Embracing the New Covenant: Jesus and Transformation
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound teaching of Jesus about new wine and old wineskins from Mark 2:18-22. This passage, though seemingly complex, reveals the depth of God's plan for humanity through the old and new covenants. We began by acknowledging the confusion that often accompanies this text, especially given our modern disconnect from ancient winemaking practices. However, by delving into the historical and cultural context, we uncovered the rich symbolism Jesus used to convey His message.
The old covenant, particularly the Mosaic covenant, was a works-based system designed to set God's people apart and guide them in holiness. Despite its divine purpose, it highlighted humanity's inability to achieve holiness on its own. The law served as a mirror, reflecting our sinfulness and our desperate need for a Savior. This is where the new covenant, brought by Jesus, comes into play. Unlike the old covenant, which required continuous sacrifices and rituals, the new covenant offers a once-and-for-all atonement through Jesus' sacrifice.
Jesus' analogy of new wine in old wineskins illustrates the incompatibility of the new covenant with the old. Just as new wine would burst old wineskins due to the fermentation process, the new covenant cannot be contained within the old framework. It requires a fresh, new vessel—symbolizing a transformed heart and spirit. This teaching underscores the necessity of embracing the new life Jesus offers, rather than clinging to outdated religious practices.
In essence, Jesus calls us to celebrate His presence and the fulfillment of God's promises. The old covenant pointed to our need for a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior, bringing a new way of living that is rooted in faith and grace. As we reflect on this teaching, we are reminded to embrace the new life Jesus offers and to live in the freedom and joy of His salvation.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Purpose of the Old Covenant: The Mosaic covenant was designed to set God's people apart and guide them in holiness. It revealed humanity's inability to achieve holiness on its own, highlighting our need for a Savior. This covenant was not about achieving perfection but about understanding our dependence on God. [37:19]
2. The Incompatibility of Old and New: Jesus' analogy of new wine in old wineskins illustrates the incompatibility of the new covenant with the old. Just as new wine would burst old wineskins, the new covenant requires a fresh, transformed heart and spirit. This teaches us that embracing Jesus' new way of living necessitates letting go of outdated religious practices. [57:16]
3. The Fulfillment of God's Promises: Jesus is the fulfillment of the old covenant's promises. The old covenant pointed to our need for a Savior, and Jesus' arrival signifies the completion of God's plan for atonement. This new covenant offers a once-and-for-all sacrifice, freeing us from the continuous rituals of the old covenant. [45:25]
4. The Call to Celebrate: Jesus' presence is a cause for celebration, not mourning. The analogy of the wedding guests and the groom emphasizes that now is the time to rejoice because the promised Messiah has arrived. This challenges us to live in the joy and freedom of Jesus' salvation, rather than in the sorrow of unmet expectations. [46:03]
5. The Transformative Power of the New Covenant: The new covenant brought by Jesus transforms our hearts and spirits. It is not merely an addition to the old but a complete renewal. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's grace and love, moving us from a works-based relationship with God to one rooted in faith and grace. [49:24]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[20:10] - Introduction and Personal Reflections
[21:02] - The Gospel in the Whole Bible
[21:48] - New Wine and Old Wineskins
[23:02] - Studying the Parable
[23:34] - Mark 2:18-22 Reading
[24:06] - Jesus' Teaching on Fasting
[25:14] - Initial Confusion and Cultural Context
[26:16] - Reluctance to Preach on the Topic
[27:10] - Duck Hunting Illustration
[31:57] - Connecting Duck Hunting to Mark 2
[32:34] - The Old Covenant and Its Purpose
[35:44] - The Mosaic Covenant
[37:19] - The Law and Its Challenges
[40:01] - Atonement in Leviticus
[42:05] - Fasting in the Old Testament
[43:21] - The Grand Issue with the Old Covenant
[45:25] - Jesus Fulfills the Old Covenant
[46:03] - The Wedding Guests and the Groom
[47:10] - The New Garment
[49:24] - The New Covenant as Fulfillment
[50:55] - The Sinners Who Understood
[51:41] - The Depth of Jesus' Teaching
[52:31] - Understanding Ancient Winemaking
[55:12] - The Fermentation Process
[57:16] - New Wine in Fresh Wineskins
[58:26] - The Importance of the Old Covenant
[59:32] - Bloodshed and Atonement
[01:00:02] - The Promise of a New Covenant
[01:03:47] - Jeremiah and Ezekiel's Prophecies
[01:06:12] - The Call to Believe in Jesus
[01:09:55] - The New Covenant's Freedom
[01:12:25] - The Duck Hunting Analogy Revisited
[01:15:13] - The Call to Respond
[01:15:47] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Mark 2:18-22
- Exodus 19:3-6
- Jeremiah 31:31-33
#### Observation Questions
1. What is the main analogy Jesus uses in Mark 2:18-22, and what does it represent? ([23:34])
