Introducing a “new” or “improved” model will surely catch a consumer’s eye. God sent his Son to the earth to be with us, and Jesus taught about the love of the Father and the kingdom of God. Christ continually mentioned the new teaching and doctrine he shared with his audience and disciples.
But was it completely new? God had also revealed himself through centuries of relationship through his chosen nation—the people of Israel. The promise of the Messiah, the Christ, was repeated in various ways through the law and the Prophets of the Old Testament, and here Jesus was fulfilling those promises.
One of the prophetic promises of the Old Testament is the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:35-36, Ezekiel 36:28-30). This was to be a new covenant between God and his people. This was a covenant, but God expressly states it would be unlike the previous old covenant of law.
This tension of a new work of God as a continuation of an old work is a theme of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. Jesus even describes this reality through a metaphor. “You don’t put new wine in old wineskins,” Christ said. This was a vivid image, but what did it mean?
The “new wine in old wineskins” metaphor is one of Jesus Christ’s most thought-provoking teachings.
The passage containing this metaphor can be found in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:21-22, and Luke 5:33-39. Each Gospel presents a slightly different context, but the core message remains consistent. In this metaphor, Jesus uses the imagery of wine and wineskins to convey deeper spiritual truths. We will look at the passage in Luke for the context.
Luke 5 begins with Jesus calling the disciples Simon, Andrew, James, and John—all fishermen working around the Lake of Gennesaret. Jesus promises they will soon catch people instead of fish. Next, we have several stories of Christ healing people—first, a leper, and second, a paralyzed man brought by his friends and lowered through the roof.
Matthew, the tax collector (also called Levi), is called next. He sits in his tax collecting office when Jesus calls him to follow. Matthew throws a party for Jesus and invites other tax collectors—all employees of the oppressive Roman government, considered traitors or worse. So, local Jews criticize Jesus for associating with such people, even eating with them.
The religious leaders further question Jesus because while John’s disciples fasted, Jesus’ followers didn’t. Why was he changing things up?
First, Jesus responds by pointing out the different situations. He’s the groom, and people should party when he’s around.
Then he gives two parables. In the first, no one puts a new piece of cloth on an old garment because they don’t match. It will create another tear.
Second, Jesus says that no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Why? The new wine will burst the old wineskin, and both are ruined. You have to put new wine into new wineskins so both are preserved.
Luke adds that no one who drinks the new wine wants the old because the new is better.
In Jesus’ time, wineskins were containers made from animal skins to store and transport wine. When new wine was produced, it would ferment and expand, emitting gases that exerted pressure on the wineskin. Therefore, new wineskins were more flexible and able to stretch, accommodating expansion as new wine fermented. On the other hand, old wineskins had already been stretched to their limit and lost their elasticity, making them unfit for holding new wine. If new wine were poured into old wineskins, they would burst under pressure, losing both the wine and the wineskin.
Jesus used this analogy to address the religious leaders and followers questioning his actions, particularly his association with sinners and his departure from traditional religious practices. The metaphor of new wine and old wineskins responded to these criticisms. It conveyed a powerful message about the arrival of a new spiritual era through his teachings and the kingdom of God.
As the Messiah, Jesus brought in a new era and reality. As such, this new manifestation of God was incompatible with the old structures, even structures previously given by God. What was new with the arrival of Jesus? Here are three main ways.
1. The kingdom of God. Jesus preached the following Gospel: Repent because the kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 3:2). Christ clearly states some important distinctions here. The kingdom of God, prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 2), was happening. This kingdom was both present and coming to earth through the ministry of Jesus. This kingdom required all people to repent to God to enjoy the paradise and power of the kingdom of God.
Christ’s coming marked the beginning of the fulfillment of kingdom promises from Daniel to Zechariah. The kingdom existed but wasn’t available in the Old Testament. With the Lord Jesus Christ, now it is.
2. The Return of God as king. Centuries before the life of Jesus, Israel asked the judge Samuel for a king like the other nations. Samuel’s response was simple. They had a king. God was their king, and didn’t need an earthly one. They had the greatest king they could want (1 Samuel 8). Israel pushed, God allowed it, and they got Saul, David, and the other kinds of Israel and Judah.
