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Mark 2:18-22
In Mark 2:18-22 the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees came together to question Jesus of why His disciples did not fast during this time of fasting that had been declared. The answer Jesus gives is in reflection of His bringing in the New Covenant and of the need to transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. He uses examples of not fasting while the bridegroom is present but when He has been taken away, and of sewing a new patch on an old wineskin, that as the new patch shrinks it will tear the already shrunken older wineskin and make the tear worse. The result is that new wine must be properly put into new wineskins, as the New Covenant must be properly put in place of the Old Covenant.
This is a promise, example, and command that the New Covenant/new teaching of Jesus must be transitioned to from the Old Covenant/old teaching of the Law given to Moses.
The Old Covenant/Law given to Moses was all about “doing” things or not “doing” things in an individual’s obedience to God through the commands given in the Law. This was God’s way of allowing man to realize that he cannot keep all the commands – he is not capable of keeping all the Law all the time. This was/is a very important part of God’s great plan of salvation for all mankind. Before we can accept that we need help, we must realize that we need help. And God chose a people (Israel) to be the representatives of His great plan of salvation to the rest of the world. This was the first step; then, once time was given to prove the faults of man in his own attempt to gain righteousness for himself, step two was brought forth. This next step in God’s great plan of salvation was to come forth on His own behalf to save His people, not just the people that He used to be the example to the rest of the world, but all people as God created all people and desires all people to be reunited with Him. The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:21-26 (NKJV), “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” And in 1 John 2:2 the Bible teaches us, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Propitiation simply means, as defined by Merriam-Webster is “to regain the favor of.” Jesus is our propitiation as He did the work of fulfilling the requirements of the Law that man was not/nor are we capable of maintaining or fulfilling. That is why Jesus is the Savior of the world – He did for us what we cannot, and it is through Him – the gift – that we obtain righteousness; we did not or cannot earn it for ourselves, but it is a gift from God to all who will believe in Him. God loves each one of us so much that He did this for us so that we may be reunited with Him in the relationship that He has desired to have with us from the beginning. Put your trust in Jesus today and you too will gain the righteousness of Christ Jesus. This is new life in the New Covenant – in Christ!
Dear LORD,
There is nothing that is not held within Your great plan of salvation for the whole world, but we must realize and understand this before we are able to submit our lives and our self-will to Your will and plan for our lives. Please help us to rid ourselves of the Old Covenant of trying to prove ourselves worthy to You, and accept the gift of righteousness through what You have done for us in Jesus Christ the Savior of the world. In Jesus name I pray, amen.