Well, I invite you to turn this morning to Matthew chapter 9, Matthew chapter 9, and we come to verses 14 through 26 this morning, 14 through 26. Well, let's give our attention this morning to Matthew chapter 9, page 967, beginning at verse 14.
Then the disciples of John came to him saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wine skins and so both are preserved.
While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him saying, my daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live And Jesus rose and followed him with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for 12 years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. For she said to herself, if only I touch his garment, I will be made well Jesus turned and, seeing her, he said, take heart, my daughter. Your faith has made you well. And instantly the woman was made well and when jesus came to the ruler's house He saw the flute players And the crowd making a commotion he said go away for the girl is not dead but sleeping And they laughed at him did you notice the contrast there flute players and mourning and then laughing yeah but when the crowd had been put outside he went in and took her by the hand and the girl arose and the report of this went through all that district But there ends the reading today of God's Word.
Well, last time we really studied the heart of Jesus' mission, didn't we, in Matthew as we're working through this book? Which was, we saw, to exercise His authority to forgive sin. It's remarkable how the authority theme has been worked through this gospel today, seeing the authority to raise the dead and over the power of death. But remember what he said: "The Son of Man did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." This was the last section that we considered. So Jesus was focused on this jesus was focused on bringing the ministry of reconciliation and forgiving sins. In in the ministry, the leaders were struggling with this. The religious leaders are struggling with this. Why did the ministry seem so lopsided, if you will? Why wasn't he honoring other practices of the law? You could almost hear them. And he had to always take assaults like this. It's just a perennial problem in ministry. When you focus on the most important things, you're going to get assaulted for not not focusing on other things. And that's just what happened here. You can hear them: "He has this narrow, only forgiveness of sins ministry focus. What about the law? Particularly, what about fasting?" And that's really where we are today this great confusion surrounding fasting.
Fasting became a key focal point in the ministry of Jesus by the religious leaders, and in the way that Jesus constantly addressed it. And in this way, I think it provides a really crucial window into the fundamental differences between their ministry and Jesus's ministry their ministry and Jesus's ministry which was really a difference between old covenant ministry and new covenant ministry, if you will.
He's showcasing, as we've been studying in Matthew, the arrival of his kingdom, isn't he? And its power and its glory and its authority with direct access to him. I don't know if we think about this enough, but it's really remarkable. What we have showcased is direct access to the King. And what that means for all who come to him in faith. And even the effects of this, we see, troubled the religious leaders. Why? Why? Well, because all of these people are celebrating with Jesus. They're celebrating. They have joy. They're singing with Jesus, if you will.
So, continuing with the theme that we looked at last time, as Jesus' ministry here, we notice, was greatly misunderstood, we'll make that the first point here. We see his ministry questioned, his ministry demonstrated, and his ministry confirmed. So I want to notice those three points: his ministry questioned, his ministry demonstrated, and his ministry confirmed as we work through this really fascinating section. As he begins to showcase, I believe here, what new covenant ministry is to look like and how it's different from the old.
I want to jump right in today. Look at verse 18 as we approach our text this morning. We read that the disciples of John came to him saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" So there was a glaring contrast here in the practices between these ministries. John here and his disciples John's disciples are clearly critical of this, along with the Pharisees. You have to remember that John and his disciples represented the end of the old covenant ministry, the transition that is happening to the new. And Matthew has ordered things, I think, thematically here, to teach us this and to show us this particularly today this important connection. And I I really wrestled with: we have these this question about fasting, and then we have two events that follow. And I believe, as we've been studying in Matthew, he wants us to take these things together. There's an ongoing dialogue going on here, but Matthew has thematically put these things together to illustrate the very truths that come out at the beginning of this in response to fasting.
So let me start by saying: the scene would have been inconceivable to the religious leaders of what had just happened. This is supposed to be the Messiah, and He's dining with tax collectors and sinners? And not just that. He was lifting up His hands and He was forgiving their sins. So, blasphemy we looked at last time. And think of what was said. You see the connection to today? Think of what was said: "Take heart to the paralytic. Take heart, son. Forgiven are your sins." And you'll see today: "Take heart, daughter. Your sins are forgiven." So there's a connection going on here. All this has caused quite a stir. You'll notice the connection to the scene. You almost get a sense...
