Hard Sayings—Wineskins
Mark 2:21-22
INTRODUCTION
Opening Statement: There are many literary forms used in the Bible. There is poetry, proverb, legal document, dramatic narrative, hymn, sermon, theological treatise, personal letter, and apocalyptic vision. And sprinkled into all of these genres are figures of speech and word pictures that highlight what is being said. The form that a writer or speaker chooses to use in order to communicate his or her message indicates it’s meaning or how it should be treated or interpreted.
For example, Jesus could have given us a 1-hour lecture on who my neighbor is. He could have pontificated for hours on how to treat someone in need. But instead of writing or presenting a theological thesis on this, Jesus simply told the story of the Good Samaritan. It wasn’t a lecture they needed; it was a story that had the potential of softening their hard-hearts.
This morning we are going to look at two proverbial sayings. Two pithy statements, which were apparently so easily understood by the audience, that they required no further explanation by Jesus.
T.S. TURN WITH ME TO MARK 2:21-22
21 And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the new patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine needs new wineskins.”
I. WHAT IS THE SYMBOLISM OF THE GARMENT AND WINESKINS PARABLE.
• Suggested ideas on what the new wine is
o Holy Spirit
o New Covenant
o The Church
A. Old Garment, Old wineskin – Old System under the Old Covenant.
o Laws of righteousness established with the people of Israel. The Laws which no one could keep.
B. New Patch, New Wine – Christ himself.
o Jesus, the savior, the Son of God and how he fits into to the system would be different.
C. New Wineskins – The new system under the new covenant.
UNDERSTANDING THE SIGNFICANCE OF THE NEW CLOTH AND THE NEW WINE AND WINESKINS IS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST.
II. WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE GARMENT & WINESKINS?
A. There were problems with the old system. vv. 21, 22
1. Worn out
2. Torn
3. In need of patching
B. The old system could not just be patched up. v.21
1. New Rules
2. More Teaching
3. Greater Discipline
C. Old System could not contain Christ.
1. He was Greater than the Old System
2. He does not fit into the old system.
III. HOW DO WE APPLY THE PARABLE OF THE GARMENT AND THE WINESKINS?
A. We must be vary that we are not simply trying to patch up our old lives.
B. We must be careful we are not claiming Christ as savior and trusting in our own works.
C. God Sometimes moves in New ways will I be willing to accept the new ways in which he moves and woks.
