FASTING (JD message)

Feasting on Grace: The True Heart of Fasting

Summary: Fasting is often misunderstood as merely abstaining from food, but it is a powerful opportunity to reorient our hearts towards God, allowing His grace to fill the voids we try to fill with earthly things.

Application: This sermon can help Christians recognize that fasting is not about self-denial for its own sake, but about seeking a deeper relationship with God, leading to spiritual renewal in their daily life, particularly in moments of anxiety or distraction.

Teaching: Fasting is a form of spiritual discipline that invites believers to draw near to God, fostering dependency on Him as our source of strength and nourishment, transforming our hunger for food into a hunger for the things of God.

How this passage could point to Christ: Fasting ultimately points to Christ, who is the Bread of Life. Our fasting leads us to a greater understanding of our need for Him, echoing the theme of Christ’s provision in the wilderness and His invitation to find satisfaction in Him.

Big Idea: Fasting is an invitation to experience God’s grace in the midst of our hunger, teaching us that true fulfillment comes not from food, but from a vibrant relationship with Christ.

Recommended Study: You might look into the theological implications of fasting across the Scriptures and its relationship to grace, using Logos to study key passages like John 6:35 alongside Isaiah 55:1-2 to see how they address spiritual hunger. Also, consider exploring commentaries on fasting practices in both the Old and New Testaments to understand the shift in focus from ritual to heartfelt devotion.

1. Fasting for Freedom

Isaiah 58:6-7

You could highlight how God defines the true fast as one that results in justice, liberation, and charity, rather than mere abstention from food. Emphasize that true fasting aligns our hearts with God's will, encouraging us to act as vessels of His grace. This section could challenge the audience to rethink how fasting can make them more responsive to the needs of others, thereby receiving and sharing God's grace.

2. Fasting with Sincerity

Matthew 6:16-18

Perhaps stress the importance of sincere intent in fasting, warning against doing it for show. Jesus' teaching redirects focus away from external appearances to the internal longing for God's presence. Encourage listeners to fast in secret with a pure heart, seeking God's approval over human praise, reinforcing that true fulfillment comes from a personal relationship with Christ, the source of all grace.

3. Fasting for Fulfillment

John 6:35

Maybe explore how Christ as the Bread of Life provides the ultimate sustenance, making fasting an act of drawing closer to Him who fulfills our every need. Discuss how earthly hunger during fasting symbolizes our deeper hunger for spiritual connection and how Jesus promises to satisfy this yearning. This point could urge the audience to recognize that Christ fulfills all that they need, replacing physical hunger with spiritual fulfillment.

Hunger for God: The Power of Fasting

Summary: Fasting is a spiritual discipline that deepens our relationship with God, teaches us humility, and shifts our focus from worldly needs to divine provision.

Application: This sermon can encourage Christians to view fasting not merely as a dietary choice but as a meaningful way to seek God’s presence and guidance in their lives, especially in times of struggle or decision-making.

Teaching: Fasting is a biblically grounded practice that involves willingly abstaining from food or other comforts for a period of time with the intention of spiritual growth, prayer, and self-discipline.

How this passage could point to Christ: Fasting points to the ultimate hunger for true spiritual fulfillment found in Christ, who Himself often withdrew to pray and fast, showing us the way to a deeper communion with God.

Big Idea: Fasting is not about hunger for food; it’s about a deep, soul-hunger for God and His presence in our lives.

Recommended Study: Consider exploring the biblical basis for fasting in the Old Testament and New Testament, using your Logos library to delve into key passages like Matthew 6:16-18 and Isaiah 58, while also examining historical practices of fasting in the early church. Pay attention to interpretive issues surrounding the motives for fasting and the implications of Jesus' fasting in the wilderness.

1. Sincere Seeking of God

Matthew 6:16-18

You could explain how Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, addresses the proper attitude towards fasting. It’s not about public showmanship but about sincere devotion. Fasting is a personal act of humility before God, highlighting the need for prayer and reflection. This passage serves as a tangible way Christians can reorient their focus from worldly approval to seeking God's will, mirroring Christ's own withdrawal for spiritual sustenance.

2. Sacred Service through Fasting

Isaiah 58:6-9

Perhaps, this passage reveals the transformative power of true fasting that God desires—a fasting that leads to justice and liberation rather than ritualistic abstinence. It calls believers to examine their motives, stressing that fasting should foster compassion and active service. This section powerfully ties in with Christ’s call for love and justice, encouraging Christians to align their fasting with God's heart for mercy and righteousness.

3. Strength in the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-2

Maybe discuss Jesus' 40-day fast in the wilderness as an example of spiritual preparation and reliance on God's word. Jesus models how fasting can strengthen our resolve against temptation and clarify God’s mission for us. Through Christ’s obedient fasting, we see the ultimate expression of trusting God for our deepest needs, reinforcing a commitment to God's calling over carnal desires.

VERSES:

2 Sam 12:16David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

1 Kings 21:9And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.

1 Kings 21:12they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.

2 Chron 20:3Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Ezra 8:21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

Neh 9:1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.

Esther 4:3And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 9:31that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting.

Ps 35:13But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.

Ps 69:10When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.

