A Messiah of Transformation
Text: Matt. 9:14-17
Introduction
1. Illustration: As you all know by now, my favorite football team is the Cleveland Browns, and may God have mercy upon me! Our current coach, although hopefully not for long, has a favorite saying when ask about why his team is performing so badly. When asked he simply says, "It’s a process!" The problem is that the process isn’t progressing very well right now.
2. Like building a football team, the Christian life is a process. You don’t get saved and wake the next day a wise and mature Christian with the knowledge of a Bible Scholar.
3. The question you need to ask is, "Where am I in the process? Am I making progress or am I simply using "it’s a process" as an excuse to stay where you are in your spiritual life?
4. There are a few questions that I believe we need to ask ourselves:
a. Am I rejoicing in New Life?
b. Am I letting go of the Old Life?
5. Read Matt. 9:14-17
Proposition: While the Christian life is a process, we need to be making progress.
Transition: The first question we need to ask ourselves is...
I. Are You Rejoicing in New Life? (14-15)
A. Do the Wedding Guests Mourn While Celebrating with the Groom?
1. You know it’s funny what people hear.
a. John the Baptist clearly said that he was not the Messiah, and that Jesus was the Messiah.
b. Yet, there were some of his followers that just refused to believe.
c. They still wanted to hang on to John even after he was arrested.
2. As Matthew tells us, "One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”
a. Matthew is referring to the Baptist’s followers who never accepted Jesus as Messiah and who by the end of the first century had developed their own sect (Carson, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Matthew).
b. They felt it was inconsistent for Jesus to say he was committed to God and the Law of Moses, and yet they did not fast regularly like they and the Pharisees did.
c. To them it was a sign that Jesus and his disciples didn’t take their commitment to God very seriously, and the "feasting" at Matthew’s house only confirmed their reservations (France, 356).
d. They saw Jesus and his disciples as nothing but a bunch of party animals whose spiritual commitment was seriously lacking.
3. The fasting in question was not the commanded fasting in conjunction with the Day of Atonement, but was the twice a week fasting that was suggested by the Pharisees.
a. The Pharisees were really good at making up their own rules and treating them as if they were mandates from God.
b. They would fast twice a week, usually on Monday’s and Thursdays, and of course recommended that others do the same.
c. Apparently, these disciples of John followed them and didn’t understand why Jesus and his disciples did not.
4. However, Jesus responded to their question by saying, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?"
a. Weddings were major celebrations in Jesus day, and they went on for a week or more.
b. Wedding guests were normally excused from more serious religious observances during the 7 days of the wedding feast (Horton, 171).
c. Just as it was inappropriate for "wedding guests" to fast while they are with the bridegroom, so it was inappropriate for Jesus’ disciples to fast while he was with them.
d. The arrival of the long awaited Messiah was hardly a reason to mourn and fast (Turner, 139).
5. There were a number of similarities between the coming of Jesus and a wedding feast.
a. First, he OT says that in the period of salvation the relationship between God and his people will be like a marriage between God the bridegroom and his bride (Horton, 173).
b. Hosea 2:19-20 (NLT)
19 I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.
20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.
c. Furthermore, the festivities that went along with such a wedding feast are a symbol of joy and celebration that accompany new life (France, 356).
d. Jesus’ presence brings joy. The age of the Messiah was often pictured as a joyful occasion. It was often compared to the festivities surrounding a marriage feast (Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - Matthew).
e. So why should they fast?
6. Jesus indicates that there would be a time when fasting would be more appropriate. He said, "But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."
a. The mention of the bridegroom being taken away is probably a veiled prediction of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion (Turner, 139).
b. It is the first time that Jesus refers to his crucifixion and death.
c. That would be a time of mourning and fasting, but until that day, Jesus’ disciples would celebrate the presence of Jesus.
B. Is There Joy In Your Life?
1. Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
2. Illustration: Unfortunately, too many Christians, instead of having Jesus’ joy, become Jesus grumps! (do a little impromtu skit about grumpy Christians)
3. Other people ought to be able to see the transformation in you actions.
a. John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
b. They ought to be able to see that being "born again" is not just a figure of speech but a reality.
c. They ought to be able to see something in you that they want for themselves.
d. They ought to be able to see in you a change of heart, attitude, and perspective.
e. They ought to be able to see the joy.
f. They ought to be able to see Jesus!
4. Other people ought to be able to see the transformation in your outlook on life.
a. There should be a change in your values.
b. There should be a change in your goals.
c. There should be a change in how you spend your time.
d. There should be a change in how you spend your money.
5. Other people ought to be able to see the transformation in your speech.
a. Luke 6:45 (NLT)
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
b. People can tell a lot about you by what you say.
c. If you talk the same way they do why should they come to Jesus?
d. If you are no different than they are why should they change?
e. "Think before you speak."
Transition: The next question you need to ask yourself is...
II. Are You Letting Go of Old Life? (16-27)
A. New Wine Into Old Wine Skins
1. Jesus now illustrates why we cannot combine the old with the new. We have to have a clean break.
a. He uses two metaphors about the incompatibility of the new with the old (Turner, 139).
b. You cannot embrace new life and still cling on to your old life.
2. Jesus tells them, “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before."
a. New cloth had not yet shrunk, and when it began to shrink after being patched onto a garment that had finished its shrinking, the patch would tear loose from the garment, making the tear worse.
b. Jesus has not come just to patch up the old religious traditions; rather, he offers a new garment (Wilkins, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Matthew, 369).
c. You cannot simply combine the old with the new; there’s got to be change.
d. You cannot embrace new life and still cling to the old one.
e. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
3. Jesus further illustrates this by saying, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
a. The custom of the day was to keep wine in leather flasks rather than in bottles. These were made from whole goatskins or sheepskins.
b. These wineskins, which at first are soft and pliable, latter on became brittle and were unable to handle the pressure of fermentation (France, 357).
c. New wine that is still fermenting expands and will cause old skins to burst if new wine is poured into them.
d. The new wine and old skins will both be lost. New wine requires new wineskins (Wilkins, 369).
4. Jesus point in these illustrations is clear; there is no room in the new life for our old life.
a. You cannot merely take Jesus and add him to our old life.
b. You cannot straddle the fence and survive; you must choose one side or the other.
c. It has to be one or the other; you cannot serve Jesus and the devil too.
B. What Are You Holding On To?
1. Illustration: There’s a story about a city dweller who was visiting relatives on a farm and the farmer gave a whistle and his dog herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that’s some dog. What’s her name?" The forgetful farmer thought a minute, then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That’s it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"
2. Luke 9:62 (NLT)
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
3. We need to forget our old life and move on.
a. We need to forget about the things we used to do.
b. We need to forget about the places we used to go.
c. We need to forget about the sinful things we did in the past.
d. We need to press on with Jesus!
4. We need take off our old life.
a. Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,
22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
b. Just like old worn out clothes, take them off and throw them away.
c. Just like clothes that are out of date and out of style, get rid of your old life and put on the new one.
5. We need to embrace our new life in Christ.
a. Just like a new set of clothes, put on Christ and forget what you used to look like.
b. Embrace a new heart.
c. Embrace a new purpose.
d. Embrace new values.
e. Embrace a new life.
f. Embrace eternal life.
Transition: Forget what lies behind you and move on to something much better.
Conclusion
1. The Christian life is a process; but you must make progress.
2. I used to pastor a young woman who was a fairly new Christian, and every time she messed up she would say, "But I’m just a baby Christian!" At one point I had to tell that it was time for the baby to grow up.
3. 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NLT)
1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.
2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,
4. Church, let’s make progress!
