The Book of Luke: New Cloth on Old Garments and New Wine in Old Bottles Explained (Luke 5:33-39)
We are there in Luke 5. For the context, Jesus has called Matthew to the ministry. Matthew has a desire to reach his family and friends and has a feast with them and Jesus. Jesus is criticized for partaking in this by some people because they said they were sinners. Luke 5:29 “29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. 30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”.
We pick up the story in verse 33. They make a criticism of Jesus here and he responds back with a parable. We will look at 3 criticisms today and 2 parables. We will start with a lesson on fasting and then look at a lesson on replacement theology.
Luke 5:33 “33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?”. While they are having this feast, they try to criticize Jesus and ask why he is eating with publicans and sinners. After he responds to that, they bring up this criticism. They criticism Jesus and his followers regarding the topic of fasting.
All of us do some fasting. We eat our dinner and then we sleep through the night and we are in a fast. Then when we wake up and eating, we are breaking that fast. This is where we get the term breakfast as it is a break of our fast through the night. However, there is a difference between fasting for physical reasons and spiritual fasting. Here they are being criticized for not having spiritual fasting often.
There are a few things I want us to understand regarding spiritual fasting. We are not required to fast but we are expected to fast. There are certain things that we are commanded to do such as read the Bible, pray, go soulwinning, go to Church. Often times we are told in what regularity we are told to do things which God commands. Fasting is not required but it is expected. Their question is already in the wrong context. They have this idea that there is a biblical requirement to fast but it is actually not a command. This is something the Pharisees would often do to look down on people. Think of the story of the Publican and Pharisee. One of the things that the Pharisee looked down on the Publican about was the fact that he fasted more often.
I want to make sure that you understand what I am saying. There is an expectation in the Bible that we will have points of our lives where we fast. However, you don’t see the Bible telling us to do it daily or weekly or even yearly. Fasting can be physically draining and some people are not able to fast. I believe that is why God doesn’t put a requirement of fasting upon people. For example, we would never recommend a pregnant woman to fast or a woman who is nursing a young child to fast. She needs to eat to provide nutrients for herself and her baby. Of course there are other reasons physically or medically where it would be unwise for a person to fast.
Let us look at the answer Jesus gives to them. Luke 5:34 “34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?”. Jesus is giving this parable of a wedding reception. What he is saying is that you plan a big reception for a wedding and have lots of people coming then it is not the time to fast. You shouldn’t be fasting at a celebration. Jesus is saying that they are having a celebration as they are reaching the world with the gospel so there is no need to fast.
Luke 5:35 “35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”. Jesus is saying that there are times to fast and there are also times not to fast. We’ve done Mission Trips where we are out soulwinning for 5 hours a day. That is a great spiritual time but it is also not the time to fast. Jesus is teaching that there are times to fast and times not to fast. We should not look down on people because we are doing something spiritual and somebody else is not.
Go to Matthew 6. I’ve preached entire sermons on fasting. Just remember that when you fast, you are not meant to make a show out of it. It is not meant to be done in order to be seen of man. Matthew 6:16-18 “16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”. Notice how it says “when ye fast” and not “if ye fast”. There is this expectation of fasting but it is not a requirement.
Here is the 2nd thought in regards to fasting. You may be prompted by the Holy Spirit to fast during times of suffering and special need. Jesus is explaining that it isn’t the time to fast. However, he says in Luke 5:35 “35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”. There will be days of mourning and at that time there will be fasting. When Jesus is taken away from them, there will be times of suffering and special need.
Once again, you can fast at any time and whenever you would like. However, times where you should consider fasting are times of suffering or spiritual need. 2nd Samuel 1:11 “11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.”. Notice that David here decides to fast during a time of mourning.
2nd Samuel 3:33 “33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. 35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.”. Notice again that after the death of Abner, David decides to fast. These are a few examples that when you are going through a time of suffering that you might want to consider fasting. Isn’t it true that if you suffer the death of someone close to you that you don’t really want to eat.
In Matthew 17 we see the story of the Mount of Transfiguration. When they come from the mountain, they are confronted with a special need. Matthew 17:14 “14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.”. This man comes to Jesus with a broken heart as his son’s life is destroyed. He came to find Jesus and came across the disciples of Jesus. At this time, the disciples of Jesus have already done miracles and cast out devils from people. “16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.”. They could not cast out the devil in this instance.
Matthew 17:21 “21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”. Jesus tells them that this is a devil that could not be cast out unless you spend time in prayer and fasting. Sometimes in life you fight small battles but they get bigger the further you go. We have to grow spiritually in order to fight bigger battles. You might not be in need now for fasting but you might find yourself in suffering or special need one day.
There is a misconception when it comes to prayer and fasting in the Bible. People have this idea that we are going to God and trying to twist his arm to do what we want. Don’t misunderstand me. We are asking for something from God. When I preached through prayer recently, I emphasized that prayer is not trying to get God on our page but us getting on the page of God. It is “thy will be done” and not “my will be done”. Fasting is taking prayer 1 step further. Fasting lines us up with the will of God. The purpose is to deny our flesh and our personal wants.
Matthew 17:17 “17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”. Jesus is explaining that there are some things which will require them to grow in their faith. How do you do that? By prayer and fasting.
