Jesus at the Center of Our Story
New Life • Message 5
Perry Duggar
May 5, 2024
A. Introduction: We continue the series, Jesus at the Center of Our Story (a survey of Parables).
Matthew 9:14-15; C/R: John 3:28-30; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
1. Today’s message is entitled New Life. [Greek kainŏs ginŏmai, “something brought into being that wasn’t known before”]
Theme verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)—…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! [Q: That’s being born again!]
Shortly after baptizing Jesus, John the Baptist turned his disciples over to Jesus (John 3:28-30), but not all of them immediately followed Jesus (Acts 19:1-3).
While John was imprisoned (Matthew 4:12), some of his disciples questioned Jesus.
Matthew 9:14 (NLT)—One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”
In John’s absence, these men had to decide whether they would join Jesus’ disciples or pursue their traditional Jewish ceremonies and practices.
They wondered, perhaps sincerely, possibly skeptically, why Jesus’ disciples did not fast.
The Old Testament prescribed only one fast on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; Leviticus 16:29,31), but Jewish tradition required fasting twice a week (Luke 18:12), and these men followed that practice. [Jesus assumed followers fasted (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting was practiced by the early church as an expression of worship (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23).]
The circumstance which provoked this question was Jesus and His disciples enjoying a dinner party with Matthew Levi, a tax collector, and other sinners (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-31), something an observant Jew would never do.
Jesus’ response to John’s disciples in Matthew 9:15 (NLT)—Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
In Jesus’ day, a wedding was a joyful celebration that would last seven days.
Jesus’ point was while He was with them, His disciples did not fast; they rejoiced! [Fasting wasn’t required by God’s Law, and rejoicing was encouraged, Ecclesiastes 3:4; Romans 12:15]
The time of joy would end when the bridegroom (Jesus) would be taken away (arrested, tried and executed). [First time in Luke’s gospel that Jesus referred to His death.]
There was an even more important issue behind the question from John's disciples.
John wasn’t preaching salvation by grace through faith; his message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” [Matt. 3:2 (NLT)]
It was clear to John’s men that Jesus’ teaching and approach to righteousness were different from what they practiced, which was obedience to traditional Judaism.
John’s followers were asking why Jesus’ disciples did not comply with Jewish customs.
Jesus then explained by parable, or allegory, that the new life resulting from faith was different…, distinct…, separate…, from the old life of obeying religious rituals.
2. [Let’s consider…] New Life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4)
Romans 6:4 (NLT)—For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. [Lives of a new quality, an existence not experienced before!]
Jesus then illustrated two characteristics of new life.
New Life…
A. Cannot be connected to old life. [Life prior to spiritual birth.] (Matthew 9:16. C/R: Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:9-10)
Matthew 9:16 (NLT)— “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.” [Mark 2:21]
Cloth, made from wool or linen, shrunk when washed, so it could not repair a rip or hole.
Luke 5:36 also points out that the new cloth would not match the color of the old cloth.
The old garment doesn’t represent God’s commandments (His Law). Rather, it refers to the legalistic system of rabbinic interpretations and man-made oral traditions that added requirements and actually violated the Law of God (Matthew 15:3-9).
Jesus didn’t denounce the Law of God. He said it is holy, right and good (Romans 7:12).
Through the pressure of Pharisees, Judaism focused more on keeping the extrabiblical requirements set forth by rabbis than on obeying God’s Old Testament guidelines.
The new cloth signified Jesus’ new and internal message of forgiveness and cleansing from sins by grace through faith, which cannot be attached as a patch to the old and external tradition of righteousness earned through ritual and religious works.
Perhaps John’s disciples, and even the Pharisees, hoped that Jesus would bring His followers and their enthusiasm into their practice of Judaism. (Converts; Matthew 23:15)
Jesus was saying the Gospel cannot be patched into Judaism (or any other system of salvation by work or effort); His teaching was completely at odds with theirs!
