Sunday Sermon Series – Matthew 9:14-17 Celebrating with the Messiah

The Friends of the Groom

Don’t put new wine in old wine skins. It is a familiar verse, but do we understand what it means in context. The Pharisees and disciples of John come to Jesus and ask Him about fasting, but their question is more than that. It is about how they should relate to God. The Pharisees were comfortable with empty ceremony and joyless ritual. Their religion focused on them. The disciples of John were of a better motivation but still missed the point. They were approaching God like those still preparing for the Messiah. They were in great mourning over the past sins of Israel. Jesus tells them neither. The Messiah is here. It is time for great celebration. Nothing that came before, even Judaism, is sufficient to contain the enormity of His arrival.