The Groom and the Garments

Mark • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

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Why did the Pharisees have an issue with Christ and His disciples lack of fasting? Their insistence on fasting shows that their greater insistence was on legalism and outward religion instead of grace, unmerited favor, and free forgiveness. It also shows that the cross is not an afterthought

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If you have a Bible, I invite you to open up with me to Mark 2:18-22 tonight. It’s a very interesting passage and I would say that on the surface, it may be the most difficult passage that we have looked at in out 10 weeks or so that we have been in the Gospel of Mark and that is because it is here where we will see what I and many other theologians and pastors see as the first of about 8 or 9 parables in the Gospel of Mark. If you have been in church long enough, you have probably heard the parables of Jesus before but for those who are not quite sure what a parable is, can anyone give me the answer as to what a parable is? A parable is at its simplest a story. It is a story that is designed to illustrate a spiritual or moral truth. A parable is designed to illuminate the truth in what the speaker is saying. While parable were made popular by Jesus, Jesus was not the inventor of parables. In fact, we see examples of parables in the Old Testament like when Nathan comes to rebuke David for his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12. Before we even get to the parable that we will see here in Mark 2, I want to know why you think that Jesus spoke in parables? Why does Jesus use this story telling technique to highlight the truth that He is teaching? A lot of people wondered why Jesus would speak in parables because sometimes parables are confusing. In fact, they are designed to make you think and they do not always have a cut and dry, right in your face answer. Jesus Himself gives the answer in Matthew 13:10–11 “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” Why does Jesus speak in parables then? Because for us who have had the eyes of our heart opened to the truths of the Gospel, these parables are like a sweet nectar to the soul but for those that are not saved, they have been given to remind them of their hard hearts and to show to them their spiritual blindness. The parables are given so that we may know the truth and taste the joy of Heaven. In a way, the parable that Jesus is going to tell us tonight and that He told 2,000 years ago touches on the subject of joy. Jesus is going to show us a lot in the parable and I hope that you are able to see it. What Jesus is also going to highlight in this parable is not just the joy of the Christian life but He also going to show the difference of the Christian life. I’m sure that you probably know that Christianity and Judaism are closely connected but they are not the same. We are going to see that Christianity stands out from the old ways and we are also going to see that Christianity stands out from the legalistic and moralistic way. Let’s open up in prayer and then we will dive into Mark 2:18-22

Mark 2:18–22 NASB95

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. “But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

The Bridegroom and the Cross

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to be talking about a few things that you may have heard of if you have grown up in the church but they may sound totally foreign to you if you did not grow up in the church. Next week we will be talking about the Sabbath which is a very Christian word and tonight we are going to talk about fasting. In verse 18, we saw that John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting and they come up to Jesus with a question. They ask, “Why do your disciples not fast? John’s disciples fast, the disciples of the pharisees fast, but yours don’t. Why don’t they?” Now to understand what it is they are asking, we need to know what fasting is. What does it mean to fast? Typically, fasting is associated with abstaining from or not having something for a set period of time. The most common example is abstaining from food. Maybe you go a week without eating but some people have fasted in other ways. Some people do what they call a social media or an internet fast and they avoid social media for a month or however long and these fasts served a purpose. People don’t just do them for no reason but they do them for a physical, mental, spiritual, or maybe all 3 in order to benefit themselves. Typically fasting has been done, at least for the religious, in order to focus on the spiritual. By not having certain things in your body, the intent is that the time you went spent with those things would be devoted to God and you would be reminded of just how much we rely on God to sustain us. Do you remember what Jesus said when He was hungry in the wilderness and Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread? He quoted Scripture and said that man shall not live on bread alone but on the very word of God. Fasting is a way of reminding us of that. Man may not live on this, that, or the other but will live on the very word of God. So, what is the issue that Jesus and His followers find themselves in here in Mark 2? Let’s get one thing straight right away, Jesus says nothing is sinful or wrong in fasting. In fact, as we see in verse 19, there is going to be a time where it is appropriate to fast so the issue is not with the actual act of fasting. What then is the problem that the Pharisees or whoever it is have and that Jesus is addressing? Well the problem is what has really plagued the pharisees throughout their existence and that is that they have overly inflated the meaning and value of fasting in the name of spirituality. Their thought seems to be this: If I fast more than anyone else, I must be better than everyone else. They say, “Jesus how can you claim to be this great leader if your own disciples won’t fast! Isn’t fasting important? Why don’t they do it then?” Do you see what this is? It’s legalism! It’s the attempt to add things in, even things that are good on the surface, as a requirement for obedience and not a response in obedience. Do you recognize the difference in what I am saying there? A requirement for obedience to God means that in order to be made right with God, I am required to do all of these other things in order to be obedient. It is a faith plus works mindset to salvation that we talked a little bit about 2 weeks ago. A response in obedience means that because God has saved me, because I can’t contribute anything to my salvation, because even my best deeds are dirty, sin-stained rags but I am ever thankful for what God has done, everything that I do, every way that I respond is a sign of obedience to the Lord. Not as the requirement to be savable but as a response to being saved! Tim Keller puts it in even simpler terms when he says, “Religion says, ‘I obey, therefore I am accepted.’ Christianity says, ‘I am accepted, therefore I obey.’” Those may sound like the same things but trust me those are 2 totally different things. What these people are saying to Jesus is basically: If you want to be taken seriously, if you want this claim to be a great religious teacher, you better start paying better attention to these other things. The problem here is again not that fasting is bad. We see fasting happen before the coming of Christ and we see it coming after the coming of Christ and Jesus does not invalidate fasting. The problem is that fasting became a tradition that was so interconnected with the pursuit of godliness that the pursuit of godliness replaced the pursuit of God. The greatest emphasis was on tradition instead of the God they were claiming to honor in the tradition. Nowhere in the Bible do you see it say that if we do not fast that we are sinning. It is always spoken of as a spiritual discipline and not as a sin. The problem at the time of the pharisees and really the problem that we still see in the church is that the traditions of man has replaced the authority of God’s Word. There are so many things that people claim as absolute necessities to following the Lord that are not supported in the Word of God. What’s important is that Jesus is not afraid to call the Pharisees out on what they are doing. In Matthew 15:5-9

