New Wine, New Wineskins

Luke 5:33-39

Key Verse 38

“No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins”

1. Read verse 33. Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law compare Jesus’ disciples to those of John’s and the Pharisees’? (33, 30) What do you think this shows about them?

2. Read verse 34-35. How does Jesus answer the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? Who are the bridegroom and his friends of which Jesus speaks? (34) What is “the time” of which Jesus is speaking? (35, John 12:23) What does this answer reveal about Jesus?

3. Read verse 36. Why can’t a new patch be put on an old garment? What do you think a new garment and an old one represent?

4. Read verses 37-38. Why does no one pour new wine into old wineskins? (37)

What do you think new wine and new wineskins refer to? Why do you think Jesus says this to Pharisees and teachers of the law? (38) What are characteristics of new wineskins that you think can be applied to us?

5. Read verse 39. What kind of people do you think Jesus is referring to here when he says “they”? (39) Why do you think that Jesus continues to speak to the Pharisees and teachers of law?

New Wine, New Wineskins

Luke 5:33-39

Key Verse 38

“No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins”

Introduction

In the previous portion of this chapter, Jesus prayed and called four of his disciples: Peter, James, John, and Levi. After we read about their blessed calling we see that the devil’s influence is alive among the Pharisees who make note of Jesus’ disciples failing to adhere to the strict code of the Law.

1. Read verse 33. Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law compare Jesus’ disciples to those of John’s and the Pharisees’? (33, 30) What do you think this shows about them?

1-1. Read verse 33.

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

1-2. Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law compare Jesus’ disciples to those of John’s and the Pharisees’? (33, 30)

30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

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

According to John 1:37 and 40, John and Andrew were thought to be the disciples of John the baptist before they left John to follow Jesus.

Often times they may have prayed and fasted like their leader.

Now they are Jesus’ disciples. In the previous passage they were attending a great feast at Levi’s house with a large crowd of tax collectors and sinners.

In John Chapter 2, they attended a wedding ceremony for almost a whole week at Cana in Galilee with Jesus.

The wine had run out at the wedding and it is possible that the disciples had helped in drinking it all.

So Jesus’ disciples appeared to be distant from leading prayerful lives and did not do such pious things as fast.

They had been fishermen and tax collectors; they were labor class people.

Jesus the good shepherd knows them personally and serves them with grace.

Their behavior while eating was the basis for three successive conflicts with the religious leaders (5:30; 5:33; 6:1).

1-3. What do you think this shows about them?

The Pharisees were well disciplined in the rituals and religious practices of the Jewish law. They fasted twice a week (Lk 18:12). They also prayed regularly.

Through these kinds of practices they sought to be praised by men.

They were hypocrites and they were later harshly rebuked by Jesus. (Matt 23)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[14]

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

2. Read verse 34-35. How does Jesus answer the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? Who are the bridegroom and his friends of which Jesus speaks? (34) What is “the time” of which Jesus is speaking? (35, John 12:23) What does this answer reveal about Jesus?

2-1. Read verse 34-35.

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

2-2. How does Jesus answer the Pharisees and the teachers of the law?

“Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

2-3. Who are the bridegroom and his friends of which Jesus speaks? (34)

Jesus compared his disciples the friends of the bridegroom at a wedding banquet. And he himself was the bridegroom. They are joyful with the bridegroom.

What would the “bride” refer to in the analogy of the bridegroom?

*Revelation 19:6-7 say, “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.’”

*Revelation 21:2-3 say, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’”

Jesus is the bridegroom and his church is his bride.

So his bride will be forgiven believers who are waiting for Jesus Christ.

Though there are many who will be in the church as Jesus’ bride, he builds his church one person at a time.

There is great rejoicing in heaven over one lost soul who is found. God shares His joy with His friends. Here disciples were privileged to share such joy in their lives.

2-4. What is “the time” of which Jesus is speaking? (35, John 12:23)

The “time” refers to his death on the cross, bearing the sins of the world. At that time his disciples would fast and be in great sorrow.

John 12:23, 27-33 read,

23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world;now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

2-5. What does this answer reveal about Jesus?

Jesus knows why he came into this world. Now he nurtures his disciples.

Hebrews 10:7-9a read,

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll- I have come to do your will, my God.’”

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”

*From the beginning Jesus had no his own agenda.

Always he synchronized with his Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit.

