Meditation
NEW WINE
Text: Mark 2
19 May 2024
THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
The message of the kingdom of God was not well-received by many. One of the groups that rejected the message of the Lord Jesus was a religious group called the Pharisees.
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Mark 2:18-22
- The practice of fasting
a) Two groups fasted regularly
i) The Disciples of John the Baptiser
ii) The Disciples of the Pharisees
b) They were upset with the Lord Jesus
i) He did not teach fasting
ii) His disciples did not practise fasting
- The Reply of the Lord Jesus
a) He gave an analogy of a Bridegroom
b) The bridegroom and his guests would not be fasting
c) They would be joyously celebrating
d) The Kingdom of God is characterised by joy and celebration
- Two parables
a) The parable of the unshrunk cloth
b) The parable of the new wine
c) These represented the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
d) The old mindset cannot accept the Gospel the Lord Jesus preached!
The Gospel of the Kingdom is boldly new and relevant! The Word of God is to be received with much joy in the heart!