The Bridegroom

Introduction

So I don't know about you but I enjoyed Christmas food this year! I am in the middle of an elimination diet and so knowing that was coming I ate well! Our lord was born so I ate like God is with us! We had prime rib and snow crab, I ate plenty of cookies, and drank lot of Chocolate milk and Coke with my family. We over the period of December ate lots of pasta and just enjoyed ourselves.

I had been studying the diet I am on for a while just to see what I could and couldn't do.

When in the presence of Jesus we must celebrate! We must act like the new creatures we are, we cannot go back.

Fasting vs. Celebrating (18)

Right off the bat Mark keeps up his story of Jesus and the Pharisees battling each other! First they had come after him for eating with Sinners and now they couldn't understand what he didn’t fast!

Fasting -

The Mosaic law requires only one fast annually, on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29–31; see Acts 27:9, which calls this day “the Fast”). Nevertheless, as a sign of contrition and penitence associated with prayer, fasting was a part of OT piety from the time of the judges (Judg. 20:26; 1 Kin. 21:27), sometimes becoming an empty ritual (Is. 58:3). The Pharisees and their adherents apparently fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). Since the message of John the Baptist centered on repentance (Matt. 3:11), fasting was appropriate for his disciples. Jesus, whose own message included repentance, does not insist upon fasting as a constant practice, but does instruct His disciples about the proper spirit in which to fast (Matt. 6:16–18).

Sproul, R. C., ed. 2015. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

What had occurred was as the Pharisee had come to some cultural prominence they started a cultural rule of fasting. Jesus didn't participate. The Day of Atonement that required fasting had been fulfilled with the very person who was the atonement for the sins of men.

Jesus said that the disciples of his must enjoy the wedding the culmination of his being with them. How could they mourn, when the presence of Christ is a celebration?

I was listening to a podcast this week and one of the comments was that what you can and cannot eat is actually a form of religion. Many religions restrict your diet as a form of showing faith.

The Jews had to fast on the day of atonement, they couldn't eat anything unclean, they still practice that today, the Muslims can't eat pork, the Hindus can't eat beef, and the Mormons can't consume tea, coffee, and alcohol.

Now you may recall one of the awesome sections of scripture acts 10 specifically verse 13

Acts 10:13 (ESV)

13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

They were calling on him to fast because that was their practice, but that was the old way, which was fulfilled in the very person of Jesus.

Fasting and Feasting today:

We live in the era were we can now fast as we wait for the Lord's return

Acts 13:1–3 (ESV)

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

It was used as a form of worship, so you can devote time to fast to worship!

Acts 14:23 (ESV)

23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

We also can also do as the puritans did make a big deal of the resurrection of Christ, we can feast like the attenders at this wedding. I know of families that every Lord's day have a huge Sunday Sabbath feast for dinner. They pull out the stops to make Sunday special as it is the day we must remember that our Lord resurrected on. Sunday is our constant Holy Day, our weekly wedding and so we must remember to celebrate the Lord well that day!

Jesus The Bridegroom (19)

As we look at the person of Jesus through Mark's perspective we Learn about him. Jesus in this interaction with the Pharisees call himself the bridegroom. Now this is important because Jesus is making a divinity claim in this situation.

I can remember people wrongly saying that no-where in the Bible does Jesus say I am God. Now if you're looking for that exact phrase, then I suppose you are correct. Then again the Bible wasn't written in English in the first place so that statement is wrong at start.

Jesus is indeed the God man. In v.19 when he refers to himself as the bridegroom we have to take into context how else this idea has been used in the Bible.

In the OT God refers to himself as the Bridegroom or husband of Israel.

Jeremiah 3:14 (NKJV)

14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Ezekiel 16:1–14 (NKJV)

God’s Love for Jerusalem

16 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.

6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD.

9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord GOD.

This language as you can see is very important! Jesus has come to bring a bride unto himself to fulfill the scripture. Hosea records this:

Hosea 2:14–20 (NKJV)

God’s Mercy on His People

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her.

15 I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

16 “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’

17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, And they shall be remembered by their name no more.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely.

19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy;

20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD.

So when we see this title, we have a God who is actively come to restore us to himself. He is the Bridegroom who has come to redeem the bride, that is the church. This is a title of a God who is trustworthy.

