The New and The Old

Luke sets the scene with critics watching Jesus eat and drink with Levi’s friends and shaking their heads at a joy that does not fit their rulebook. John’s disciples voice the question that hangs in the air: why do the serious folks fast, but Jesus’ disciples feast? Jesus answers with a wedding. The groom is here. Wedding guests don’t fast while the groom is with them. Joy is right. Mourning will have its day when the groom is taken away, then fasting will fit those days. Until then, Jesus makes the case that God’s presence changes the tone from gloomy to glad because love is felt, holiness brings forgiveness, and power sets people free.

The old fast-as-performance model gets exposed. Fasting that draws a person closer to God is good, but fasting that tries to look holy is empty. Jesus pushes deeper with two parables. The old garment cannot be patched by cutting up the new. The new covenant is not a patch on the old system. Judaism had become a burden of rules and regulations, like an old coat threadbare at the seams. The gospel is a new garment altogether, a free exchange of religion for relationship. Then the wineskins speak. New wine needs fresh skins. Fermenting grace expands a person’s mind, heart, and will. Old, brittle structures split. New life will not fit into inflexible habits built to keep everything safe and the same.

Jesus knows the resistance. The old wine proverb names it: many will refuse the new for the old and call it better without even trying it. That is how hearts get stuck on chicken nuggets and never taste a well-cooked meal. The gospel asks for openness, not novelty for novelty’s sake, but a readiness to let God stretch what has settled. Finally, Christ himself stands as the new temple. The Word became flesh and moved in. When Christ moves in, believers become temples. Life is not meant to be a waffle with little compartments that keep the syrup from touching. Life in Christ spreads. It fills home and work and ball field and church with one presence. That is why joy belongs to those who live with Jesus, live for Jesus, and let Jesus live through them, even when tears visit. The groom is with them, and that changes everything.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Fasting aims at fellowship, not performance. True fasting gives God the time that appetite once claimed so that the heart can be drawn near. Skipping a meal is not the point, meeting God is. When fasting turns into a way to look spiritual, it empties out its own purpose. God refuses the show and welcomes the seeker. [07:34]
• 2. The Groom’s presence makes joy fitting. When the groom is in the room, the right response is celebration. Jesus’ love is felt, his holiness forgives, and his power frees, so gladness follows him around. Mourning will come in its time, but it is out of place while he is there. Joy is not silliness, it is faith recognizing who stands near. [15:10]
• 3. New wine requires fresh structures. Grace ferments. It stretches the mind, the will, and the habits until old containers crack. The gospel is not a patch on worn religion, it is a new garment and a living wine that needs flexible skins. Openness to change is not compromise, it is making room for Christ’s living work. [22:01]
• 4. Old comforts resist Spirit-led change. Hearts often call the old better without tasting the new. Familiar routines feel safe, but they can keep a soul from growth that would surprise it with joy. Wisdom stays rooted in Scripture while staying soft enough to try what God is freshly doing. Refusal can feel pious and still be unbelief. [25:52]
• 5. Christ indwells his people as Temple. The Word moved in, and those who receive him become his dwelling. Life is not meant to be compartmentalized like a waffle; the presence of Jesus runs like syrup through every square. Integrity is joy’s ally because one Lord fills one life in every place. [30:23]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:28] - Levi’s feast and religious offense
• [01:12] - Doctor for the sick, not the healthy
• [02:32] - Why don’t your disciples fast
• [05:11] - What fasting is and isn’t
• [06:30] - Dieting vs fasting for God
• [08:24] - OT fasting and Day of Atonement
• [10:45] - Pharisaic rules and gloomy religion
• [12:32] - The myth that holy means joyless
• [14:36] - Old covenant vs new covenant
• [15:10] - Bridegroom with guests, joy is right
• [18:17] - Why Jesus radiates joy
• [20:34] - New patch on old coat
• [22:01] - New wine and fresh skins
• [25:52] - Old wine proverb and resistance
• [29:57] - Jesus the new Temple
• [31:38] - Waffle life vs pancake life
• [33:03] - Joy that lasts through sorrow
• [34:10] - Invitation and prayer

1. What two groups questioned Jesus about fasting, and what was their main criticism of His disciples? ([02:32])
2. How does Jesus use the analogy of a wedding celebration to explain why His disciples didn’t fast? ([15:10])
3. What happens when new wine is poured into old wineskins, according to Jesus’ parable?
4. What does the sermon identify as the difference between fasting as a spiritual practice and fasting as a performance? ([07:34])

1. Why do you think Jesus compared His presence to a bridegroom at a wedding instead of using a more solemn metaphor? What does this reveal about the nature of His mission?
2. The sermon says, “Grace ferments. It stretches the mind, the will, and the habits until old containers crack.” How does the parable of the wineskins illustrate this idea? ([22:01])
3. What might it look like for someone to prefer the “old wine” of religious routines over the “new wine” of relationship with Christ? ([25:52])
4. How does the temple metaphor in John 1:14 redefine what it means to live in God’s presence?

1. When have you treated spiritual practices (like fasting, prayer, or church attendance) as a performance to appear holy rather than a way to connect with God? What would it look like to shift your focus to fellowship with Him? ([07:34])
2. The sermon claims, “Joy is not silliness; it is faith recognizing who stands near.” What practical step could you take this week to cultivate joy in Christ’s presence, even in a difficult situation?
3. Are there areas of your life where you’re resisting God’s “new wine” because you’re clinging to old habits or comforts (e.g., familiar routines, fear of change)? How might you create “fresh wineskins” in those areas? ([22:01])
4. The waffle analogy warns against compartmentalizing faith. Where do you most struggle to let Jesus’ presence “flow like syrup” into every part of your life (work, hobbies, relationships)? What would integration look like? ([31:38])
5. The sermon says refusal to try God’s new work “can feel pious and still be unbelief.” Is there a situation where God might be asking you to trust Him in an unfamiliar way, but you’ve resisted? What’s one small act of openness you could practice? ([25:52])