2. According to the sermon, what were the two major purposes of the Mosaic covenant as described in Exodus 19:3-6? ([35:09])
3. How does Jeremiah 31:31-33 describe the new covenant that God promises to establish with His people? ([03:47])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus compare the new covenant to new wine and the old covenant to old wineskins? What does this analogy teach us about the relationship between the two covenants? ([57:16])
2. How does the Mosaic covenant highlight humanity's inability to achieve holiness on its own, and why is this significant for understanding the need for a Savior? ([37:19])
3. In what ways does the new covenant, as described in Jeremiah 31:31-33, fulfill the promises and purposes of the old covenant? ([03:47])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own spiritual practices. Are there any "old wineskins" or outdated religious practices that you are holding onto? How can you embrace the new life Jesus offers? ([57:16])
2. The sermon emphasized the joy and celebration that should accompany Jesus' presence. How can you incorporate more celebration and joy into your daily walk with Christ? ([46:03])
3. The new covenant calls for a transformed heart and spirit. What specific steps can you take this week to allow God to transform your heart and spirit? ([49:24])
4. How does understanding the purpose of the old covenant help you appreciate the significance of Jesus' sacrifice? Share a personal experience where you felt the weight of this realization. ([37:19])
5. Jesus' teaching challenges us to live in the freedom and joy of His salvation. What are some practical ways you can live out this freedom and joy in your interactions with others? ([46:03])
6. The sermon mentioned the importance of faith and grace in the new covenant. How can you shift your focus from a works-based relationship with God to one rooted in faith and grace? ([49:24])
7. Think of a time when you felt burdened by religious rituals or expectations. How did you find freedom in Christ, and how can you help others experience this freedom? ([57:16])
Devotional
Day 1: The Purpose of the Old Covenant
The Mosaic covenant was designed to set God's people apart and guide them in holiness. It revealed humanity's inability to achieve holiness on its own, highlighting our need for a Savior. This covenant was not about achieving perfection but about understanding our dependence on God. The law served as a mirror, reflecting our sinfulness and our desperate need for a Savior. This is where the new covenant, brought by Jesus, comes into play. Unlike the old covenant, which required continuous sacrifices and rituals, the new covenant offers a once-and-for-all atonement through Jesus' sacrifice. [37:19]
Leviticus 20:26 (ESV): "You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine."
Reflection: How does recognizing your inability to achieve holiness on your own change your perspective on your need for Jesus?
Day 2: The Incompatibility of Old and New
Jesus' analogy of new wine in old wineskins illustrates the incompatibility of the new covenant with the old. Just as new wine would burst old wineskins, the new covenant requires a fresh, transformed heart and spirit. This teaches us that embracing Jesus' new way of living necessitates letting go of outdated religious practices. The new covenant brought by Jesus transforms our hearts and spirits. It is not merely an addition to the old but a complete renewal. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's grace and love, moving us from a works-based relationship with God to one rooted in faith and grace. [57:16]
Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Reflection: What outdated religious practices or mindsets do you need to let go of to fully embrace the new life Jesus offers?
Day 3: The Fulfillment of God's Promises
Jesus is the fulfillment of the old covenant's promises. The old covenant pointed to our need for a Savior, and Jesus' arrival signifies the completion of God's plan for atonement. This new covenant offers a once-and-for-all sacrifice, freeing us from the continuous rituals of the old covenant. Jesus' presence is a cause for celebration, not mourning. The analogy of the wedding guests and the groom emphasizes that now is the time to rejoice because the promised Messiah has arrived. This challenges us to live in the joy and freedom of Jesus' salvation, rather than in the sorrow of unmet expectations. [45:25]
Hebrews 9:15 (ESV): "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant."
Reflection: How can you celebrate Jesus' fulfillment of God's promises in your daily life?
Day 4: The Call to Celebrate
Jesus' presence is a cause for celebration, not mourning. The analogy of the wedding guests and the groom emphasizes that now is the time to rejoice because the promised Messiah has arrived. This challenges us to live in the joy and freedom of Jesus' salvation, rather than in the sorrow of unmet expectations. The new covenant brought by Jesus transforms our hearts and spirits. It is not merely an addition to the old but a complete renewal. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's grace and love, moving us from a works-based relationship with God to one rooted in faith and grace. [46:03]
Isaiah 61:10 (ESV): "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Reflection: What are some ways you can actively celebrate and rejoice in Jesus' presence in your life today?
