NEW WINESKINS FOR THE CHALLENGES OF 2024
Jesus uses the image of new wine and old skins, in Mark chapter 2, to illustrate why He does not encourage His disciples to follow the Pharisees’ religion, specifically in fasting. Old wineskins, like the Pharisees’ rules, are brittle and inflexible. When filled with “new wine”, the skins are likely to break apart. He then addresses the Pharisees’ attitude towards the Sabbath.
What we can clearly see here is that the new wine of the gospel message is at odds with the legalism of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees in Jesus’ day enjoyed ‘rules and regulations.’ The more rules the better; and the stricter you obeyed and devoted yourself to these rules then the ‘holier’ you became.
It seems that the disciples of the Pharisees and of John the Baptist made a regular habit of fasting — and Jesus’ disciples did not. According to Moses’ law, fasting was only required once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31).
However, tradition had grown up over the centuries that all pious Jews should fast twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
So, when Jesus and His disciples broke with that tradition v18 tells us that: “Some people came and asked Jesus, ‘How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?’”
Christ responded with several short metaphors to defend His actions. First, He compared Himself to a bridegroom at a wedding ceremony (and who fasts at a wedding ceremony?).
Next, He spoke of the danger of putting a new patch on an old garment. Finally, He mentioned the illogic of storing new wine in old wineskins.
Let me be clear, Jesus is not condemning fasting and neither is He saying that keeping the Sabbath is no longer necessary.
Fasting has benefits both spiritual and physical. Every man and woman needs a Sabbath of rest, otherwise they will burn out.
However, there is no salvation in the keeping of the Sabbath or the observance of fasting. These don’t buy us any bonus points with God. What we need is to experience the new wine of grace!
Let me highlight two points:
The inflexibility of old wineskins
Vs.22:“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.”
There is rigidity about old wineskins. You see, new wine continued to ferment and emit gas inside its container, it was therefore crucial for it to be stored in new, flexible wineskins. That way, the flexible nature of the wine container would allow it to expand and stay sealed as the fermentation process progressed.
The idea of putting new wine in an old, inflexible wineskin would have been regarded as foolishly wasteful because the old, dried-out wineskin would simply crack and drain out all of the new wine.
Legalism focuses on God’s laws more than relationship with God. Legalism loses sight of grace!
Here in Mark 2, Jesus arrives on the scene as the Messiah, bringing with Him a new and better covenant that would replace the old rigid covenant of Law. However, the Pharisees could not handle it because they only had old wineskins which could never cope with the sparkling wine of grace. Their old wineskins had no flexibility!
As we face the challenges of 2024 as church leaders, are we trying to lead with the rigidity of old wineskins or are we ready for the new wine of grace?
The flexibility for life in new wineskins
Listen to Jesus in v22: “They pour new wine into new wineskins.”
New wine continued to ferment and emit gas inside its container, it was therefore crucial for it to be stored in new, flexible wineskins.
This new wine was alive, it was active!
I trust that we are ready to lead into 2024 with new wineskins.
The new wine of the gospel of grace that the early apostles preached could never be placed into old wineskins. The life giving message of the gospel would completely burst their skins.
Think of how offensive this wine of the gospel was to the traditions of the Pharisees. Paul spent his life unpacking the implications of this new wine of grace. He said things like: God is no longer holding our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19); we are saved and kept by grace (Ephesians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 1:8); and God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
These claims were radical 2000 years ago, and they are still radical today.
This new wine of grace is greater than we can fathom. We will spend the rest of eternity exploring the limitless reaches of His grace to us.
Paul warned us in Galatians not to listen to those who preach something other than the new wine of the gospel of grace.
How can you tell the difference between a message for a new wineskin and one that is only fit for an old wineskin?
A new wine, grace-based message will leave you praising God and thanking Jesus. In contrast, a graceless message fit only for the old wineskin will have you making promises you can’t keep and then condemn you for not keeping them.
Let’s never forget that this new wine is not about rules and regulations, it’s all about Jesus!
Arnallt Morgan