New Wine, Skinny Jeans Series

Introduction

I want to open this morning with a challenge for you. No matter who you are, your position or title; no matter what kind of degree you hold, or how long you’ve been coming to church. No matter how much or how little you read your Bible, no matter if you think I’m right or I’m wrong; if you are a passionate follower of Jesus or don’t believe at all. I want you this morning to clear your mind of everything you think you know and take a fresh look at the gospel today. We need this. Our nation needs this. Our city needs this. Our church needs this.

It seems to me that there are so many movements out there attempting to rebrand Christianity. Many of you know that I playfully pick on the attempts of pastors to be “relevant” by wearing skinny jeans. I’m not being critical, I’m just poking fun at the idea of the pervasive need to continue to find new and creative ways to make the gospel palatable in the hearts of people. The fact is, when the Gospel is presented and received in its purest form, nothing should ever be added to it those attempts only water down the beautiful truth of God’s plan.

I want you to understand this because it is critical. The gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the message of forgiveness through the work of Jesus Christ, it is incompatible with any and all other religious belief. It stands alone. The idea that the Christian gospel can mix with or blend with any other religious system in any way is absolutely wrong. You cannot mix the gospel with Catholicism. You cannot mix the gospel with liberalism. You cannot mix the gospel with Mormonism, or Christian Science, or any other "ism”. The Gospel does not bow to any denomination or movement. The gospel is absolutely exclusive. It mixes with no other religion. It accommodates no other religion or man-made tradition. It is absolutely exclusive. This stands in contrast to our post-modern time which exalts diversity of belief, tolerance of religion, pluralism, and universalism.

Christianity is not religious Piety. It’s not a system of formulas. It’s not a series of does and don’t, rules, rituals, or regulations. It’s not trying to ease, please, or appease the Almighty. Christianity, simply put, is about a relationship, a personal, individual, and privileged relationship with God that he initiated and instigated for us. And this is what makes Christianity inherently different from all other world religions. God reaches out to us!

All of this becomes abundantly clear in this week’s passage. Because Jesus is telling his followers and those who are listening exactly this. This also goes for Judaism. Now I say this with caution because this cannot be confused with “replacement theology” which states that the Church replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about God’s redemptive plan for salvation. Even in Judaism, which is what Jesus was directly addressing, the sacrificial worship system, the traditions, and so on are incompatible with the gospel. To be clear, Jesus never declared Israel or the Old Testament to be irrelevant but that they are fulfilled completely through him. In fact, the Old Testament is probably more relevant than before with the coming of Jesus. With that in mind, let us hear the Scripture and the message of the Gospel:

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33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” (Luke 5:33–35 ESV)

I. A Question About Fasting

When Jesus calls Matthew to abandon his lucrative tax-collection business to follow him, Matthew hosts a great banquet. The guests include Jesus and his disciples, and a host of people who are considered by the religious establishment as sinners. This raises a question about orthodoxy and appearances of Jesus associated with unrighteous people. So they come after the issue passive-aggressively by comparing Jesus’ disciples with the disciples of John the Baptist. “John’s disciples fast and offer prayers like the Pharisees while your disciples eat and drink. According to Matthew, the disciples of John the Baptist were the ones asking the question (Matt. 9:14). What they're wondering is why doesn't Jesus pay attention to the traditions. Why He doesn't associate with the scribes and Pharisees instead of the tax collectors and prostitutes.

If we wonder why John the Baptist’s disciples would put forth such a biting accusation, we must remember that John himself was an ascetic who lived a barren lifestyle and whose message called for mourning and repentance. (Hughes) Fasting was a huge part of being a religious Jew. The more you fasted, the more spiritual you were. The only time required of fasting by Scripture is the day of atonement. The Pharisees normally fasted on Mondays and Thursdays, although this was not required. Fasting had become in Jesus’ day a prerequisite of religious commitment, a sign of atonement of sin and humiliation and penitence before God, and a general aid to prayer. The rabbis often referred to fasting as “an affliction of the soul,” thereby designating it as a characteristic and sacrificial act of piety. When they fasted it was associated with a histrionic performance: they would wear old, torn clothes, cover their face with ashes, and walk around pretending they’re afflicted by their piety. Jesus taught the opposite: