Scripture

“No one puts new wine into old wine skins. For the wine would burst the wine skins, and the wine and the skins would be lost. New wine calls for new wine skins.”

Observation

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, so some people came and asked Jesus why did his disciples not fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees.

Jesus response is typically enigmatic. Wedding guests don’t fast while the groom is with them. The groom, that is Christ, will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

You don’t patch old clothing with new fabric. You don’t put new wine into old wine skins because you lose both the wine and the wineskin.

Application

The fact that John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting on the same day tells us that John’s disciples were observant Jews. Jesus’s disciples were observing the New Covenant, the new wine skin.

When a person comes to Christ, the new wine of the Holy Spirit comes in. The old habits and lifestyles must go away in order to contain the new wine. If not the person will stagnate in their walk with Christ and may even fall away altogether.

When Christians insist on following the Law in any form, whether it is the Old Testament feasts or legalism under the New Testament, this is the old wine skin.

The new wine skin is the Paradigm of Grace rather than law. We are Justified by faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross, not by following rules, traditions and customs.

Listening

Lord, what do you want to say to me concerning new wine and new wineskins?

Keith, the church is the wine skin I have given to contain the new wine of my Spirit. The trouble is that the human soul finds it so easy to manufacture religious wineskins,

Every generation must rediscover this truth and press in to grace in order to keep the wineskin supple.

The Pentecostal churches claimed to be the new wine skin. But they were troubled by the Holiness Movement that birthed them. Consequently, various manifestations of legalism have popped up in the Pentecostal churches over the years.

As for you, my son, stay close to me. Don’t let tradition lock you in. Listen to my Spirit and be ready to act on my words to you.