Out with the Old, In with the NewLuke 5:36-39 says, "And He was also telling them a parable: 'No one tears apiece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise hewill both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. Andno one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst theskins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new winemust be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes fornew; for he says, "The old is good enough."'"Jesus' ministry came at a time when Judaism had been severely perverted into anoutrageous system of rule keeping with self-righteous teachers presiding asrulers over the people of Israel. Rather than look at how the Old Testamentforetold of Christ's coming and sacrifice, they ignored what had come in theperson of Christ in exchange for what had been. The Pharisees and many of theJews had become enslaved to a thinking process that loved the old ways. Now,there is nothing wrong with being nostalgic or reflecting upon the past, but itbecomes wrong when it controls us to the extent that we are unable to put it outof our minds. The Jews were so consumed with Moses and the Law that they couldnot recognize God Himself in their midst. Though they wanted a Messiah, theywanted it their way. They wanted a Messiah Who would bring back the glory daysof an earthly kingdom as it had been under David and Solomon. They wanted thepast, and because they thought that the old was good enough, they missed thefuture which was right before their very eyes. They were satisfied with the oldwine, and their clouded view of the past led them to miss the new wine in Jesuswhich was far better.In order for them to receive the new wine, they needed to realize that theywould have to lay aside their system of self-righteous Law-keeping. Jesuspreached a message of forgiveness, healing, grace, and life. He didn't come toset up an earthly empire, but He came to demonstrate His eternal power andovercome the world. He didn't come to show that Law-keeping was the way toeternal life, but He Himself fulfilled the Law because no man could do it(Romans 3:23, 8:4). The Law brought condemnation and showed man his inability tokeep it (Galatians 3:24). Jesus came to bring life, and life to the full (John10:10).Old wineskins were fitting for the old wine. The Law did its job, and it did itwell (Romans 7:12). But its job was to point people to the cross and to Christ,Who had come in the flesh. If new wine was available in Jesus, then it made nosense to put it into old wineskins which would break as soon as the wine waspoured in. The Law had done its job, and the new wine needed new wineskins. Thenew wine of forgiveness in Christ needs to go in the new wineskin of grace. Wewere under law, but now we are under grace (Romans 6:14). The old covenant isover, and the new covenant has been established. Christ is the centerpiece andthe focus. We must drink of Him (John 7:37).If we find ourselves still trying to earn our way into God's favor, we need tolay aside the old and receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. If we areattempting to manipulate God into giving us what we want in life, we need tostop drinking of the old wine and simply receive the blessings which Hegraciously gives as He knows best.Trying to do things on our own strength apart from Christ is like pouring wineinto a leaky wineskin. It will never work. Do we want to be full in Christ? Dowe want to experience the promised abundant life? Life to the full is found inabandoning the old wine, taking hold of the new wineskin by faith in Christ, andallowing Him to fill us and empower us as He pours the new wine of His graceinto our hearts.
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