*Jesus prayed by often withdrawing to lonely places (verse 16).

Jesus had a sincere relationship with God which took time to spend with Him alone.

Jesus walked in complete unity with his Father on a daily basis and carefully fulfilled the scriptures.

Likewise he set a good example as a new wineskin. He accepted God’s plan for his life. He denied himself to the point of being crucified for our sins.

3. Read verse 36. Why can’t a new patch be put on an old garment? What do you think a new garment and an old one represent?

3-1. Read verse 36.

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.

3-2. Why can’t a new patch be put on an old garment?

“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.

If they understood what Jesus had said, Jesus wouldn’t have to say more. But Jesus had to proceed with further remark. Jesus came up with this parable: in fact there are three diverse explanations. (36, 37, 39)

3-3. What do you think a new garment and an old one represent?

*A new garment - a new batch of disciples whose hearts are humble enough to learn of Jesus.

*An old garment - those who are rigid and fixed in their own legalism such as the Pharisees and the teachers of law at this passage.

“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.

Jesus might have noticed their nice clothes. They must have been sensitive to their outward appearance including their clothes.

A piece of cloth from a new garment used to patch an old one will not match the new one.

Old moth eaten cloth can not be matched with a piece of a new garment.

The Pharisees’ spiritual condition was as weak as that of worm-eaten wineskins which have no capacity to contain newly expanding wine.

4. Read verses 37-38. Why does no one pour new wine into old wineskins? (37) What do you think new wine and new wineskins refer to? Why do you think Jesus says this to Pharisees and teachers of the law? (38) What are characteristics of new wineskins that you think can be applied to us?

4-1. Read verses 37-38.

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.

4-2. Why does no one pour new wine into old wineskins? (37)

*New wine has to go through a fermentation process. This produces gas which causes its container to expand while old wineskins are too rigid and inflexible to expand.

So when the pressure gets too great, they burst. The wine runs out and both the wine and the wine skin are ruined.

4-3. What do you think new wine and new wineskins refer to?

*New wine may refer to Jesus’ teachings.

They are powerful, dynamic and explosive just as new wine goes through a powerful fermentation process.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active....”

To contain his words of life, a man must be like a new wineskin; he must be willing to learn and willing to change.

He must be humble enough to obey Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus’ first disciples were like new wineskins.

Example 1, Simon obeyed Jesus’ word, denying his practical knowledge of catching fish. When he did so he caught a large number of fish.

Simon’s simple decision to listen made him to be like a new wineskin. He became a good shepherd for the early Christians in the image of Jesus.

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve” - 1 Peter 5:2

Example 2, Jesus saw Levi with hope and he called him by saying, “Follow me.” At once, Levi got up, left everything and followed Jesus.

Levi clearly decided to follow Jesus and start a new life as Jesus’ disciple. Levi was like a new wineskin in this way.

The book of Matthew was written by Levi who became a saint thanks to Jesus’ calling.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

4-4. Why do you think Jesus says this to Pharisees and teachers of the law? (38)

“No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

New wine - Jesus’ new teaching, new wineskins - teachable hearts and open minds

The Pharisees were like old wineskins. They were proud, stubborn, and legalistic. They were useless to God’s purpose of expanding His kingdom.

They did not receive his Son; they did not learn or want to understand God’s love.

4-5. What are characteristics of new wineskins that you think can be applied to us?

A problem may exist for people who are proud. It may be their tendency to deny being obedient and judge Jesus and his words without living them.

Such people will never learn or grow. Instead they come up with many excuses and criticisms.

May God help us not to be like old wineskins, but like new wineskins through listening to His Son Jesus.

5. Read verse 39. What kind of people do you think Jesus is referring to here when he says “they”? (39) Why do you think that Jesus continues to speak to the Pharisees and teachers of law?

5-1. Read verse 39.

39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

5-2. What kind of people do you think Jesus is referring to here when he says “they”? (39)

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law

5-3. Why do you think that Jesus continues to speak to the Pharisees and teachers of law?

Although Jesus could have finished at verse 38 for he already came to the conclusion, but he was willing to go extra miles to help the Pharisees and the teachers of law to have them repent of their sins.