Let me shift gears in Luke 5. We will look at a lesson on replacement theology. He gives the parable regarding fasting as an answer to their criticism. Now Jesus is going to shift gears and give 2 parables as a criticism of them. Luke 5:36 “36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”.
Jesus gives a parable of putting a new cloth upon an old and also new wine into an old bottle. Let me read to you this explanation about a new cloth and an old cloth:
Most of the time you should prewash, sometimes called pre-shrink, your fabric. The three main reasons to prewash your fabric are to pre-shrink them, prevent colors from bleeding and eliminate chemicals. It is very important to prewash fabric because it makes sure your projects stay true to size. This is especially important for garments when shrinkage could make a big difference in the final fit. While most fabric does not shrink more than ten percent, it can make a big difference. This is especially important if you are working on garments.
The idea is that you have a piece of clothing that you put on. In our modern day, this isn’t as big of a thing but in the older days, clothes were much more costly to make. In the ancient world, you didn’t buy clothes and get rid of them. As you wore these clothes, they would wear out. If you would get a tear on the clothing, you would patch it so you could keep using it. You would not put a brand-new piece of cloth and sew it on to the existing garment. Why? The new cloth would shrink when washed and it would make the problem worse. What you would use is an older piece of clothing to patch on to the garment. If you mix the new with the old then they will both tear.
Then Jesus gives another parable with the same application in verse 37. “37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”. What is this about?
Let me read to you this article:
the bottles of the ancient eastern world were made of leather skin generally of goats. As new wine or grape juice gets older, it begins to naturally ferment. As the new wine would go through that process, it would begin to expand and contract. New fresh leather bottles would expand and contract with the new wine. However, if you put new wine into old leather bottles, the old leather would not expand and contrast with the new wine. Instead it would crack and burst.
I want you to understand the explanation that Jesus is making. You don’t put a new cloth on an old garment or new wine into old bottles. What does this mean? The Pharisees are criticizing Jesus for different things. They are trying to find him doing something wrong and so Jesus teaches them these 2 parables. What he is trying to explain is that he is here on earth doing a new thing. He is bringing a new doctrine, a new testament, a new covenant. This new covenant, this new testament, this new doctrine, this new local New Testament Church is different. He isn’t trying to put a new thing in an old bottle. He isn’t trying to patch up the problems but bring something totally new. He isn’t trying to reform what they had before but do something brand new. This new covenant was not meant to be put into the old covenant. What I’m teaching you is often referred to as replacement theology and people try to criticize us for that. If people want to call this replacement theology then that’s fine. I believe what the Bible says.
Hebrews 8:6 “6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”. The entire book of Hebrews is about comparing Jesus to the Old Testament and how Jesus is better. This verse tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a BETTER covenant. The agreement that Jesus made is better than the agreement that God made with his people in the old testament or old covenant. Hebrews 8:7 “7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.”. We are new testament or new covenant believers. It is a better covenant established on better promises.
Hebrews 8:8 “8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”. The problem with the old covenant is with the people keeping the old covenant. Hebrews 8:9 “9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
I’m here to tell you that God is done with the nation of Israel. He had a covenant with them in the old testament but he find fault with them trying to keep the old covenant. Jesus wasn’t trying to reform the old covenant but do something brand new. He was there to do something better. Today Evangelical Christians hate this. They believe in Zionism and reject replacement theology. People want to act like the covenant that Jesus made with Moses is still around. The Bible is clear that this covenant is done away and is not coming back. Dispensational theology teaches that the new testament is a parenthetical season or time in the history of mankind where God got upset with the Jews temporarily but will give them another chance in the end times. The Bible does not teach that. The Bible teaches that God is done with them. Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant.
Hebrews 7:11 “11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”. I’m here to tell you that God made a change. The Jews are no longer God’s chosen people. The temple will be brought back for the Antichrist but not for God. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about individually. Obviously a Jew could believe on Christ and get saved. However, God is done with the nation.
Matthew 21:43 “43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”. God took the kingdom from Israel. In the new covenant, there is neither jew nor Greek. It is based on the seed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:16 “16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”. The Jews aren’t going to make a comeback spiritually with God. They have been replaced. Jesus said “11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be there but with Gentile people. Jesus is telling these Pharisees that he wasn’t there to pour his new wine into their old bottles.
Luke 5:39 “39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.”. Jesus is saying that the person who has the old wine will say that the old is better. This is confusing to people because who would say the old is better than what Jesus brings? The Jews. There is also this new movement called “The Hebrew Roots Movement”. Also people who believe in Dispensationalism are basically saying that the old is better. The word of God teaches that God has taken the kingdom from them and the new is better.
I believe that is the specific application of these parables. However, let me give you some additional applications. How about this application? The New IFB movement vs. The Old IFB movement. We reject a lot of the teachings from the Old IFB and people started calling us The New IFB. As a result, we started calling them The Old IFB. Why don’t we put aside our differences and join together? You don’t put new wine into old bottles. If I preached at one of these Churches then it would rent. There would be a Church split.
How about music? The Bible says that God has put a new song in our mouth. People try to put the new song that God gave them at salvation and conform it to the old music. We have “Christian Rock”.
How about your new life in Christ? Some of the reasons you may be frustrated in your Christian life is that when you got saved, you became a new man. However, you are trying to live like you did in the past and you are finding yourself miserable. I am here to tell you that you don’t put new wine into old bottles.
Let’s pray.