Mark in March 2:18-22

Mark 2:18-22

¹⁸ Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

¹⁹ Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. ²⁰ But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Verses 18 – 20 are pretty easy to understand.  Jesus is telling them that He is the Bridegroom!  He is the Savior, the Messiah, God Incarnate.  Why would His disciples need to fast regarding anything when they had the Authority over everything right with them or they with Him?  If they had a need, He took care of it.  And, by the way, isn’t that what a bridegroom does? … Takes care of the needs of his bride!  Doesn’t the bride expect that of her groom?  Jesus is the Bridegroom and His followers (Biblical Christians) are His Bride – He takes care of us; provides for us; protects us; meets our needs; and so much more…. LOVE.  He loves His Bride!  And He never leaves His Bride.

²¹ “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.

²² “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

And  then Jesus starts talking about old cloth, new cloth, old wineskins, new wineskins, new wine. 

What is He talking about???

What this says to me is that Jesus is telling the Pharisees (followers of the Law of Moses) that the New Way has arrived in the flesh and that the old way and the new way can not be mixed successfully.

In other words, if a new Believer in Jesus’ grace tries to “pour” the law and all it’s rules into His new heart, it will destroy him.  The old way “spoils” the New Way.  Jesus is telling them that the Old Covenant is about to be fulfilled and replaced with the New Covenant.  He is saying, “I am here!”  Grace has arrived!  The Messiah!

Why would you want to continue in the old way of the Law when the new way of Grace is so much better, even perfect, and the two do not mix.  You just don’t put perfect into imperfect and expect the imperfect not to effect the perfect.  You cannot put law into grace and not have a disaster and a bigger mess than before.  A Christian who becomes weighed down by legalism and the laws of the Old Covenant, will soon “crash and burn.”

For a further explanation of the Old and New Covenant, click here >>>> The Old and New Covenant compared.

So, to apply these verses to my life, I embrace everything I read in the Bible that relates to the grace of Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life He has provided for me.  I cling to the privilege of having an audience with the Father in prayer and fellowship.  I understand that I can not work may way into Heaven.  My ticket has been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and I will arrive in heaven by the same resurrection power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave.  Praise His Holy Name!

What does Mark 2:18-22 say to you?