In conclusion

“No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” Jesus wants to pour his new wine which was the word of life into us and fill our hearts with God’s love. In order to contain this new wine we must be like new wineskins. We can see examples of what this is like in Jesus’ first disciples. When we hear Jesus’ word, we must listen to understand it and to follow it. We must make a clear decision to follow Jesus before following anything else. Those who do will forever grow in Jesus’s love and God’s servants like Peter and Jesus’ disciples. Amen.

One word: New wineskins!

New Wine into New Wineskins

Luke 5:33-39

KV 5:38 “No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

Hello! How are you? Most of you may know me through my life testimony at last conference. Do you remember how many times I have moved since marriage? If you had fallen asleep during my testimony sharing, it is just fine. You have lost nothing because it is very boring anyway. If someone does not know me, let me introduce myself. My name is David Min. For a living I am a pharmacist and I am teaching pharmacy students in the college. However, today’s topic is not about drugs or pharmacology. Instead, today, I‘d like to talk about fasting and wine or wineskins. You know I am one of the oldest wineskins in this congregation. If you don’t know what I mean, don’t worry. I will try to explain in a minute.

Last few weeks, we have studied Luke chapter 5. Chapter 5 shows Jesus’ early Galilean ministry. So far, we see Jesus’ ministry is quite different from those traditional ways or other religious leaders at that time. Jesus neither chose his disciples from anyone who received the theological training or known religious elite group such as Pharisees, nor from any priestly family. All of his disciples consisted of ordinary, everyday men, most likely very undisciplined fishers or even the tax-collector. However, Jesus taught the people with the word of God with authority and healed many sick people including lepers, paralytics or even the possessed. Not only that, he often eats and drinks with these people, which made the elite traditional religious leaders very uncomfortable.

Last week, we learned that Jesus called the tax-collector named, Levi. Most people especially the Pharisees hated the tax-collectors. The tax-collector at that time is not like modern day IRS men like missionary David Cho. Instead, they were just like a modern day, drug dealers, who do anything for making money. They were, indeed, slaves of money. Levi was one of them. He was so depressed because everybody hated him. So when Jesus called him, he was so happy that he immediately left everything and followed Jesus. Not only that, he invited all his tax-collector friends as well as Jesus and his disciples to his house and had a great banquet. Let’s see what happened.

1. Fasting and Wedding Banquet (33-35)

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

As I said, Jesus and his disciples were invited to Levi’s house and enjoyed a great banquet. Probably, Levi had prepared for the best food and all of his tax collector friends were invited. While they were enjoying the delicious food, the Pharisees complained to Jesus. “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do us the Pharisees, but you and your disciples go on only eating and drinking.” Are you guys gluttony or drunkards, aren’t you?

Who were the Pharisees? As we know, the word “Pharisee” is derived from Latin pharisaus, meaning “set apart”. They were proud of being “set apart” from the worldly people, especially the tax-collectors, sinners or Gentiles. They advocated for return to the laws of Moses and stick to the Jewish traditions. We know there was another sect of religious group called “the Sadducees” at that time. They were aristocratic priestly class and they were pretty corrupted and tainted by foreign cultural influence. They did not believe the resurrection of the dead. On the other hand, the Pharisees were proud of strictly observing the laws and made many regulations as guideline how to follow the law carefully. Their religious practice were admired and respected by some common people, however, their inner hearts were empty and their practice tended to enjoy their privilege and sometimes, hypocritical. Jesus’ new ministry threatened their prestige as a religious leader. In the gospel, they often crashed with Jesus and strongly opposed Jesus’ ministry. Jesus rebuked them harshly in the gospel many times.

In the case of fasting, the Pharisees were zealous for fasting, and they fast not just one time, but two times a week, usually Monday and Thursday. Maybe the Levi’s great banquet was held on one of the Pharisees’ fasting day either Monday or Thursday. When we are hungry, we easily become cranky.

When it comes to religious practices like fasting and worship, Jesus is not like the Pharisees, or even like his forerunner John the Baptist. He did not hang out with the pious Pharisees or intellectual teachers of the law. Instead, he often hangs out with outcasts and sick people. He seems to be more joyful when he eats and drinks with terrible sinners when they repent.