So they came to Him during this feast. Matthew has thrown a party for all the tax collectors and sinners here. And Jesus is reclining at table for them. And they have come to Him. Whether they have directly come at the feast, it's hard to discern here. But they have come in response to this for sure. And this had deeply bothered them. John's disciples And the Pharisees. John's disciples disapproved of this whole thing. and here's what they thought: "Something's wrong here. Something is really wrong here. Jesus and His disciples should be fasting as we are. But instead, they're celebrating. You can hear them: This is not a time of joy. This is a time of mourning. Look at The state of things. Rome is in power. the kingdom of God has not come. in the way it should come. We need to be mourning. Problems abound in Israel. And you're sitting there reclining at table with sinners.
Not only this these are the most notorious of sinners, the most notorious of unclean people in Israel. That can't be legitimate. And so they raise the question, which seems to come with an accusation that attacks the legitimacy of his ministry, attacks the legitimacy of Jesus, him being the Messiah, him being the King. "Shouldn't you rather be fasting and mourning rather than celebrating with these people?"
I want you to remember that Jesus had addressed in the Sermon on the Mount. We had a good overview of that last Sunday. Sermon on the Mount, the issue of fasting in Israel. Remember what he said? "Listen, when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others." And Jesus went on to say, "When you fast, do it in secret. Do not put ash on your foreheads, right, like some do, for everyone to see."
Well, the Pharisees had taken the law, and they had added to the law. And they said they really came as a command we want people doing this twice a week." Remember the parable? The Pharisee in the text? they the Pharisee says, "I fast twice a week." That had become a law among them. They fast twice a week. They made themselves appear gloomy. And you looked at them and you thought, "Look how serious they take their religion. Wow, what committed people!" Everything about Jesus's ministry was troubling them.
So in verse 15, Jesus answers: "Can the wedding guests mourn?" Notice that mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" He likens his arrival as the bridegroom and the arrival of his kingdom to a time of celebration. You know, we've always struggled with this with the Lord's Supper, I think. We've often felt, "If we just can appear to God gloomy enough, we might be worthy to partake, right? So we got to do the long form to make sure we accomplish that." "The arrival of my kingdom is a time of celebration." This is the conflict. This gets to the heart of the conflict of the old and the new, I think. I don't know how you missed that. The old covenant brought a joyless religion because of what they did: do it, taking the law and then super adding all their man-imposed legal stuff over the law to build fences around the law to try to achieve as we've looked at in romans righteousness with God. But here comes Jesus, giving direct access, and he's giving joy as, as you might quote Peter, "there is joy inexpressible and fullness of joy in his presence."
So Jesus gives a strong answer to the issue of fasting here. He says this: "The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken is taken from them. Then they will fast." What was he talking about? When was he talking about? He was talking about his death, the atonement. It's a horrid scene in the Gospels when we come to Good friday it's a horrid scene when he was taken captive and taken away in front of them into judgment in their place. That's a key point about fasting. The old covenant required fasting. Now, this is really important. Once a year, when on the Day of Atonement, on the day of atonement Pharisee came along and said, "See what they did to the whole thing? Twice a week!" You are to mourn and show everyone.
In a sweeping fulfillment here and I think this is why there's been so much confusion about fasting, why there's so little attention to really it given in the new covenant the sweeping statement of fulfillment from Jesus: He just said the entire intention of fasting in that one-time command of the Old Testament law is fulfilled when I am taken away on the Day of Atonement. It spoke of me. I fulfill it. Then they'll mourn. That's exactly what happened. The shepherd was struck. The sheep were scattered. Jesus described this as a horrific event for His disciples when he said, "You will, and I quote, lament and weep, but the world will rejoice when I'm taken away."
Well, this is why they were confused about fasting. They didn't understand what it was pointing to. They didn't understand that fasting had a time duration set to it. Because the entire Old Covenant law was given, concerning fasting, had in view the death of Jesus Christ and the resurrection, which what was the first thing Jesus said when he was raised from the dead? "I give you joy, peace, joy that cannot be taken from you." So fasting had this purpose.
