Luke 5:33-35 (3)
The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 60 viewsIt would have been inappropriate for Jesus' disciples to have gone about in mourning while he was with them. What about us today?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
-Invite to turn to Luke 5:33.
-Last week we read about:
The calling of Matthew to discipleship.
-We learned what that meant for him (personally)...
Turning from his lucrative:
Vocation, and
Lifestyle...
…and following after Christ wherever he went:
Learning from him,
Emulating him,
Obeying his commands.
-We also saw how Joyfully Matthew had complied to Christ’s command:
He threw a great celebratory feast...
Invited his friends!
-But the scribes and Pharisees were scandalized by all of this.
And in response to their grumbling...
…Jesus explained to them that:
He had not come to gather to himself the outwardly righteous...
But, that he had come to call sinners to himself...
…and make them inwardly righteous through repentance!
-What happens in our verses this morning...
…is connected to these events...
…in all 3 of the synoptic gospels.
But, This time, the malcontents graduate from:
Questioning in their hearts (Verse 21), and from..
Grumbling at his disciples (verse 30), to...
(Finally) Questioning Jesus to his face!
And He responds to them with:
an illustration,
two metaphors,
and something of an enigmatic proverb.
In these:
His surpassing wisdom is displayed, and
Great truths are proclaimed...
…which help to place his first advent...
…into its proper eschatological framework.
(i.e., What was ending, and what was beginning)
(and perhaps something of how they overlap)
-Because of our time restraints this morning:
We’re going to read down to verse 39,
but only work our way through verse 35 .
We’re going to focus entirely on the illustration.
Lord Willing, we’ll cover the rest next week.
Read Luke 5:33-39
Luke 5:33–39 (ESV)
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.”
34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”
36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.
37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.
38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”
Click Off
Pray
6 minutes
Verse 33:
-Notice that Luke begins verse 33...
…by telling us that a group that he refers to as “they”...
…brings what appears to be...
…something of an indictment...
...against Jesus’ disciples.
So, Who is He is referring to?
-Well, he doesn’t tell us that specifically.
The immediate context seems to indicate:
The scribes,
Pharisees...
…were the questioners.
And, it would certainly appear that they were involved, but:
Matthew specifies:
Disciples of John the Baptist
Mark:
seems to broaden the scope out even further.
He refers to the questioners simply as “people.”
So, it would appear...
…that at least two different groups...
(if not more)
…had an interest in hearing Jesus’ response to this indictment.
I believe that is because these groups...
(while distinct in many tertiary ways)
…were in the same boat on a fundamental level.
-And while they were often at odds with each other...
…there were some basic unifying principles...
…that they fervently shared.
-And it is these similarities with each other...
…that marked their distinction from:
the disciples of Christ!
The question they ask...
…is a perfect illustration of it.
(3 minutes, 9 total)
Let’s read it again (verse 33)
Luke 5:33 (ESV)
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees...
Click Off
So, the subject is:
The behavior of one’s disciples.
-The disciples of the Pharisees...
-The disciples of John the Baptist...
…are said to:
“Fast often”
And in so doing:
“make frequent supplications” to God.
These men were ascetics:
Ascetics: those who refrain from fun and pleasure for religious reasons. - “EFY Commentary”
Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand...
…had just been feasting with Matthew and his friends.
Hence, these questioners point out this notable contrast:
Luke 5:33 (ESV)
33...but yours eat and drink.”
Click Off
-Now, in order to properly understand this passage...
…I believe it’s necessary that we understand:
The origin, and
evolution of...
fasting......
…within the context of Old Testament Judaism.
-It may surprise you to hear...
…that the Jews were only required...
...by the Law of Moses...
To fast:
ONCE A YEAR!
It was on the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:29–31 (ESV)
29 “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.
30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.
31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.
Click Off
-This was (perhaps) the most solemn of all days.
-The day that:
...The people appeared before God...
(Through their mediator)
...Afflicting themselves as a sign of their contrition...
…and pleading with the Lord...
…that he would accept the substitute being offered...
…in their place...