Day 5: The Transformative Power of the New Covenant
The new covenant brought by Jesus transforms our hearts and spirits. It is not merely an addition to the old but a complete renewal. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's grace and love, moving us from a works-based relationship with God to one rooted in faith and grace. Jesus' analogy of new wine in old wineskins illustrates the incompatibility of the new covenant with the old. Just as new wine would burst old wineskins, the new covenant requires a fresh, transformed heart and spirit. This teaches us that embracing Jesus' new way of living necessitates letting go of outdated religious practices. [49:24]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to experience the transformative power of the new covenant? How can you invite Jesus to renew your heart and spirit today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I just kept coming back to this idea that I just needed to simply share the gospel simply share the gospel but not in like a gospel track not in like an ABC's of becoming a Christian kind of way but in more of like a the whole Bible points to the truth of the gospel the gospel does not exist only in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but the whole Bible points to the gospel and connecting the dots of how that all works together that kind of way of presenting the gospel." [21:02] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The irony of the followers of John and the Pharisees fasting was that fasting ties back to the day of atonement remember here in front of them stands the one who will complete God's plan for atonement here stands the one that the whole old testament has pointed to here stands the one that is the whole reason we fast is for this moment of atonement and their fasting Jesus stands before them at the point of so let me tile this all together for you." [59:32] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The old covenant was about what you could do to save yourself and the new covenant was about you can't save yourself I'll do it for you and Christ came and paid a debt you couldn't pay in the same way that I can go and swing a bat at a 99 mile an hour fastball all I want I'll never hit it but he came and atoned for your sin that you were incapable of atoning for by his blood." [01:09:35] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Jesus isn't asking you to follow warm and fuzzies he's asking you to follow him and you want to talk about freedom you want to talk about freedom he's freed you from the chains of sin and death ever and Ephesians 2 8 9 says for by grace you have been saved through faith sound familiar you see this thread that just goes through all of it you've been saved by faith and this is not your own doing it's the gift of God not a result of work so that no one may boast Jesus is calling you to repent believe and follow him." [01:11:05] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We always say we want to tell people Jesus loves you we want to tell people Jesus loves you well he does but he didn't just walk around saying I love you all the time he walked around saying repent and believe turn from your sin and your wicked ways and follow me Mark chapter 1 verse 15 from Jesus himself the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel that's what he called us to do yes he loves you but if that's all you're focused on you're missing it you're fasting in the face of the groom and it's foolishness." [01:11:51] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The purpose of the covenant was not to see if man could accomplish this some of you probably already got there in your head the purpose of the covenant was not to see if man could pull it off God already knew man couldn't be holy we have a sin nature we have a fallen nature because of what happened in the Garden of Eden God already knew that the purpose of the covenant was to set them apart and to give man a means to return to his presence it was about man's faithfulness to God and not the works themselves yes it is works based but God never intended for man to be so focused on the works that they missed out on the whole reason to be holy in the first place was to live in relationship with him." [44:10] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "God didn't make a mistake when he created the old covenant he didn't accidentally leave a missing piece he didn't forget to add a fail safe for the dummies that would eventually use it and screw it up that's not what happened it wasn't that he didn't know that man couldn't keep the law but instead through the law we are we begin to understand our own our sinfulness the law reveals to us just how unholy we are because God said here's what it takes to be holy and then we look at it and go rut row big problem he didn't forget that or miss that." [47:59] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The new covenant isn't something that's a patch that we just kinda add on the bottom of the old covenant so that we can keep doing those things and say that we're awesome that's not the point and the old covenant isn't something that we just take off and throw away either cause it's missing a spot because the old covenant and the new covenant like all covenants of God come together to make this beautiful picture where we truly can see the depth of his majesty the new covenant is a new garment all together that covers the entire entirety of the old covenant it doesn't just fix a little hole it covers the entirety of it the new covenant in and of itself is a fulfillment but it's also a fulfillment of the old covenant." [50:02] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God is seeking faith and faithfulness from his people that's number one and number two we see that when man sins it's blood that covers that sin often times a bloody mess I was I was talking through this with one of my really close friends and mentors this week we just were catching up on the phone and we were just kind of talking through what I was going to teach on and stuff and this isn't in the text I can't prove this to you but we were talking about if you think about the blood that's got to be drained these priests were probably like knee deep in blood all the time from all of the blood that had to be spilt for our sin there was so much blood and sacrifice we look at the old testament is a bloody collection of books but that's not for no reason God is seeking faith and faithfulness from his people and when man sins it is blood that covers that sin." [58:26] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "In Jeremiah chapter 31 and I'm going to read these two chunks of verses to you even though I know I've worn you out this morning but in Jeremiah 31 verses 31 through 33 God declares behold the days are coming declares the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt my covenant that they broke though I was their husband sound familiar declares the Lord for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days declares the Lord I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people." [01:03:47] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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