Then, what is fasting and why do people fast? Fasting is act of willing abstinence of food for special purpose. The appetite is one of the strong physical desires and eating gives us so much instant pleasures and satisfaction, so fasting is not easy for the ordinary people like me. There are many reasons for fasting, but religiously, it is a sign of abstinence from our flesh desires and focus on God. It is an expression of our desire for the closer intimacy with God by abstaining from our physical pleasure. During fasting, people often abstain from other pleasures such as sex, too. The ancient practice of fasting had been strongly encouraged in the old testaments. It was a highly regarded act of worship to God. The Day of Atonement was celebrated with a fast (Lev 16:29, 31). A four-day fast commemorated the fall of Jerusalem (Zech 7:3, 5; 8:19). Fasts also could be expression of acts of repentance (1 Kings 21:27; Is 58:1-9) or could be associated with deep mourning of our sins (Esther 4:3). Also, fasts are serious expressions of worship and dedication to God. In fact, our Lord Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness in preparing for his messianic ministry.

Look at Matthew 2:1-2 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

Also, we often do fast for special prayer topics and petition to God. Look at Act 13:3 “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” When the church in Antioch was preparing for sending Barnabas and Saul as their first missionaries to the Gentile world, they fasted and prayed together earnestly for this important historical event and they sent them away.

Then, what is Jesus’ answer about their questions? Look at v. 34 “Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

Jesus did not deny fasting practice or its virtue. However, his simple answer was that now is not the time for fasting but for celebration. Everything in this world has its time. He compares himself to a bridegroom at the time of his wedding. God gave us his one and only son, Jesus, as our savior. His presence in the world marks the beginning of a new era. You do not mourn and fast at a wedding, do you? Many of us enjoyed a great food at Shep. Andrew’s wedding last week. If someone wants to fast, how he or she should fast? Look at Matthew 6:16-18. ¹⁶ “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

If anyone wants to fast, he or she should not announce the fasting and show it off. He or she should fast at his or her own room quietly. He or she should not show off his fasting especially in the wedding banquet.

We are all invited to the great wedding banquet as friends of the bridegroom, so we should celebrate and enjoy this precious occasion.

In the Bible, the relationship between the Israelites or the believers and God is often compared to the marriage or wedding. Let’s look at Matthew 22:1-2. “Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.”

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. We all are invited for this great wedding banquet as a guest of honor. Jesus is saying that the present is a special time to celebrate the arrival of a new history in God's salvation plan. God promised that he would send his son as a messiah and we have been waiting for him for a long time and finally, the God’s promise was fulfilled as Jesus came. So we should celebrate for this great occasion. According to Romans, not just human beings but all creatures on earth are longing for the ultimate redemption that the bridegroom's arrival would bring (Rom 8:17-30).

What does it mean? This means when we have Jesus in our heart, we don’t have to fast or mourn. Instead, we should have a full of joy and thanksgiving. We should enjoy the Lord, our bridegroom. You may ask new bride, Natalka if she would fast when Andrew is with her. Every day, she would prepare for delicious Ukraine dishes and wait for Andrew. However, later, the time inevitably would come when the bridegroom is taken away from our heart because of Satan’s temptation. Our hearts are full of worries and worldly desires instead of our Lord, Jesus. Then, we should mourn and fast for our sinful desires and weaknesses. Jesus does not discourage fasting. When we have Jesus as our bridegroom in our heart, we are in a honeymoon. We should be joyful and celebrate this. What is your time now? Is it a time for you to enjoy the honeymoon with our Lord Jesus, the groom, or is it a time for you to fast and mourn?

2. New wines into new wineskins (36-39)

Look at verses 36-37. 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.

Jesus does not stop there. He drives home the point that his presence represents something new in God's plan, calling for a new way of ordering the spiritual life. These two parables have same meaning.

First, Jesus and his message are like a new piece of cloth. No experienced seamstress would take a new piece of cloth and patch it into an old garment. Such a patch produces two problems. After first wash, the new cloth will shrink much more than old garment so pull or tear it, and the new pieces of cloth will not match with old garment. The patch that is supposed to fix the hole of the old garment would end up ruining both. This new era Jesus brings simply cannot be mingled to the old tradition or old religious paradigm. We cannot continue to hold our old sinful habit and patch new gospel to it.

When we become a Christian first time, some reason, our lives sometimes do not get better as we expected, but get worse. How come? That is because we try to patch our new life into the old one. We try hard to please our old boss as well as our new one. Then, nobody likes us. We cannot patch a new piece of cloth into old garment because it ruins both of them.