…in order that the judgment of their sins...
…would not be poured out upon their own heads.
Once a year
It was mandatory
And under the most serious of circumstances!
Mike McKinley explains somewhat succinctly:
Fasting was a sign both of mourning (whether for sin or painful circumstances) and also hopeful dissatisfaction with the present state of things - Mike McKinley
So, you can begin to understand why this was a prerequisite for atonement
(Keep this in mind)
-The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible...
...tells us something of its evolution:
In the OT the fast was regarded as an act of self-renunciation designed to mollify God’s wrath and move him to act in gracious disposition.
In times of emergency, the people fasted to persuade God to spare them from impending calamity (Jgs 20:26; 1 Sm 7:6; 1 Kgs 21:9; 2 Chr 20:3; Jer 36:6, 9).
Individuals fasted in the hope that God would liberate them from trouble (2 Sm 12:16–20; 1 Kgs 21:27; Pss 35:13; 69:10).
Fasting was regarded as concomitant to prayer to assure that God would answer the prayers (Ezr 8:21; Neh 1:4; Jer 14:12).
Throughout the OT, fasting is associated with a mournful attitude of importuning God to aid the supplicant. - BEB
-Notice something of the “cause and effect” nature of fasting...
…in all of those examples.
-But by the time we get to the first century A.D...
…we read things like this:
Luke 18:12 (ESV)
12 I fast twice a week;...
Every Monday and Thursday they “afflicted themselves”...
…regardless of their circumstances.
-Seems like superlative piety, right?
Only once a year was required...
but the Pharisees did it twice a week!
I would argue the opposite is true
-What you actually have is a de facto impiety developing.
-It had gone from being a matter of the heart...
(Something done in exigent circumstances)
…to something done pretentiously
(Done for show)
That’s why we see God’s disdain for their fasting...
…being stated over and over again through the prophets:
Isaiah 58:3–7 (ESV)
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
-Here’s the point:
Proverbs 28:9 (ESV)
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
-It’s spelled out in:
Isaiah 1:13–17 (ESV)
13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
We see the same picture in the 1st Century:
Mark 12:38–40 (ESV)
38 ...“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces
39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,
40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
-Remember Jesus’ admonishment in the S.O.M.?
Matthew 6:16–18 (ESV)
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
(12 minutes, 21 total)
Baker’s, again, helps us to better understand...
…the need for these corrections:
The setting for the NT understanding of fasting lies in the development of the rabbinic tradition that grew out of the period between the Testaments, during which fasting became the distinguishing mark of the pious Jew...
This developed into a rabbinic tradition in which fasting was viewed as meritorious and therefore became the primary act of demonstrating piety...
the prevailing mood of fasting when Jesus appeared on the scene was one of mournful sadness, an obligatory necessity, a self-imposed requirement to produce the discipline of self-denial. - Baker’s Encyclopedia
Click Off
-So, hopefully, with all of this backdrop in mind...
…we can better relate to their questioning.
-From their perspective:
Why does this:
Pious, religious figure...
…Not teach his disciples to inflict themselves in order to...
…comply with these universally accepted notions of proper piety?
(2 minutes, 23 total)
Jesus answers them with a simple illustration in verse 34:
Luke 5:34 (ESV)
34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
-Matthew’s account helps us to better understand...
...the contrast being made here:
Matthew 9:15 (ESV)
15 ...“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?...
Again, we need to understand the historical context...
…in order to properly understand the implication.
The REC explains:
Jesus makes the comparison here because weddings were made to celebrate.
They call for special arrangements: fancy clothes, good food, and fine wine.
In those days, the party went on for a full week, as family and friends ate and drank to the joy of the happy couple.
But one thing no one ever did at a wedding was to fast.
Not even the Pharisees, for all their fascination with fasting, would miss out on a good wedding reception.
As it is said in one of the rabbinical writings, “All in attendance on the bridegroom are relieved of all religious observances which would lessen their joy.” - Reformed Expository Commentary
Click Off
So, do you see what he’s getting at?
