18-27Holman Christian Standard
Bible (HCSB)
A Question about Fasting
18 Now John’s disciples and
the Pharisees[a] were
fasting. People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the
Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 Jesus said to
them, “The wedding guests[b] cannot fast while the
groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them,
they cannot fast. 20 But the time[c]will come when the
groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.21 No one sews a patch of
unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the
old cloth, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new
wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and the wine is lost as well as the skins.[d] But new wine is for
fresh wineskins.”
Lord of the Sabbath
23 On the Sabbath He was
going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way
picking some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is
not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 He said to them, “Have
you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in
need and hungry— 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the
high priest and ate the sacred bread—which is not lawful for anyone to eat
except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?” 27 Then He told
them, “The Sabbath was made for[e] man and not man for[f] the Sabbath.
Questions:
1.
What is the purpose of fasting?
A. To cleans their body and
repent of their sins. It is also a way
to rely on God alone and not food.
2.
Why weren’t Jesus’s disciples fasting, but John’s disciples and the
Pharisees were?
A. Because Jesus was with
them. Fasting is a way to come closer to
Christ, if he is with you that’s pretty close enough. Fasting also drains your energy big
time. It’s hard to be effective in
ministry (Physically) when you are fasting.
3.
Who is the Bridegroom Jesus is talking about?
A. He is talking about
himself. Jesus is the Bridegroom. He’s the wedding, He’s the celebration,
4.
Why did the Pharisees upset when the disciples were picking grain
on a Sunday?
A. Because to them the Sabbath
was a holy day that you couldn’t work on.
5.
What did Jesus mean when he said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath?”
God created the Sabbath for our benefit and our time to focus on
Him. The Pharisees upheld the law no matter
what, to a point of legalism