Matthew 15:5–9 NASB95

“But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ”

It is often possible that we place such an emphasis on tradition and talk that we forget that our worship must always come from the heart before it becomes action. If we start with action but no heart, it is not true worship. Jesus understands that in order to be true followers of God, the heart must go before the hands do. If all we do is follow a man made set of instructions in the hopes that we will become more spiritual, our goal in life is not conformity to God’s standard, it becomes almost like a contest of who can on the surface appear more spiritual. Now, in God’s eyes do you think it matters to Him who looks the most spiritual? Why do you think it would not matter to Him? Because God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. Jesus I believe answers the question in that way but He also answers beyond that question and He answers by referring to a bridegroom. Now bridegroom is another word that I don’t think we use much anymore but all it means is a groom at a wedding. And the attendants of the bridegroom we can think of as the groomsmen. Now in the 1st century, weddings were still a huge deal and they lasted longer than weddings in our day do. Some weddings lasted for over a week and there was feasting and rejoicing, it was a fantastic occasion that people looked forward to. In a traditional wedding at the time of Jesus, the groomsmen would probably travel with the groom and provide for his needs, all while rejoicing in the fact that this day had come. This was such a joyous occasion that any thought of fasting at this time was totally out of the question because you might say that it was impossible in a moment of such joy to fast! The time however would eventually come when the festivities were over, the friends of the couple would go to wherever they were from, the best man and the groomsmen were no longer needed, and the married couple would often stay on their own. So, what is Jesus saying in this parable about the bridegroom and the attendants of him being unable to as long as the bridegroom is with them? Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God at this moment. He is highlighting that at this early point of His ministry, this early moment of the Kingdom of God breaking through that there is tremendous joy among His disciples. As we belong to Christ now, there is tremendous joy in knowing that our Bridegroom is with us! Daniel Akin writes, “A relationship with Jesus is not a solemn, boring affair. It is a celebration, a spiritual banquet of joy and blessing. Of course we should be holy, but we must not be somber. We should be moral but not legalistic and righteous but not stern. Why? Because there is joy in Jesus!” Now Jesus does allude to a time where it would be acceptable for the attendants of the bridegroom to fast and that is because the bridegroom had been forcibly taken away from them. What is it that you think Jesus is referencing in this? Jesus is pointing ahead to His passion and His death. He is pointing ahead to the moments where all would appear hopeless for those that have followed Him. He is pointing ahead to the time when fasting would be entirely appropriate. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the cross was not plan B, it was the entire reason why Jesus came. That is why as early as Mark 2, we see the shadow of the cross hanging over Jesus. As early as Mark 2, Christ is warning His disciples about what is to come. Later in John 16:20 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” What’s important for us all to remember is that while Jesus points ahead to the joy that would be lost at His death, that loss of joy is only temporary. How so? Because the bridegroom is in our presence!