With Christ, the Messiah, from the Christmas narrative to his death on the cross, his identity as the true king of Israel is consistent and clear. As was prophesied by prophets like Isaiah (Isaiah 9), God would return as their king. Further, the writers of the New Testament consider Christ the king of all Creation. This is a departure from both bad kings like King Herod and good kings like David, for both were only men.
3. The new covenant. What made this covenant different? The old covenant was based on humanity’s ability to do our part. We couldn’t. The Israelites couldn’t. The new covenant was no longer based on human effort. God would change the very nature of the human heart from death to life and give the power to obey. This necessitated the indwelling and anointing of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus also spoke about (John 14).
These are the primary ways Jesus spoke about something new and different from the old covenant tradition and function. The new king of the kingdom of heaven brought a new covenant.
As Paul argues, the old covenant was temporary (Galatians 3). The new covenant is so much greater (Hebrews 8). This was God’s plan the whole time. Therefore, the old structures can’t hold the new ones. The old wineskins can’t hold new wine.
Jesus teaches during the Sermon on the Mount that he didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20). To understand this statement, we first look at the word fulfill. Jesus uses the Greek word ginomai, which means to come to pass, to happen, to be born. Strong’s Concordance says it is sometimes used in Hebrew narratives to begin a new paragraph or section.
In other words, Jesus says he didn’t come to do away with the Law but to transform it into something new. The Law will be born again, as it were.
Jesus reveals what he means by a series of statements in the Sermon on the Mount. “You heard it said not to kill, but I say don’t hate. You’ve heard it said don’t commit adultery, but I say don’t lust.” The Old Testament gave an external view and commanded not to kill or commit adultery. However, the root of murder is hate. The root of adultery is lust.
The new covenant deals with a new heart, renewing and empowering us to follow the ways of the kingdom. Dealing with the evil of our hearts will change our behavior.
The Apostle Paul makes more than a few radical statements about the difference between the old and new covenants, even calling the law a ministry of death. The old covenant had glory, but the New is based on life and the Spirit and is far more glorious in every respect (2 Corinthians 3:7-11).
How did this work out practically? Paul dismisses the Old Testament ceremony and tradition as useless. When he mentions the Sabbath and circumcision, central to the old covenant, he says they don’t matter. Only faith and the new creation do (Galatians 6:15). The New Testament gives no injunction on continuing things like animal sacrifice or proper incense.
However, Paul and the writers of the New Testament continually use the old covenant ceremonies to teach about Jesus and the new covenant. Those old ceremonies symbolized what was to come, and Jesus fulfilled it all. We have the substance of those symbols in Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
The old covenant exists, transformed, anew, fulfilled in the person of Christ. Is the caterpillar abolished when it transforms into a butterfly? No. Only something different now, something better and more beautiful.
In the metaphorical language of “New Wine in Old Wineskins,” the concept of trying to fit new and transformative ideas into outdated or rigid structures is a cautionary tale. Here are some ways modern Christians might inadvertently try to stick “new wine” in “old wineskins.”
1. Traditionalism and Legalism. Christians often place too much power upon old traditions when new forms may be necessary, and God is asking us to adapt. Related, we try to earn our salvation through moralistic endeavors or act religiously in our own strength. We can’t do the Gospel in our own strength. We must rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to follow God’s voice.
2. Lack of Cultural Sensitivity: Modern Christianity often interacts with diverse cultures and worldviews. Trying to impose one cultural expression of faith onto another can hinder effective communication and collaboration, preventing the spread of the Gospel message.
3. Selective Interpretation of Scripture: Adhering exclusively to certain portions of Scripture while ignoring or downplaying others is another way new wine can be constrained. This selective approach can limit the transformative potential of the Gospel.
4. Doctrinal Rigidity. Refusing to engage in open and respectful theological dialogue can also lead to trying to fit new ideas within old doctrinal frameworks. Modern Christians might hold established doctrinal positions without considering relevant new insights or developments.
5. Inflexible Worship Practice.: Worship styles and practices can become ossified, making it difficult to incorporate new expressions of worship that resonate with contemporary believers. Modern Christians may insist on traditional forms of worship without recognizing the potential for fresh and meaningful encounters with God.
Let us praise God for the new wine of his kingly compassionate rule in our lives, our participation in the kingdom of heaven, and the new creation of a wonderful new covenant. Let us reject religion in our own strength and rest in his power and love to live the joy promised to Christ’s disciples.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Ana Lopez Fernandez
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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