New Wine Skins

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025

4:52 am

Good morning! Today I am in Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22, and Luke 5:33-39. Some people come up to Jesus one day while He was teaching, and they asked Him why His disciples didn't fast like John the Baptist's disciples and the Pharisees that fast regularly. Jesus answered them saying, "Do wedding guest mourn while celebrating the groom? No, but someday the groom would be taken away from them, and then they will fast." Then He tells them that they wouldn't patch old clothing with new clothing for the new patch would shrink, and pull away from the old fabric leaving an even bigger hole. And they wouldn't put new wine in old wine skins for the old wine skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the new wine and ruining the wine skins. So new wine must be stored in new wine skins. Luke adds that Jesus said that no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine, because they think the old wine is just fine.

The people wanted to know why Jesus' disciples didn't fast like John the Baptist's disciples and the Pharisees. John the Baptist's message was different from Jesus' because John was preparing the people for the coming Messiah by telling them of their need to repent from their sins. But now that Jesus was there, He was who John was preparing the people for, so it was a time to rejoice for the Kingdom of Heaven was among them. Jesus did not condemn fasting, but He emphasized fasting for the right reasons. That there was coming a day they would fast. Jesus was teaching them that the reason He came was to give them a new life, one that could not be contained by the rules and traditions of the old laws. But the Pharisees and teachers of religious laws did not understand. They tried to conform Jesus to what they thought He should be. The teaching of the wine skins was telling them that Jesus new way, would not be contained by the old ways. The Pharisees did not want to change because they thought the old ways were just fine. They were too rigid and stuck in their ways that they would not accept why Jesus was there.

Are you stuck in your ways, not willing to change? Many people are afraid of change. But everyday we are changing. God wants to change our hearts. Change our perspective. Jesus came to give us a new life. That new life He offers cannot be contained in our old lives. Our old lives are filled with sin, shame, and regrets. But the new life Jesus offers us is full of love, peace, and joy. Our old lives will hold us back from changing into the new person God is creating us to be. Allow God to change your heart. Allow Him to give you a new life.