Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

[Illus] The first phone call I remember making was made on a rotary phone.

I still remember the 9 taking forever to rotate back so I could dial another number.

Luke 5:33

I still remember the 9 taking forever to roll back so I could dial another number.

John’s disciples fast and pray.

Not a long time later, most of us carry these smartphones in our pockets.

These smartphones have their advantages.

They’re portable.

They’re capable of a number of functions.

And some of us would say they’re indispensable.

But the old rotary phones had advantages as well.

They were simple.

They taught patience as you waited on that 9 to rotate back.

And some of us would say they were good enough.

…as you wanted on that 9 to rotate back.

But if you’ve lived the transition from rotary phone to smart phone, then you’ve likely realized something so immediately that you didn’t even process it mentally— you knew that worked with the old rotary phone wouldn’t work with the smartphone.

…as you tried to untangle the cord for the millionth time.

Although they are both phones, they are in fact completely different.

This is what we learn about the old covenant and the new in the passage before us this morning.

Because they are completely different, what worked with the Old Covenant will not work with the New Covenant.

Major Ideas

Notice first, the INQUIRY in .

Jesus was always doing something that seemed to the scribes and Pharisees strange if not sinful.

Jesus was always doing something that seemed to the scribes and Pharisees strange if not sinful.

As a faithful Jewish rabbi, it would’ve been unthinkable for Jesus to touch a leper—yet he did.

It would’ve been unthinkable for Jesus to forgive sins—yet he did.

It would’ve been unthinkable for him to call a tax collector to follow him...

…to have a party with that tax collector and all his other sinner friends...

…to feast and celebrate with them and teach his disciples to do the same.

It would’ve been unthinkable that he would allow his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath—yet he did.

And this prompted inquiries from the scribes and Pharisees...

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

“Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

We will come back to that question next week if the Lord wills, but this morning we want to look at an event that falls under the umbrella of that second question...

“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Now, however, they inquire of Jesus in a statement, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink,” (v.

33).

Make no mistake, this is an accusatory question in the same vein as any of those other hateful questions that the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus.

When they asked him about eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners in , they were questioning the company he kept.

Now in , they questioned his practice of eating and drinking (i.e., the practice of joyous celebration).

This is what they found inappropriate.

…as you tried not to cuss as

[Illus] Imagine one Pharisee looks on as Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners.

In a judgmental huff, he scoffs and says, “A faithful man of God wouldn’t joyously celebrate with such people.”

But another Pharisee (an expert in spiritual one-ups-men-ship) says, “A faithful man of God wouldn’t be joyously celebrating at all in times like these.”

But this brings up the issue of time, which Jesus bring up in this passage, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days,” (v.

35).

Days?

What days?

And if these aren’t the days for fasting, then what days are these?

Let’s think about the past, the present, and the future in relation to what we are seeing here.

In the past those who followed God were characterized by a mournful disposition.

In the past those who followed God were characterized by a mournful disposition.

When one fasted, they didn’t eat in order to humble themselves before God.

Jesus doesn’t have anything against fasting and especially praying, but the Pharisees had turned up the emphasis upon fasting to absurd level.

Although various fasts were practiced, the only fast required by the Old Covenant Law took place on the Day of Atonement—a Jewish religious feast celebrating atonement for personal and national sin.

The Pharisees added to the Law by also observing fasts on Mondays and Thursdays.

If this had been a personal practice in secret, there would’ve been no problem.

But the Pharisees wanted to make a show of their fasting.

For them it was a way of saying, “Hey everyone look at me! I’m mourning for the sins of our nation—not just on the Day of Atonement—but twice a week!”

At the present moment in this passage, however, Jesus said it was not time for mourning, but for celebrating— the Bridegroom has come!

The Bridegroom has come!

Think of a wedding—would it be appropriate for groomsmen to sing a funeral dirge when their buddy was about to say, “I do,”?

You might say, “Well, it depends on the girl he’s marrying,”—but Jesus’ point is that a wedding is an occasion for celebrating not mourning.

A wedding is marked by joy—by eating and drinking—by feasting and celebrating!

There is nowhere in the OT where the promised Messiah is referred to as the Bridegroom, but over and over again God spoke of the people of Israel as his bride.

If God spoke of Israel as his bride, and Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom, who is Jesus implying he is?

GOD!

The bridegroom has come and dwelt among us!

He lived perfectly for us!

He died sacrificially for us!

He rose triumphantly for us!

He sent his Holy Spirit to fill us!

And all who have been filled with his Spirit are a part of his bride—the bride of Christ!

So, let’s eat and drink!

Let’s celebrate!

For our bridegroom has come and he has done all things well.

[Illus] Some Christians think like the Pharisees in this passage, “Why are you smiling?

Why are you happy?

Didn’t anyone tell you, we’re not supposed to be happy if we follow Jesus!”

We are forgiven, adopted, and

Pastor R. Kent Hughes experienced a group like this in one of the churches he served.

The ringleader of the group argued that, because they Bible never mentions Jesus laughing or smiling, Christians shouldn’t be laughing or smiling either.

He said that group would just sit in church Sunday after Sunday and never smile at a joke, a warm welcome—nothing but a mean looking seriousness.

Now, let me ask you—is that right?

Is that what we’re supposed to look like as we follow Jesus?

Is that what is supposed to mark us—a mean looking seriousness?

No! We Christians should be marked by joy!

But wait, Jesus mentioned the future here as well—a time when his disciples would mourn-when they would sorrowfully fast and pray—when was that time?

Although no one knew it when Jesus said it except Jesus, refers to Jesus death on the cross and that sorrowful period of three days before Jesus was resurrected on Sunday morning.

Just as you wouldn’t mourn at a wedding, you wouldn’t celebrate at a funeral.

When Jesus died, there was no eating and drinking—no feasting and celebrating—just tears, loss of appetite, and broken-hearted prayers.

It was a time for morning.

But that morning would soon be turned to joy once again with his resurrection and ascension and sending of the Spirit!

It is the time for celebration both now and forevermore!

It is still the time for celebration

Is it wrong for us to mourn now?

How about when a loved one dies?

Of course not.

But even our mourning is colored with celebration.