When my father passed away long time ago, I had a dilemma whether we should have a traditional Korean way of funeral. It involves weeping loudly and mourning. In fact, the louder weeping is, the more is praised because it is a sign of deep mourning for the dead. However as a new Christian, I didn’t want to mourn. Instead, I wanted to sing hymns and pray for his soul and celebrate his life. As an eldest son, I got a lot of pressure by the relatives and the family members, especially my grandfather to do it in the traditional way. My mother pleaded me not to upset all the guests and mourners and asked me to compromise. However, I decided that it is the chance to show them I am a Christian and I sang hymns loudly instead of weeping and mourning. Initially, they were very upset, but they eventually accepted me and understood my new life. Since then, they have recognized me as a Christian, and most of them including my mother became Christians. Amen. We cannot patch a piece of new cloth into the old garment. It will ruin both.

The second, a new wine should be poured into new wineskins. The second parable involves wine and wineskins. In the first century, wine was put in the wineskins instead of wine bottles. It was made of goatskin or sheepskin taken from the neck area of the animal. If we put new wine into the old wine skins, it would be disaster, a terrible waste of wine and skins. The old wineskins are firm and not flexible. The new skins are tender. The new wine is still fermenting, produce lots of gas. If we pour the new wine into the old skins, it causes the old wineskins to burst, so both wine and wineskins would then be lost. So new wine should be poured into new wineskins.

There can be no combination between what Jesus brings and the old tradition of Judaism. If we try to compromise and it were tried to mingle together, then, both would be destroyed. It does not deny the value of the Old Testaments. The Old Testaments has its values and promise of God regarding the Messiah. However, accepting a gospel and being a Christian are not to become a Jew, who has to eat only kosher foods and follow the laws and many regulations. Jesus brings a new era and a fresh message from God that cannot be mixed with the old Judaism. The book of Acts describes this struggle between those who wanted to keep the gospel of Jesus in the Judaism frame work and those who wanted to develop the new era of gospel. Some people wanted to make a new Christian to be a Jew and have them to be circumcised and to follow all regulations and the Jewish traditions. However, Apostle Paul fought hard against these people. Look at Galatians 5:1. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

That’s why the Christianity did not remain as a sect of Judaism, but became the gospel for all people on earth. The gospel is a new way and a new paradigm; it gives new freedom from the practices of the old Judaism. This Judaism requires legalistic observance of the laws, regulations and keeps the tradition and it cannot contain this gospel.

Accepting Jesus needs revolution, not evolution in our hearts. We have to change ourselves completely. In the Bible, this is just like being born again and completely new birth. Look at 1 Peter 1:3-5. “³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Being born again means new birth into a living hope in the kingdom of God, which is completely new paradigm. Many people in this world want to be rich and famous. However, our hope is not getting rich and living well in this world. That’s why it seems impossible for the Pharisees like Nicodemus to be a born again Christian, but the only Almighty God can do it. It demands complete change of our inner being, which is impossible for us without help of the Holy Spirit. So new wine must be poured into new wineskins. Jesus' presence requires a new way, new forms and a new spirit.

As I said, I am one of the representatives of the old wineskins in this congregation. The old wineskin’s characteristics include that they like to teach rather than to learn, they like to avoid sacrifice at any cost. They like to talk rather than listening or acting. They often like to rationalize their actions rather than repent their sins. Their hearts are just like a brick wall and are no response to any message and do not show much emotion or passion and they are sometimes even proud of it. They often say, “Ya, ya, I have done that kind of things many, many time in the past” “I know, I know. They’d never move their fingers. Is it familiar? You got it.

Look at Matthew 23:1-4. “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.”

Wow! The Pharisees and teachers of the law are exactly like old wineskins I am talking about.

In that sense, I am hopelessly old wineskin, but thank God for giving everyone a new birth into a living hope when he or she repents.

Third, Jesus predicts the possibility of rejection. Look at verse 39. "No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.' “This is probably a warning. Jesus knows that some, especially most old wineskins, will not come to him, because they were satisfied with the wine they had. The taste of the old wine seems better and more comfortable. They don’t want to try new taste, which is uncertain and inconvenient. Nothing would move their hearts because they are, indeed, the old wineskins. Jesus' arrival means a choice between the new wineskins and the old wineskins. What do you want? Do you continue to indulge in the old wine and say the old is better, which lead you to eternal destruction or accept the new wine? It is your choice today!

One word: New wine into new wineskin