“He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ ””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To whom was Jesus addressing His words?  The context does not tell us. 

“They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Does the “they” refer to the religious leaders to whom Jesus had been talking? Perhaps. Was this another criticism they levelled against Jesus? “His disciples must be an irreligious bunch of over- indulgers because they didn’t observe the rigours of their religion. Why didn’t they fast like John’s disciples did?”

Jesus’ response was not only for them but a timeless reminder that it is impossible to marry the two major covenants of Scripture without doing damage to both. 

The Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of profligate living when the law demanded adherence to strict rules of self-denial. The Pharisees lauded John’s disciples for fasting faithfully while Jesus’ disciples appeared to disregard such practices. 

Instead of agreeing with them and pulling His disciples in for self-indulgence, Jesus opened up the subject to a new perspective. What the Pharisees were criticising about the disciples was actually a window into a whole new life which Jesus was spearheading. 

Jesus used an everyday illustration to drive home His point. To restore a damaged garment, one does mend old worn out material with a patch of new cloth. They will pull apart with use and the result will be worse than the original tear. 

The same principle applies to the storage of wine. Old wineskins  become inflexible after time and the maturing of the wine. Fresh wine needs new wine skins which will expand as the wine matures. 

Google AI gives us a concise interpretation of Jesus’ illustration. 

“The phrase “new wine in old wineskins,” from Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5), means the new life, grace, and freedom of the Gospel (the “new wine”) require a transformed, pliable heart and mindset (the “new wineskin”) to contain it, as rigid, old ways (old wineskins) would burst under the pressure of God’s new work, leading to spiritual breakage and loss. It’s a call to spiritual renewal, moving from legalistic traditions to a Spirit-led life, embracing God’s transformative power rather than trying to fit His fresh work into outdated spiritual frameworks or self-made rules. 

Key Meanings:

• New Wine: Represents the new covenant, salvation, the Holy Spirit, joy, and the life-transforming message of Jesus.
• Old Wineskins: Symbolize rigid traditions, old habits, legalistic thinking, self-righteousness, or the Old Testament system of law that can’t contain the new wine of grace.
• The Principle: Fermenting new wine expands and needs flexible, fresh skins. Using old, hardened skins causes them to burst, spilling the wine. Similarly, trying to hold onto old religious practices or mindsets while embracing Christ’s new life leads to spiritual failure and missed blessings. 

Practical Application:

• Personal Transformation: Believers must become “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17) through repentance and faith, allowing the Holy Spirit to soften and renew their hearts to receive God’s fullness.
• Spiritual Flexibility: Embrace new ways of living in Christ, letting go of man-made restrictions and religious burdens that hinder grace.
• Contextualizing Faith: Recognize that God’s work often brings fresh moves and insights that require updated approaches, not just patching old systems.”

There is still a tendency today to try to blend the Old and New Covenants with trends and practices which eventually destroy the significance and purpose of both…

This can never be because the Old Covenant calls for righteousness through obedience while the New  Covenant provides the gift of righteousness through faith. 

To be continued…