Give Me Jesus: The New Wine of Jesus: Mark 2:28-3:6

I. Jesus Brings Joy vs. 18-20

A. In the law it was required that you fast only 1 day a year. The day of atonement.

Leviticus 16:29–31 NASB95

“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord. “It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.

B. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees said that godly people fasted twice a week (Mondays and Thursday). They had made religion a solemn, joyless affair. The Pharisees put dirt on their heads and wore sack cloth so everyone knew they were fasting. (Jessica and Sara fasting ex)

Matthew 6:16–18 NASB95

“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

C. In those days a wedding was all about the groom. Instead of a honeymoon they had a week long feast. The attendants of the bridegroom (as well as the bride and groom themselves) were exempt from religious activity that did not produce joy. What Jesus is saying, is that He brings joy, not gloom and doom. At that point there was no need for fasting, at His crucifixion there would be plenty of time for fasting, since fasting in Judaism was a symbol of mourning.

II. Jesus Brings Freedom vs. 21-28

A. Jesus’ second parable takes us deeper into the division between the Pharisees religion, and a relationship with God Himself. Because religion distorts the word, while a relationship depends on the word.

B. A new patch will cause a bigger tear, if you implement something new, into old unbiblical beliefs will have to give way.

C. “ In ancient culture, the skins of goats were stripped off as nearly whole as possible and partly tanned, so they could be filled with new wine. Their natural elasticity and strength would allow the fermenting new wine to expand. However, if new wine was put into old wineskins, their brittle, inflexible condition would cause them to burst and both wine and wineskins.would be lost. The new life that Christ brings is expanding.”- R. Kent Hughes. As you grow in Christ, you will follow the Bible, instead of unbiblical traditions. It will stretch you, and cause problems with the ungodly religious people.

D. The Pharisees were trying to accuse Jesus’ disciples of working on the Sabbath. They conveniently forgot that the law required a sickle, and/or a basket.

Deuteronomy 23:24–25 NASB95

“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket. “When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.

E. Jesus tells them, that it is okay to do what is necessary on the Sabbath. They couldn’t argue with scripture since scripture doesn’t David for eating in I Sam. 21.

F. Not only that, but that the Sabbath was made for man to rest, not for them to be scared of making a wrong move.

G. For Jesus to claim to be the Lord of the Sabbath, was claiming to be the Messiah. It was a slap in the face of the Pharisees, because He is rightly accusing them of arguing Scripture with God Himself! Jesus is also saying that He is above the Pharisaical regulations and is restoring Yahweh’s original intent for the Sabbath. (Movements to return to the word [The Reformation; the Weasleys etc])

III. Jesus Brings Healing: 3:1-6

A. After the confrontation with the Pharisees on the way to the synagogue, Jesus enters into the synagogue to find a crippled man, who was probably a plant by the Pharisees, since they were waiting to accuse Jesus.

B. Jesus uses an old Middle-Eastern custom of using two opposite extremes to get a point across. They kept silent because they knew if they answered, they would be seen as cruel.

C. The word for anger here doesn’t mean to hold a grudge, but a flash in the pan. The word for grieved means it was continual. Meaning Jesus is angry at the Pharisees, while being continually grieved at the Pharisees lost condition.

D. Jesus heals the man, and makes fools of the Pharisees. Many people have been hurt in the name of God and religion. Jesus brings healing and freedom from religion. It’s a process. (Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast ex).

E. This causes the Pharisees to side with the Herodians (a group that mutually hated each other) to seek to kill Jesus. Religious people try to destroy anyone who challenges their beliefs.

“Because of these two incidents, both pertaining to the Sabbath Day, these bloodhounds of hate got on His trail and they never let up until they folded their arms beneath the Cross of Christ”- J. Vernon Mcgee