The Joy of the Christian Life

What I want to do quickly is just talk about the joy of the Christian and the joy of the Christian life. How many of you have ever been to a wedding before? I’m sure most of you have and I am pretty sure that if you have been to one, it has at least been a relatively happy occasion, at least happier than going to a funeral. What is it that makes weddings such a time of joy? It’s a gathering of love, it’s a gathering of family, it is a time of rejoicing and a time where everything else around you, especially if you are the couple coming together seems to stop and you want to hold onto this moment forever. In a very real sense, the Christian life is just like that. Is there love in Christianity? Is there rejoicing within Christianity? Is there a coming together in a family in Christianity? Absolutely! The Christian life is so closely connected to marriage and the joy that comes from that that John in Revelation 21:1-2

Revelation 21:1–2 NASB95

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

When God makes all things new, the new Jerusalem is where God will finally dwell with man forever and we see in this verse the same sort of preparation, care, and longing that we see a picture of now as a bride waits for husband on her wedding day and with that comes to an even greater degree the joy, love, and togetherness that we see in a wedding. You see in these verses, Jesus is telling us that as long as the bridegroom is with them, those that attend to Him never have a reason not to rejoice. As long as Christ is living, there is a reason for the believer in Christ to be in a state of absolute joy. So, here is your next big question. Is Jesus alive? Because that truth is going to define whether or not joy is only a temporary mindset or it is an eternal reality. If the bridegroom is taken away totally, then there is always a necessity for fasting. But if the bridegroom remains, all that is left is for us to partake in the joy of our Master. Does that make sense? Even within the language that Jesus uses, we see hints of resurrection. It is in the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, the returning of the bridegroom where we can have absolute assurance in knowing that all sorrow will one day turn into absolute joy. It is in the resurrection where we see that one day God will finally and truly turn all mourning into dancing. I believe that we see it in what Jesus says in verses 21-22. Can someone read again Mark 2:21–22 ““No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”” In the rest of this parable, Christ’s emphasis on the new shows that Christianity cannot be shoved into a box with other religions. Christianity was not given just to be an offshoot, it was given to be something totally new and the newness emphasizes the new joy that comes from a living and relational Savior.

Christianity Cannot be Shoved into a Box

Before we close I want you all to see that what Jesus says in verses 21-22 is designed to show us that Christianity is different. Like I said, Christianity is not just a modification of Jewish thought and tradition, it is a totally new way of life. Jesus came with the new covenant. When we did communion a month or so ago do you remember what Jesus said as He passed the cup to His disciples? He said this cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. What Jesus is saying is that if all we want of Christianity is the benefits of the new covenant but we try to obtain it in the old ways, we really don’t understand it. In the analogy that Christ uses of sewing a new patch on an old garment and the garment being ruined shows that Christianity is not meant to be a band-aid to the Jewish religion. There is far too much that is greater in Christianity for it to be put back in the wineskin of the Jewish religion.

(Water cup illustration?- similar but ultimately not comparable or compatible)

James Edwards summarizes it like this: “Jesus is the new patch and the new wine. He is not an attachment, addition, or appendage to the status quo. He cannot be integrated into or contained by preexisting structures, even Judaism, Torah, and the synagogue.” What does all of this mean for you guys? It means that we all need to realize that Christianity is not just one in an endless ocean of religions it stands out above and beyond. It stands out as not just a way to Heaven but the only way to Heaven. If Christianity is true, if the joy that the Christian has as they serve the living bridegroom is real, this means that everything that we do is connected not to tradition, not to law, but to grace and reflects through joy and service to others. Can others see the joy of a risen Savior in your life? The last question that I want to ask you guys is this: Can people see something that is distinctly Christian in you or could they only see something that was spiritual or religious? Because remember, Jesus does not come just to make us religious. We can be religious in practically anything. Jesus comes to make us new and to give us joy. Jesus says in John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Jesus comes not just to give us a partial joy, an unfulfilled joy, or a joy that can be lost. He comes to give us joy upon joy that lasts now and forever. Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.

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