When I read to you the nature of the Bride in the OT, we in our age are not different. Jesus find's you and I in a mess. We are stock on ourselves and he still comes. It's a cause to celebrate. God found you and I, rotten sinners and still saved us. Just like Levi and sinners God still came to save us.

This is the love of God for us, he sees us for who we are and still sent his son to die. The Bridegroom loves the church his bride. So he is here to pull us out of the mire of our self-worship our inevitable self-destruction, and he takes that destruction unto himself.

Note to the husbands in the room; one of my favorite pastors Douglas Wilson describes masculinity this way:

"masculinity is the glad assumption of the sacrificial responsibilities that God assigned to men."

Do you men create a glad an joyous environment like our God says he does when at a wedding? Does your wife and children know that you will sacrifice with a steely determination in your eyes? Are you in your commitments like Jesus who looks to Jerusalem knowing that Going their will mean his death?

This is the Bridegroom, this is who we're to be like, all of us. When we are like Jesus and we act as he, it makes everything better.

Jesus the Bridegroom taken away (20)

Crucifixion

Verse 20 has an interesting structure that we need to point out, "The Bridegroom is taken away from them." This contains the idea that some come and take Jesus. Given the context of fasting being related to mourning and that his being taken away leads to mourning Jesus is referring to his future crucifixion. So while he walked with them the disciples are celebrating, soon they will not.

Jesus was referring to his mission, He is connected his divinity to his crucifixion.

(Give the gospel)

Soon we will have another wedding feast:

Revelation 19:9 (ESV)

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

The gifts of that wedding will be marvelous:

Revelation 21:1–5 (ESV)

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

(Expand briefly on these above ideas)

Again do you know the Bridegroom today?

Wine Skins and You (21,22)

For Christmas This year I bought Alaina a Sourdough kit, we named it Bubbles. It's like the world must useful pet. Sourdough eats flour and water and creates dough. You can use the discard to make pancakes biscuits rolls, cinnamon rolls, crackers, and many other things. The yeast expands over time filling up the crock, all it needs is more flour and water and you get more really tasty food.

When it came to wine they would put new wine into new wine skins like Jesus says. You have to remember that Jesus was speaking to a primarily Agricultural Society. So when Jesus uses the illustration of wine and wine skins the people would have been very familiar with it. Just like my wife's sourdough, new wine ferments. Traditionally they'd put new wine in goats skin and let it ferment in the goat skin. The wineskin would being new stretch with the fermentation of the wine, just like how the sourdough in my wife's crock expands and takes up more room in it before she harvest some to make bread. If you put new wine into an old wineskin that wine skin will pop and you'll have a mess everywhere and the wine and the skin is destroyed and wasted. If you're following me here what's happened is the old wineskin is already stretched to its maximum, it cannot stretch any further when you fill up an old ones can with new wine the new wine will ferment an already stretched wine skin and destroy it.

Jesus came and because of his coming the old actions of the Pharisees and the disciples of John aren't going to work. Jesus wasn't condemning the law of the Old Testament what he was condemning were the traditions that had developed by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. When Jesus uses the word bridegroom what he means is essentially the king is here and you must worship and deal with this king in new ways. The Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes wouldn't be able to worship their king using the old structures.

If you take into account who mark is writing to, a gentile audience, what he's saying is the Jewish methods of worship, the traditions and so on are not applicable or useful to gentile Christians.

Jesus used this as an illustration to teach that the forms of old rituals, such as the ceremonial fastings practiced by the Pharisees and John’s disciples, were not fit for the new wine of the New Covenant era (cf. Col. 2:17). In both analogies (vv. 16, 17), the Lord was saying that what the Pharisees did in fasting or any other ritual had no part with the gospel.

MacArthur, John, Jr., ed. 1997. The MacArthur Study Bible. Electronic ed. Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

This is important for us because we need to take stock on our actions and see if we're smuggling in actions that aren't befitting of Christ in our daily walk with the Lord.

Some questions for you?

Are you from previous sins or commitments acting the pharisee when you should be celebrating the Lord?

In your family, are you setting up structures that are works based we've always done it this way based, instead of grace based? You earn this by doing that? You must do this?

In your family are you putting gates before God in your home? Fasting was done in a time of mourning, is your faith one of mourning instead of celebration of what God has done?

Do you show the goodness of Christ or is it about the things you do for him, others, or the world? When you make your service of God which is a good thing into your actual God the God of self?

The sin of the Pharisees was they made gods of their actions, thereby making an idol how about you?