Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved. (Matthew 9:14–17)
Something New
The prophet Jeremiah foretold of a day that God was going propose a new covenant with Israel:
“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, 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.” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)
The Lord was declaring that He would do a new thing within the hearts of Israel (Isaiah 43:16-21). The old covenant was going to be fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus was not abolishing the Law of Moses, rather He was coming to fulfill every part of it. And it was in the Law and Prophets that spoke of Him (Luke 24:27).
Looking at the last part Matthew 9:17, “neither is new wine put into old wineskins.” Bible commentator, William Barclay, writes, “In the old days, wine was stored in skins and not in bottles. When new wine was put into a skin, the wine was still fermenting. The gases which it gave off exerted pressure on the skin. In a new skin there was a certain elasticity, and no harm was done because the skin gave with the pressure. But an old skin had grown hard and had lost all its elasticity, and, if new and fermenting wine was put into it, it could not give to the pressure of the gases; it could only burst.”
Jesus had come to embark on the journey of establishing the new covenant, which included giving the new wine of Holy Spirit, giving men new hearts, and new lives, and would eventually bring about the new heaven and new earth. Jesus embodied the message and principles of the new covenant. Therefore, it is not surprising that the religious leaders of Judaism had issues with Jesus draining the old wine from the old wineskins.
An orthodox interpretation of Matthew 9:17 is Jesus and the gospel are the new wine, and the old religious system of Judaism are the old wineskins. The new wineskins are the new conduct, and ideas that uphold the new wine of Jesus and the gospel. If you pour the new wine into the old wineskins they will burst.
Now, we should consider the context of Matthew 9:14-17. At the beginning of this chapter, we see three groups of people asking three questions. Each group is concerned about their wineskin and Jesus’ profound new teaching. Keep in mind, that Jesus taught with power and authority unlike the religious teachers of His day (Matt. 7:29). If these religious teachers and their teaching had been truly effective then there would have never been a need for a new covenant.
The Scribes
In Matthew 9:1-8 records Jesus healing a paralytic man. Jesus declares that the man’s sins are forgiven before He heals his body (Matt. 9:2). To Jesus, the condition of the man’s heart was of first importance. The scribes, who taught the people in the local synagogues, heard this they asked, “Who can forgive sins but God alone” (Matt. 9:3; Mark 2:6)? The old wineskin answer to that was no one. For someone to be forgiven for their sins they needed a sacrifice, an altar, a mediating priest, and for God to accept the sacrifice. But now the new wineskin answer is that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
The Pharisees
After this, Matthew 9:9-13 records Jesus calling Matthew, a tax collecting traitor, and going to his house to eat. Jesus and His disciples began to break bread with many tax collectors and sinners (Matt. 9:10). The Pharisees, leaders of the strictest form of Judaism at that time, asked, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” The Pharisees were concerned about their old wineskin coming into contact with anything that could contaminate. They were very concerned with everyone else’s spiritual well-being but their own.
Jesus used new wine to answer his skeptics: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” This new wine of an answer burst the Pharisee self-righteous wineskin.
John the Baptist’s Followers
Now, the third and final question comes from John the Baptist’s followers. The Pharisees don’t like that Jesus is eating with tax-collectors and sinners, and John’s followers don’t like that Jesus is eating at all. The Jews fasted once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). However, the Pharisees and other more aesthetic Jews would fast two days a week.
Fasting was about mourning and sorrow. However, Jesus’ answer revealed that the new wine was about joy and not mourning.
Jesus answers:
“And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.” (Matt. 9:15-16)
Patchwork
Now, this is an interesting answer. Jesus makes reference to the new wine and old wineskins. Then he follows that analogy with another concerning patchwork.
The current generation doesn’t know much about patchwork. If they tear some of their clothing chances are they just throw it away and replace it. However, many of us remember what it was like to tear something then having it patched.
Jesus wasn’t a reformer come to reform Judaism. The Jew’s faith didn’t need a reformation or patchwork. Rather, sin-torn humanity needed something new. Humanity didn’t need a patch to cover their tears and brokenness. No, they needed new hearts, new lives, new wineskins, new everything.
The Jew’s faith was threadbare and worn out. It had been torn by religious exercises that brought them no relief from their sin. Sin had rent and torn their lives.
The Pharisee’s constantly adding to the Law had brought about a friction that left man with more holes than holiness. Jesus didn’t come to mend and patch, but to make new. Jesus didn’t come to reform humanity, but to transform humanity.
Patchwork Religion
The questions concerning forgiveness, holiness, and spiritual disciplines were acceptable. Man needs forgiveness, holiness, and spiritual exercises. But, Judaism, like most religions of the world, they teach that man has to do something before their god accepts them. Christianity is unlike all other religions in that God has brought about salvation though we were undeserving:
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:6–11).
Considering that Jesus saved us, not based upon our merit, but upon His love for us, we, in turn, live for Him. Our works did not save us, but since He saved us we do good works.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8–10).
The Pharisees believed that all of their Law-keeping would gain them acceptance. However, the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22) kept the commandments and knew deep down that he was missing something. The tear in his life didn’t need a patch. It needed to be renewed. Christianity is not a patchwork religion. It is not about piecing it together in hopes that it survives another day.
Patchwork Humanity
Pastor-theologian, John MacArthur writes, “No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results. Cloth of that day was primarily wool or linen, and both would shrink when washed. If a patch of new, unshrunk, cloth is sewn on an old garment, Jesus reminded them, then the first time the garment is washed, the new patch shrinks and pulls away from the garment, making a worse tear than before.”
The world thinks that they can improve itself with patchwork:
- Exercise and diet more
- Take chemicals through drinking, needles, and pills
- Think positive
- Pursue wealth
- Educate yourself
- Do what feels good
- Have multiple relationships
These are nothing more than patches on a sin-torn life. Some may help for a time, but too much stress where the patch is applied and it will tear.
Christianity is not something stitched onto your life. Christianity pervades the entire person. Salvation touches every part of your life: heart, soul, mind, strength. Christianity isn’t a fashion statement then goes out of style. It is in season in every season of life. Finally, Christianity isn’t tacked onto to cover defects. No, salvation heals all brokenness where sin has been worn.
Jesus wants to remake, that’s the point of the regeneration. That is the New Birth experience of being born again of water and spirit (John 3:1-14).
What are you attempting to patch? A patch may work for a little while, but before long you will need new clothes. Jesus wants to make you new. Jesus wants to make old things pass away and make all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).