Epaggelia

New Wine with Old Wineskins or New Patch with Old Clothes

Matthew 9:16–17, Mark 2:21–22, Luke 5:36–38

The Pharisees were the people of the Law who did a lot of good things outwardly, but many were prideful & had very hardened hearts. The Pharisees were threatened by the popularity of Jesus and His ways that seemed to them to be against the law, even though we know that Jesus lived a perfect life and fulfilled the law, abolishing the old law on the cross, 1st Pet. 2:22, 2nd Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15.

People asked Jesus why the Pharisees were fasting but not the disciples of Jesus. Then Jesus answered them, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast” Mark 2:20. Matthew uses the word “mourn”, Mt. 9:15.

Jesus was telling the people that He was in their midst, the Savior of the world was standing in front of them, so their religious act of fasting was not as valuable as being with Him. Is this not a great message for us today? Jesus is inviting us into a relationship with Him, so why do we often worry about our religious practices more than simply being in a relationship with Christ? We have everything in Him, and our works will flow out of our gratitude and love for Him. Being a Christian does not mean that we are going to do everything right, sometimes we do sin (1st Jn. 1:10) In reality Jesus Christ gave us the new covenant in his blood, as the Logos (living word) He is our new wine. We can celebrate today that He gave His blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, He tore the veil. He removed our sins from the East to the West, He gives us grace upon grace. If we try to box the grace of the gospel into our legalized religious package, it will burst forth because grace cannot be hidden. Jesus breaks through all sin, all legalism, all old wineskins. Because of Jesus, He is freeing us from the same stumbling block of Pharisaic fake-christians today. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 

Before the parable is told, what do you think the purpose of fasting was for the disciples in their question?

What do you think should be good reasons for fasting today?