Matthew 9:1-17
Monday, 15 January 2024
“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins…” -Matthew 9:17
The symbol of the wine and wineskin was aptly used by Jesus to drive home the point he was making to his listeners about His “new” teaching that could not be attached to the Pharisees’ way of teaching. Jesus makes all things new! His design for you and me is “new wine in new wineskins!” Let us understand what that means!
Paul experienced and understood the lasting change that happened to his life in his encounter with Christ and when the Holy Spirit came in him (Refer Phil.3:9-14). Paul’s life reflected the newness of life that the Spirit of God worked in him. The anointing of the Holy Spirit represented in “new wine” can be poured only into a “new wineskin.” One must be changed into new wineskins!—both, as newly born into God’s family and also qualitatively made new from time to time. If we tend to see ourselves as vessels, and if Christ has to pour in the new wine, it has to be in new vessels!
Paul writes in Ephesians 4:24 to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” The new self is to be in the likeness of God—our “custom-made suit” is Christ-likeness! Colossians 3:10 [GNT] defines the new self: “…This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.” Each of us needs a newness from time to time and there has to be a qualitative growth in us. Many have difficulty in getting rid of their old habits described in Colossians 3:8&9 such as anger, malice, filthy language etc. But in Isaiah 10:27 it says: “…the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” When we allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work within us, He will destroy those sin strongholds.
When we “put off” the old man there is a “put on” to be done! Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” When we clothe yourself with Christ, don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. [Rom.13:14NLT]. A mind being constantly renewed is part of our growing in Christ; then only can we understand God’s good and pleasing will (Romans 12:1&2).
Besides, when we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit to be molded and shaped to be a vessel of honour fit for the Master’s use, some of the process of grinding, crushing and shaping can be painful. But they too are the means of making the new wine within us. Life’s tough situations and experiences are God’s school of learning, to be more like Him- the process of Christ-likeness! Only when Jesus makes new wine of substance and taste in us, can it be poured out into other’s lives to bring them to Him!
Brothers and sisters, as we meditate this word today, may we look into ourselves to see where we are at—have we been made new in Christ? Have we allowed the Holy Spirit to work that newness into us by our yielding to His power to break the yoke of sin? Is there new wine the Lord has made in us that can be poured out to bring taste into other people’s lives? Come to Christ- He can make all things new!
Meditate on: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Listen: 'New Wine'