18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
Question 1
What does it mean to fast? (If you’re unsure, why not ask someone in church?)
Question 2
Why do you think it would be a bad idea to keep good new wine in old skins?
What year is it this year? Have you ever thought it strange that the way we record years is before and after King Jesus came into the world? Jesus’ life was the beginning of a new era in history, and a new order in the way a person comes into relationship with God.
God’s people were fasting to seek his blessing and show how much they gave him. Although the law only talks about fasting once a year, in Jesus’ time some added to this and did every week! They were trying to please God through what they were doing, and felt like they were close to him. These people question why Jesus’ disciples do not do the same as them. Jesus’ answer is that they didn’t need to fast, because they were ready in the presence of God while He was with them.
Although these people were trying to get close to God through their efforts, they were still distant. In order to have a proper relationship with God something needed to change. Jesus says that trying to improve the situation is like putting a new piece of fabric on an old garment (a bit like a patch) – when it is washed the new piece will become smaller, pulling away and making the ripple worse. Or it’s like putting new wine in an old skins – the wine keeps releasing a gas that will inflate the skins, breaking them and wasting it all. What is needed is an entirely new garment, and a completely new skin to hold the wine. The new order that Jesus Christ presents that is much better than the old one, is that we can come to God not through our own efforts, but through faith in Him.
Question 3
Why is it stupid to think that we can be okay with God in our own strength?
Question 4
What is Jesus referring to when he says he is going to be taken from his disciples?
Pray
that God’s presence and blessing will be very evident in your life.