Jesus was not interested in mending the religion of the Pharisees or following the practices of John’s disciples; the Gospel tears a hole in legalistic Judaism!
For example, Jesus stressed the need for humble repentance (Luke 5:32); they were proud of their obedience to rituals, which they thought made them righteous (Luke 16:14; 20:46-47).
You may wonder, “How can this apply to us? Few of us have a Jewish background. We are not following the Law to receive forgiveness.”
Listen closely! If we attempt to do anything to earn forgiveness, to gain God’s favor—consciously or subconsciously—we are making the same mistake as these Jews.
This includes actions to please God, such as attending church, reading the Bible, praying at meals, singing worship songs and giving—which are good spiritual disciplines—but none of them merit forgiveness or create a relationship with God!
Another application: When we connect a few Christian practices (church attendance, giving) to an immoral, materialistic lifestyle, it doesn’t yield salvation; it just makes you miserable in the world! [ILLUS.: Rappers singing nasty songs then talking about Jesus.]
You can’t repair old clothing with a new patch! They don’t blend!
Religious actions, spiritual practices—praying, fasting, giving, serving—can strengthen and deepen a relationship with God that already exists by faith in His Son’s sacrifice!
APP.: Are you trying to mend your ways, patch some holes in your life by adding some Christian actions, better behaviors, to your old life? They don’t match!
APP.: Is my faith a patchwork of my old life—behaviors, actions and attitudes—with some Christian practices and behaviors, such as church attendance and giving, added?
Ephesians 4:21–22, 24 (NLT)—21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.…24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. [APP.: Don’t patch the old, throw it off! Put on the new!]
New Life…
B. Cannot be contained in old life. (Matthew 9:17. C/R: Mark 2:22; Luke 5:39; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Titus 3:4-6) [Illustrated another analogy.]
Matthew 9:17 (NLT)—“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
Wine was often stored in animal skins that were specially prepared for that purpose.
The hide of a sheep or goat would have the leg openings stitched closed and sealed, the neck would be used as a spout, which was tied with a leather thong or cord.
As wineskins aged, they would dry out, becoming stiff and brittle.
As new wine fermented, it released CO2 gas, causing the leather skin to expand.
If new wine was stored in an old wineskin, the old leather, having lost its elasticity, could not contain it; the skin would crack and split; the wine would spill out.
Old wineskins was not a reference to Old Testament Law or even the Old Testament as a whole because Jesus did not come to destroy the Law, but rather, to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-19).
The old wineskin (like old cloth) referred to requirements rabbis added to the Law (their traditions), which overshadowed and even contradicted the truths of the Old Testament.
The strict law-keeping of Judaism could not contain the message of salvation by grace.
The legalistic Jews declared that God required submission to their set of rules and adhering to their traditions to attain righteousness before God.
But works of any kind, even religious ones, cannot make you right with God.
In the same way that new wine was incompatible with old wineskins, the true Gospel is at odds with any system of salvation by works (Romans 11:6; Galatians 5:4).
Jesus’ point was that the Good News of salvation (new wine) could not be contained within the brittle, cracked wineskins of rabbi-produced rules.
Luke 5:39 (NLT)—“But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” [False religion deadens the spiritual senses.]
The Jews were so deeply ingrained in ancient rules, rituals, and ceremonies that they had no interest in the new, fresh, saving truth of the Gospel, so they rejected, then killed, Jesus.
The new wine, representing new life, could not be contained in the old religious system.
This new life (being born again) is initiated and energized by the Holy Spirit; it begins inside and emerges out, making changes and exercising influence over our lives.
Titus 3:4–6 (NLT)— 4 …When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
We are different people, new people with a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17) after coming to faith; our identities and our natures have changed—and are being changed by the Spirit within!
APP.: Have you noticed that you cannot do the things, say the words, think the thoughts, take the actions, you used to before the new wine—the Spirit—entered and filled you?
New life in Christ, enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, cannot be contained in your old life; you need a new wineskin, a brand new life! [APP.: Do you want it?]