New Wine Into New Wineskins

In as much as we love to hold on to the year/decade, that was, it is not the wise. The old has gone, and the new has come! We embrace all that God has lined up to prepare His Bride for His imminent return. We must continue to evolve as an individual and as a Church family. Nonetheless, our biblical message is unchanged - Christ as Saviour, Healer, Baptizer, and King. We are called to save souls and help people grow in the Lord. We win them for Jesus and make them disciples of Christ. By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, the zeal of the Lord will help us.

New Year, a new decade! Listen to this, due to expected population growth in Carlingford-Telopea-Dundas-Parramatta and neighboring suburbs; the NSW government permanently shut down the CARLINGFORD RAILWAY LINE (slide of old Telopea) to make way to the construction of the new transportation system – the Parramatta Light Rail.

At 1:15 am this morning, in Clyde station, the last and final passenger services to and from the Carlingford Railway line marked the end of a 135-year-old train line that opened in 1885. From today and until 2023, the line is now serviced by bus route 535 to and from Parramatta. Even with the best intention and the best of conditions, some residents believed that the change is not needed. Some residents of Telopea and Carlingford recalled the fond memories they had with the stations from when they were little children. Some were teary as they spoke in cameras. Change is always difficult. Change affects the physical as well as the mind, the heart, and the soul, and the spirit of a person.

You don't change something just for the sake of it. You must have a compelling reason to embrace and welcome change – to ditch the old in favor of the new. Well, Jesus ditches the old ways of coming to God, in favor of the new. And He did not apologize for doing so, nor did he asked permission or approval from people who were stuck with the old ways.

In Jesus's time, everyone was expected to fast, and when they fast, the ambiance and countenance must be that of sorrow and sadness. Jesus implied, “that’s what you used to do, but not anymore!” Did he not rock the boat of the Jews and the Pharisees with his response? Jesus says: "you don't put a sad face when the bridegroom is here! When the bridegroom is no longer here, then that is the right time to fast. In the Presence of Jesus, sorrow and sadness go away. In the presence of Jesus, grief and sadness are replaced by fullness of joy. And so, after Jesus ascended in heaven, when the church fasted, sorrow was not present (Acts 13:2–3; 14:23; 27:1–38). But, celebration and intimacy with God!

It is often difficult, if not impossible, to put new things into old ways.

When it comes to matters of His Kingdom, Jesus used two examples to describe the INCOMPATIBILITY OF THE OLD way and the new way.

Lk 5:36–39 And He was also giving them an illustration: No one having torn a patch from a garment new and fresh in quality and use, puts it upon an old worn-out garment. Otherwise, he will both tear the new clothing, and the patch from the new garment will not match the old, worn-out one. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Mk 2:22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Mt 9:17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The old garment and the new piece of garment have nothing in common. To patch the old with a new piece of garment will not do much good. The new will not help the old because the rest of the clothing still has the quality of the old and crumbled thread. More importantly, the old will tear the new apart.

Winemaking has always been a major industry in Syria-Palestine. They understand the mechanics of growing and keeping their winemaking business. They know that every drop of a fine wine brings profit and so, they had to preserve, store, and transport the wine with the best container possible. And nothing beats the wineskins to do the job. Wineskins are a skin of animals like goats that are sewn together to hold the wine. When a new wine is placed into a new wineskin, the wineskin expands/stretch to its limits as a reaction to the fermentation process that is taking place in the wine. Mark 2:22 and Mat. 9:17 says the wisest thing to do is to put the "new wine into new wineskins.”