November 22, 2015
Morning Service

Luke 5:37-39

 

            Last Sunday morning we spoke concerning who is our neighbor, sharing, and giving.  In the evening Greg brought to us the parable of the persistent neighbor.  How that it pays to be persistent in something you really want, and especially from God.  This morning we want to look at the parable of (new wine, in old skins.)

 

This parable is given in three of the gospels:

Mat 9:15-17  And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.  (16)  No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.  (17)  Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

 

Then in Mk. 2:

Mar 2:19  And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.  Mar 2:21-22  No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.  (22)  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

 

We will continue to use the parables of Luke;

 

So, what was it that  led up to this parable?

Jesus was healing, and the religious leaders were astounded at His authority.  Then they ask this question;

Luk 5:33  And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

 

The parable:

Luk 5:34-37  And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?  (35)  But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.  (36)  And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.  (37)  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

 

In the question they ask Jesus, they used John, his disciples, and the Pharisees as examples for prayer, and fasting.  Jesus said one time; “Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”   John came as a forerunner to the Christ of God, which was Jesus of Nazareth.  John was a fire breathing man of God, that would prepare the way for Jesus to begin His ministry.  John’s firebrand of preaching would eventually get him taken out of the picture.

John, as was Jesus, was still under the laws of Moses, however, many times the laws of the religious leaders were laws that had been added to the laws of Moses.  Jesus refers to them as the laws of the Pharisees.  

John was possibly in prison, and had been taken away from his disciples, but Jesus was still with His disciples.

So this explains the first part of this Scripture, when He said;

Luk 5:34-37  And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?  (35)  But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

·         Jesus is saying it’s not right for my disciples to fast at this time, because I Am still with them.  John was in prison, and his disciples were right in fasting, and praying for him.

·         But Jesus tells them that the time will come when He is taken away, and that will be the time for His disciples to fast, and pray.

And then to finish out this parable, Jesus let’s them know that He is bringing forth some new teachings, in comparison to the teachings of the Pharisees, and you can’t mix them.

Jesus had told them before that He had not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill the law, and He did.

 

The first illustration of His teachings replacing the old teachings, is that of patching a garment:

(36)  And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

·         Everyone understood this idea.  Upon washing this garment with a new piece of cloth in the tear would mean when washed it would shrink, and pull away from the old, making it worse.

·         Jesus saying you can’t mix the old testament teachings with the new testament teachings without having problems. 

The second illustration is that of new wine in old skins:

(37)  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

·         Same idea.  You can’t mix old testament teachings with the new testament teachings without rightly dividing what is being taught.

·         Jesus teaches them this truth with an example of something they know about.  New wine put in old skins, when it fermented would expand, and burst the old skins.  You just didn’t do it.

Jesus finishes this teaching with another truism concerning the contrast of the old, and new teachings.

Luk 5:39  No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

This is true only for the Israelites.  Paul said this concerning them;  2Co 3:14-17  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  (15)  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  (16)  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  (17)  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR MANKIND.  THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE REVEALED TO US THE ATONING WORK THAT JESUS DID FOR US ON CALVARY, AND FOR WHAT HE SAID, “YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.”  THANK YOU.   AMEN.