Something Better Has Arrived
They fast because they missed Christ
[To just listen, click the link below! Also available on Apple iTunes and other platforms]
Be sure to give me a rating on Spotify!
“Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wine skins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:14-17
Questions That Lead To Freedom
These disciples had confusion. They couldn’t make sense why the men with Jesus didn’t follow what they were being taught.
Which is a good lesson to learn. When you have questions, seek the word of God. Seek all of scripture in order to have freedom where freedom is given and to have discretion when discretion is needed. To have a level life is to have a scripture and Christ-focused life.
The other lesson is that even the earthly teachers who we follow may have missed the mark in how they view scripture. They may not have thought it through or only followed what they heard from their teacher and then passed it on to us. We must always be reading scripture in order to be certain. Thoughts of men are helpful but what you find in scripture is certain.
The last point I’d like to point out is that in everything we learn in scripture we must not miss how it relates to Christ. He is the point and the way to freedom. The law by itself will only crush a man and leave him enslaved to self righteousness. Without Christ he ends up being sad and fasting when he doesn’t have to. We do many things we think are important, but may not be. Joy and rejoicing was available but they missed it. We must be on guard against this. Read your bible. Seek Christ and the joy he offers.
Not A Time To Be Sad
Many men are so focused on the “Rules” or the “System” that they miss the “Reality.” They go to church every Sunday, and always leaving with no change. Always focused on secondary things and missing Christ. Do we realize that if we focused on Christ alone that everything would fix itself. We focus on discipleship and giving and small groups and paying off this and that and who’s serving where and who’s missing and who needs replaced and all along we run ourselves dry and missing Christ.
You make a man love Christ, and you make a man who loves the Church and if he loves Christ and his People, be sure all these things will fall into place!
All the Old Testament points to Christ, so when Christ appeared we should have expected pure joy. But instead we see a strict obedience and a pushing away of Christ. The lesson is plain: we are easily distracted and miss what’s important.
You see, when Christ showed up the time for sadness was put on hold. Fasting for God to make things different or to send the savior, at this moment was like asking for a tow truck when your car is parked on the street, ready to go.
Life had entered the world. A new day. A new righteousness. A freedom. A new joy. All of what they’ve read had been pushing to this day, and yet when this day arrives, men are still carrying on as normal. This isn’t a time for sadness, this is a time to rejoice. Yet they missed it. Indeed we still miss it. When they read Isaiah 62:5 and Hosea 2:19-20 they didn’t see Christ. The bridegroom. And so, they are found fasting and confused.
The Bridegroom
“For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5
“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.”
Hosea 2:19-20
The coming of Christ should invoke in us, and in them, the joy as we find when we are at a wedding or about to get married. As a bride with her Husband.
But do we see the relationship Christ is offering or proclaiming for us here? A bridegroom to a bride. Do we see how close that is? What is Christ for you? Is he some distant being who you hope is happy with you? Does he care for you? Well the message is clear here. Read it slow. Not as a distant document for someone else. What he was then is what he is now.
Christ is the one who took your place on the cross. The punishment you deserve. He took.
We read in Matthew 6 that he supplies what we need from day to day.
We read in Hebrews 4:15 that he knows our weakness. He’s a bridegroom who knows your pain. He lived them.
He takes your persecution and pain personal. He said to Paul, who was persecuting the church. “Why do you persecute me?” The things done wrong to you, he knows about and will deliver you. We are the lambs wife. Revelation 19:7
This is the bridegroom. It’s here for all who put their faith in Christ. Do you see it? Do you believe it?
The New Wine Is Here
The old wine and skin are past. Reality is here.
The shadow of the thing to come has given birth. The Righteousness and forgiveness has come.
These disciples were so close to a new joy that they could have touched it. Jesus answer was one that gave life. Don’t fast my friends when life itself is in front of you. Don’t keep trying to keep rituals and trying to earn Gods favor. The Bridegroom has come! The old is fading away and the new is available for all who trust! Drink the new wine! Enjoy whats plain and what is life!
Application: Search the word daily. Get a reading plan. Don’t see only the “do’s and do not’s” but see the reality. Seek what’s real. Read slow. Embrace truth. Consider Christ as a bridegroom. Some of you have lost your spouse, Christ is the reality of what you loved. Cling to Christ!
If this has encouraged you, keep reading and listening! But more than that, seek Christ and only use this to build you up and encourage you. While you may like the thoughts, the scripture will do you far more help. Thank you for subscribing! If you have questions or passages you want to discuss, email me: daverider18@yahoo.com