-Jesus is the bridegroom.
He’s come to collect his bride...
…in preparation for the wedding feast.
His disciples are his groomsmen.
They’re the ones who will help him to...
get things in order for the ceremony.
-The marriage proceedings have begun!
This is a time for Joy!
Not mourning!
-Now, this marriage was pre-arranged long ago:
Hosea 2:19–20 (ESV)
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
-This is what Christ’s disciples were laboring in anticipation of.
In Revelation 19, we see the fruit of their labors...
…coming to fruition at the marriage ceremony:
Revelation 19:6–9 (ESV)
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”...
Click Off
This is what had begun when the bridegroom...
…had left his Father’s house...
…and had come to the earth...
…to call his friends together...
…in order that he might receive his bride!
How dare they mourn!!!
-But… There’s something of a problem presented...
…in those eschatological texts we read.
-In order for Christ to marry His Bride...
…She must be pure!
And We just saw last week...
…that no one is!
So, how is this resolved?
Well, the solution is latent within in verse 35.
(6 minutes, 29 total)
Jesus says
Luke 5:35 (ESV)
35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”
Click Off
Now, you may say:
“How is that a solution?”
“All that is saying is that Jesus is going to be taken away from them...
…and that, that, will give them warrant to mourn, right?”
Yes! Exactly!
And therein lies the solution!
Therein lies the means through which...
Christ is able to receive his bride...
In purity,
Chastity,
Righteousness!
Philip Ryken explains:
Jesus was referring specifically to his death.
The word for “taken away” (aparthē) indicates an act of violence. This was the first hint Jesus gave that he would suffer “a violent removal by death.”
It meant that his disciples would not feast forever. The time would come for them to fast.
He would be taken away. Then the disciples would fast, not as an exhibition of their piety, but as an expression of their grief. - Ryken
How is this a solution?
Because He was:
Romans 4:25 (ESV)
25 ...delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
He was taken away to the slaughter...
…in our stead!
He summarizes this time of transition in:
John 16:20–23 (ESV)
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Click Off
You see, Christ would be carried outside the camp and killed.
This would bring a time of appropriate mourning for his followers.
-But he would raise from the dead...
...And once again restore their cause for celebration!
So...
Where does that leave us today?
-Are we feasters?
-Or are we fasters?
We are both!
Our Lord has returned to heaven until...
Acts 3:20–21 (ESV)
20 ...times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...
21...until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Click Off
In that, he is absent.
In that we fast:
We long
We wait
We anticipate
We supplicate.
-But brethren, He gave us some very great and precious promises before he left:
John 14:18 (ESV)
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 ...behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Click Off
How is this true if he is enthroned in heaven...
…and we are here on earth?
-This is another aspect of the mystery of the:
Already
Not Yet!
Christ has purchased and purified his bride.
She is wed to him in inseparable union.
-Yet, they are apart...
…and long for the fullness of their union...
…when He returns to receive her...
…into the home that he has gone to prepare for her!
-But She is not widowed by His absence...
…she remains firmly betrothed...
…and His Spirit occupies the deep recesses of her heart and soul!
That’s what Jesus promised:
John 14:16–17 (ESV)
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Click Off
His Spirit abides with us!
-In that, He is present.
And in that, we feast!
Ask Elders to come up
-The Lord’s Table is yet another example of the tension between:
The Already
The Not Yet
How so?
-We feast at the table of God… Now!
-We’re a part of his household… Now!
In this it is a riotous celebration!
-But it also anticipates that greater day of feasting...
…that we read about in Revelation 19.
That day when:
Our salvation will be complete
Our union will be fully consummated
In this, it is a time of:
Eager longing,
Sober reflection...
…as we contemplate:
The perfections of our Beloved,
The stipulations of our betrothal...
…the necessity of our fidelity to Him...
…while we wait.
, would you please ask the Lord to help us to...
Celebrate...
with reverence and sobriety
And to:
Feast...
with fasting in our hearts?
Go Down
Luke 22:19 (ESV)
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Matthew 26:27–28 (ESV)
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.