Ps 109:24My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.

Isa 58:3‘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.

Isa 58:5Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?

Isa 58:6“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Jer 36:6so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities.

Jer 36:9In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.

Dan 9:3Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Joel 1:14Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 2:12“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

Joel 2:15Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;

Jonah 3:5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Zech 8:19“Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

Luke 2:37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

Acts 14:23And 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.

2 Cor 11:27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Fast, Fasting. Eating sparingly or abstaining from food altogether, either from necessity or desire. In medical terms, fasting is the detoxification of the body through the restriction of food. Spiritual fasting entails setting aside activities as well as reducing the intake of food and replacing these activities with the exercise of prayer and preoccupation with spiritual concerns. The NT word which is translated “fasting” literally means one who has not eaten, one who is empty. Three types of fast are generally recognized: normal, in which there is no intake of food for a prescribed period of time, though there may be an intake of liquids; partial, in which the diet is limited, though some food is allowed; and absolute, in which there is a total abstinence from food and liquids in all forms. 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. Regular fasts were usually for one day, morning to evening, with food permitted at night (Jgs 20:26; 1 Sm 14:24; 2 Sm 1:12), although there are reports of longer fasts, such as Mordecai’s call for a 3-day fast (night and day specified) (Est 4:16) and the 7-day fast at Saul’s death (1 Sm 31:13; 2 Sm 3:35). Among special fasts were Moses’ 40 days on Mt Sinai (Ex 34:28) and Daniel’s 3-week fast prior to receiving visions (Dn 9:3; 10:3, 12). In general, in the OT, fasting was abused. Instead of a sincere act of self-renunciation and submission to God, fasting became externalized as an empty ritual in which a pretense of piety was presented as a public image. Hence, the prophets cry out against the callousness of such hypocrisy. Jeremiah records Yahweh as saying, “Though they fast, I will not hear their cry” (14:12; see Is 58:1–10.). 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, even though it was largely still ritualistic. Vows were confirmed by fasting (Tob 7:12), remorse and penitence were accompanied by fasting (4 Esd 10:4), and prayer was supported by fasting (1 Mc 3:47). Special fast days were observed, some voluntarily imposed (2 Mc 13:12; 4 Esd 5:13). This developed into a rabbinic tradition in which fasting was viewed as meritorious and therefore became the primary act of demonstrating piety. It was, however, a false piety consisting mostly in the externals of fastidious observance of fast days, both public and private. With the exception of ascetic groups such as the disciples of John the Baptist, 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. Jesus’ understanding of fasting is significant in that it represents a shift in the role of fasting. His initial attitude undoubtedly reflected the fact that he grew up participating in the regular fasts and therefore shared the prevailing teachings of his day. Yet, his mature teaching about fasting breaks with the rabbinic tradition. Two accounts relating to Jesus and fasting are important: his fast as a part of his temptation in the wilderness (Mt 4:2; Lk 4:2), and his teaching about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:16–18). His temptation was born out of the context of struggle. Immediately after his baptism, he was cast out into the wilderness by the Spirit to face as the Second Adam the temptation of Satan. In the midst of his temptation, he fasted and prayed, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 and Psalm 91:11, 12. His fasting is associated with dependence upon God. Jesus’ words about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount constitute a radically different approach to voluntary fasting. In condemning the type of fasting which seeks favor with men by an ostentatious display of outward piety, Jesus taught instead a robust faith that sought genuineness of relation to God through a pure heart. Jesus does not condemn fasting as such, nor does he forbid it. He does, however, give it a new meaning. Fasting is service to God. This new understanding of fasting is set within the context of the dawning of the time of salvation. The bridegroom is here. It is a time of joy, not of sorrow. Consequently, the prevailing mood of fasting as mournful stress and pretended piety is inconsistent with the mood of the new age that has begun. Jesus’ teachings may be summarized: Fasting is transcended by the beginning of the eschatological times. The rule of the Messiah has broken the power of the evil age. Fasting would appear to be no longer consistent with the spirit of thanksgiving and joy that marks the framework of the new age, since the Christian life is not to be dominated by tragedy but by joy and happiness. Yet, the kingdom is not fully realized. There is a place for fasting, properly understood. Fasting must be done within the context of the joyful thanksgiving of the new life in Christ. The context of fasting is prayer. It should conform to the same conditions as prayer: unostentatious quietness before God, arising out of gratitude, expressing thanksgiving, grounded in faith, as a means of spiritual growth.

Clarence B. Bass, “Fast, Fasting,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 780–781.

‘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. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 58:3–7.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 4:1–11.

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.’ ”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 5:33–39.

Prayers belong strictly to the worship of God. Fasting is a subordinate aid, which is pleasing to God no farther than as it aids the earnestness and fervency of prayer. We must hold by this rule, that the duties of men are to be judged according as they are directed to a proper and lawful end. We must hold, also, by this distinction, that prayers are a direct worship of God; while fastings are a part of worship only on account of their consequences. [Fasting] is not … approved by God except for its end; it must be connected with something else, otherwise it is a vain thing. Men, by private fastings, prepare themselves for the exercise of prayer, or they mortify their own flesh, or seek a remedy for some hidden vices. - John Calvin