NEW WINE INTO NEW WINESKINS

Passage: Luke 5:33-39

Key verse: 5:38

NIV

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(A)

33 They said to him, “John’s disciples(B) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom(C) fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;(D) in those days they will fast.”

36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Read full chapter
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

A Question About Fasting

33 And they said to him, (A)“The disciples of John (B)fast often and (C)offer prayers, (D)and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, (E)“Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 (F)The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and (G)then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old (H)wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”[a]

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Luke 5:39 Some manuscripts better
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, the bridegroom and his friends (33-35). The Pharisees could not understand why Jesus' disciples were not very spiritual since they didn't fast regularly like them. Jesus answered them by telling them a parable. The friends of the bridegroom don't fast while they have the bridegroom with them. They eat and drink to celebrate their bachelor days with him. Later when he is gone, they will fast. Jesus is the bridegroom; the disciples are the friends. Now was the time to celebrate their Savior while he was with them. Second, two parables (36-39). Jesus told two parables to show the Christian life vs. Jewish traditions. One cannot become a Christian by adding a few of Jesus' teachings like a garment to patch up his old life. Radical repentance is the only way. Likewise, one cannot continue to live according to traditional ways that are comfortable. New wine is poured into new wineskins. The gospel is explosive and dynamic like new wine. It demands life change. The disciples of Jesus were like new wineskins, willing to learn and grow in Jesus. But the Pharisees were unable to change like old wineskins. Disciples must embrace the gospel way of life that transforms one's whole life.

Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus our Bridegroom. Help me to be like a new wineskin ready for change.

One Word: New wine into new wineskins