Living 4 Him

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person; the old life is gone, the new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Have you ever bought a new jacket to replace another one, and every time you put it on it feels just right?  Or have you slept on a brand new pillow and enjoyed a deep refreshing sleep?  What about a new piece of furniture that fits exactly where you needed it?  If you can relate to any of these scenarios, you are ready to comprehend the parable of the new wineskins. 

This short parable appears in 3 of the 4 gospels (Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37-38) in response to a question from one of John’s disciples about fasting. He wonders why Jesus’ disciples never fast, but are always eating and drinking.  Jesus responds that they must celebrate the one they have with them, for a time is coming when he will not physically be with them.

Then he gives an illustration of how old wineskins cannot hold new wine.  Wineskins, made of sheepskin, grew brittle as they aged, so a patch made with new sheepskin would not even stick to old wineskins.  New wine must be held in new wineskins. 

Those who have studied this parable believe the parable describes the old wineskins as the old covenant handed down through Moses’ laws.  The new covenant, fulfilled through Jesus’ death and resurrection, came bearing grace.  The old way of thinking, requiring rituals and routines to access God’s favor, does not fit with the new grace offered freely to all.  To understand the new covenant would require a completely new way of thinking.

The new covenant which holds God’s grace fits just right and feels so good!  We live in this new covenant, so let’s celebrate the new thinking that came to us through Jesus, which we experience every day.

A new relationship with God grounded in the forgiveness and grace he has given us.

A new way of treating others, showering lives with the forgiveness and grace we have received.

A new freedom to worship God’s goodness and communicate with him through Jesus’ name.

A new way to know God and relate to him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A new hope of eternal life in God’s kingdom of joy, surrounded by his ever present, everlasting love.

When I contemplated the transition from the old covenant to the new, I marveled over God, who in a grand desire to live closer to his children, provided a sacrifice . . . a bridge . . . .a resurrection . . . a hope . . . a promise, fitting the needs of his children perfectly, to usher us into the riches of a new covenant.  We live in the result of this grand orchestration; drinking of the love that overcomes all, assured of glory that reaches into eternity.  

Before Jesus went to the cross he spoke of his crucifixion in a powerful illustration. John 12:24 ” I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” To fully accept the salvation Jesus gave, we need to embrace each new gift he hands us.

C.S. Lewis once wrote: “Too many Christians are like children who are happy playing in a puddle in their backyard, while they have been invited to spend a day at the beach.”

Let’s spend this Holy Week in complete gratitude for a God who has allowed us to play on His beach, enjoying the vast expanse of His ocean.

**In honor of Holy Week, I have added a bonus poem below called God’s Gem.  

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul): Read today’s parable in Matthew 9:13-17 for further study. Or find an on-line Bible and search the word “new” and find out how many ways you have been made new. 

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): Is there someone you know who could use a reminder of the way that Christ has made them new?  Send them this devotion or an Easter card of encouragement!

God’s Gem

by Janice M. Gibson

God locked his eyes of love

on me.

An exquisite diamond

lodged deep in the earth

under the dust of days

and the dark of nights,

an unknown treasure.

Tunneling through

clods of dirt,

sifting bits of gravel,

God uncovered the hope

of His creation,

the brilliance of His gem.

From a cradle to a cross,

God held every jagged edge,

grinding away flaws and distortions

polishing his work to radiant perfection,

presenting me, worthy.

Worthy to walk through the courts of His Kingdom.

Worthy to share His Holy garments, trailing beauty and truth.

Worthy to carry the light of His candle,

transforming the world before me.

A diamond sparkling in the Son.