Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Kingdom of heaven imagery - ‘is like’ a mustard seed, treasure, leaven in flour.

Not is, but is like - the kingdom of heaven is a great mystery.

How do we recognize the kingdom of heaven?

Well to tell us about the kingdom of heaven, Jesus uses parables.

He compares and contrasts the common values of society to how the kingdom of heaven works.

Kingdom of heaven = kingdom of God.

The kingdom of heaven is God’s reign (perfect will) coming to earth as it already is in heaven.

We are going to look at about 30 parables that Jesus uses to teach us about the Kingdom.

About the first 8 parables we will look introduce the kingdom and our theme for these is, “The Kingdom Takes Root”

Today we want to look at an early parable, one that ‘sets the tone’ for His kingdom: New Cloth and New Bottles

Matt, Mark 2:18-22, and Luke 5:33-39

1. Fasting or Feasting

A. The Tradition of Fasting

Here we see the disciples of John and the Pharisees with a common question about an observance.

Fasting.

Pharisees arose around the time of the Maccabean Revolt in 168 BC.

Their name means separated one or holy ones.

Opposed to Hellenism - the tendency to accommodate Jewish life to Greco-Roman ideals.

Stood on the Rock of the Torah - not a political party - as long as they could pursue Torah observance.

High ideals - extremely influential with the common people.

They were the authorized successors of the Torah.

Here Jesus and his followers are compared to others on the area of fasting.

Three pillars of Judaism were prayer, alms-giving, and fasting.

They normally fasted on Mondays and Thursdays (Luke 18:12) - religious commitment, sign of atonement of sin and humiliation and penitence.

Law only required fasting on Day of Atonement.

Jesus’ continual debate with the Pharisees was primarily over tradition - they overvalued the letter and the oral tradition and undervalued the intent of the law.

The religious leaders objected that Jesus’ disciples were feasting instead of fasting, thereby contrasting Jesus’ ministry with John’s.

John was most likely subject to a Nazirite vow, which involved abstinence from the fruit of the vine.

John had grown up in the wilderness and developed an ascetic lifestyle with a limited diet consisting of locusts and wild honey.

By contrast, Jesus attended banquets, and his disciples enjoyed a freedom not found in circles associated with John the Baptist or the Pharisees.

While Jesus sometimes fasted in private and recognized the spiritual value of fasting as a voluntary matter in a time of special need (4:2; cf.

Matt 4:2; 6:16–18), he strongly opposed fasting as a legalistic practice or a showy form of piety.

Well as Baptists, we always think it’s time to feast!

B. The Celebration of Feasting

Jesus gives the picture of a wedding feast - this imagery radically alters the challenge to his authority - no complaint with fasting - the difference between Jesus and the others pertains to an attitude toward his ministry.

Wedding is not the time to abstain but to enjoy, celebrate, rather than fast.

Interesting imagery because in the OT, the Messiah is never presented as a bridegroom - but Israel’s husband is not the Messiah but God.

(Is 5:1; 54:5-6; 62:4-5; Eze 16:6-8; Hos 2:19).

Jesus has divine authority over demons and to forgive sins - the imagery of the bridegroom is imagery of the person of God himself.

Jesus is giving us an early insight to His kingdom - the kingdom is one of joy.

The kingdom is a time of rejoicing and the marriage of the bridegroom would be a time of feasting!

C. The Dramatic Interruption

“…but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they shall fast.”

Bridegroom taken from them - abrupt, unusual for a wedding - groom is being forcibly removed from the celebration - he is aware of the future malice of the Jewish authorities.

The final victory won’t be realized just yet.

At some point in the future, Jesus will be removed from them and far away.

Having set the record straight, Jesus tells all who are listening that there will come a day when the Bridegroom will be taken away.

His disciples will fast and be sorrowful in that day.

The phrase “shall be taken from them” speaks of “a sudden removal”.

Jesus is referring to the day when He will be taken away and crucified.

In that dark and dreadful day His followers will mourn and fast.

That will be a day of sadness for His people.

That day will come, but for now, the disciples of the Lord were right to be excited and joyful in His presence.

Fasting arises from a heart that is sorrowful and broken.

But, when the presence of the Lord is among His people, there is no place for sadness, grief or sorrow.

When the Lord is present, His people are to acknowledge Him with singing, shouting, and feasting!

2. The Bad Old Days

Two crisp and quick parables.

These are linked with Jesus’ ministry rather than fasting.

New patch of cloth sewn on old garment - when washed the new patch will shrink and tear the garment.

Old wineskins filled with new wine will ferment, expand, and burst in Job 32:19.

Chief impression is their finality - something once serviceable is destroyed and now of no worth.

The new is incompatible with the old.

Intro on v. 39 to tie in point 2 - the bad old days

This unusual remark, found only in Luke, “is difficult to interpret.

It may be ironic, indicating that contentment with the old prevents openness to the new” (Coogan 2001:106).

Jesus recognized the fact that this teaching was unacceptable to his conservative critics, who were governed by the “old is better” philosophy (5:39).

In these circumstances, a parable was the ideal way of putting a challenge to them and making them think (5:36).

The Kingdom of God presented a radical call to a new way of life that demanded repentance and change.

They must decide for themselves, but, in doing so, they were accountable for their decisions and the ensuing results

A. Old Religion

You can’t patch the gospel into Judaism - garment is righteousness of man

Drury, “Both parables are about the relation of Jesus, of Christianity indeed, to traditional Judaism.

Jesus is the new patch and the new wine - he is not an attachment, addition to, or appendage to something earlier.”

He cannot be integrated into or contained by preexisting structures, even Judaism (Judaism is obsolete).

His authority surpasses them all.

He honors the Torah but He is not bound by it and he breaks it when it impedes his ministry (next message).

He subjects it to himself (Matt 5:17; Rom 10:4).

Truly no one had ever seen anything like this in 2:12.

Judeo-Christian is a word we should stop using.

Many try to merit righteousness through their old religion and garment of prayers, fastings, and giving to the poor - to make their own ragged righteousness; to cover their sinful nakedness with religious piety.

But when man tries to use old religion it actually makes things worse.

Look at the attitude of the Pharisees

They are trying through religious deeds to establish their old righteousness.

There can be no mixing of the religions of good deeds with salvation by grace through faith.

Old religion, a religion of works, rituals, good deeds, and observances are not compatible with Jesus Christ.

Catholicism isn’t, Mormonism isn’t, Judaism isn’t - nothing old and manmade can endure with the new and eternal living Word - Jesus Christ.

But not only does the cloth relate to Old Religion, the old bottles / wineskins relate to:

B. The Old Nature

You can’t put something new into something old

These bottles were animals skins.

Old bottles had already been stretched and worn.

If new wine is put in them, the fermentation process would cause them to burst.

Think of a soda busting a weakened container.

Our old man, our old nature is not righteous enough to contain the new man, the new grace of Christ.

The old man, the old self, carnal man must be changed or made new!

Jesus doesn’t need anything in this world.

There is no religion that we can just slap Jesus onto, there is no cause or effort that we can add him too, there’s not even a country that he needs, because His kingdom is not of this world - if America completely fell apart today, the kingdom of heaven wouldn’t be affected in the least.

Jesus gives himself in service, but gives allegiance to no one but God.