Inevitably, someone says, "Well, can't we fast today?" Of course. I think you can fast today. I don't think I should know about it if you do. Its purpose was redemptive. It anticipated throughout the Old Covenant the very time of Christ's death as the center of history, when the greatest sorrow that would come upon the world should come when the Son of God was taken away in judgment for our sins and then it would be replaced with joy.
Jesus is saying here, "There's no reason for the disciples to fast," and notice this is a big theme in matthew If I'm with them if i'm with them now..." It's on this point that Jesus explains the new covenant that he's bringing in with two small little parables here. You'll notice it. They're a little confusing at first read, but not really. It's a very simple message.
"No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and the the a worse tear is made." Old garments are are worn out, says Jesus. You know this? This is why we get mad with clothes in America because you wash them once, and if you buy cheap, you're gonna pay for it. You know that? You know that? So you got to spend a little more to get good clothing today, don't you? I've just helped all the women in the church so the husbands are not mad. None of that was in my notes.
So old garments are worn. You've washed them. You've shrunk them. No one takes a patch an unshrunk patch a brand new patch and sews it to the old garment because that patch, when it shrinks, it'll pull away and make the tear worse.
Very simple. And he makes the same point with wine: "Neither is new wine put into old wineskins, for if it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved."
It's the same point. They would take the skins of goats or sheep and they'd form out of a bottle and they'd make the bottle so that the wine would hold. If you put new wine into old skins, when the wine ferments, it needs leather. So that when it expands, if the leather is old and the leather cracks, the wine spills out everywhere. So he needs new wine and new skins. What's he talking about? Very simple: "I'm bringing in something entirely new. I'm not patching up the old. I'm not giving new wine in old skins. I'm not patching up an old garment." He's talking about the new covenant. Remember what he said when he instituted the supper to just prove that Jesus spoke like this? "This cup, the cup that is poured out, is the new covenant in my blood." the new covenant in my blood we see it in everything that he's doing. Everything the law and the prophets looked for has now come as sinners are coming directly to him. And remember in Isaiah, when, um, he was preaching and handed him a scroll and he read this: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he's anointed me to proclaim i think this is good news here good news to the poor, he sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." He rolls it up and he hands it back. He says, "That's me. I'm fulfilling it all. Today has come."
The old order, the old covenant, the old priesthood did not actually bring in the forgiveness of sins. That was the whole point of Hebrews. And their ministries were not accomplishing this. their ministries were not accomplishing this They had only built a system. Now, John got it. There's no doubt what John understood. But they had built a system of man-made laws around the law that had set nobody free. That's what he's reacting to. Fasting was proof. Gloominess. before the presence of the bridegroom? How's that even possible? It's completely incompatible with the ministry that he's bringing, if it's a ministry of reconciliation.
And that's precisely the tie to the next scenes. Notice how Matthew puts it together. He puts these two stories together of these two women a young girl. You'll notice here, an older woman, young girl dies, the older woman impure to make the very point that Jesus just made: not patching up the old. Notice carefully verse 18. I should say, when I say "old and new," I'm speaking of all the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham so that the continuity we looked at in Hebrews is that all the fulfillment of those promises made to Abraham are now coming to realization as the gospel is going out.
But notice, this is the introduction of this. "While he was saying these things, while he was giving these little parables, these two little parables about the new covenant, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him saying, my daughter has just died. Come, lay your hand on her and she'll live.
Now, Jesus faces in the ministry what should be one of the most surprising moments so far, early on. This is a death. Does he have the power over death? Now he's directly faced with death. His statement "in the presence of the bridegroom, there's no mourning, there's joy" is now put to the test immediately, right? See the connection? There is nothing that brings greater sorrow in this life than the death of your child. And that of a young girl. that's a most difficult death. "If the bridegroom's present, there's no reason for mourning." Matthew wants you to see the connection.
As soon as this man, Jairus, we know from Mark, comes up, verse 19 doesn't quite capture it. You notice what verse 19 says: "And Jesus rose and followed him." No, no, it was up. The way that this is described in the original was it was an immediate spring to action. There was no hesitancy. There was no waiting. There was no thought up.
Now, you know, the accounts weave together another story here of a woman who we read had a flow of blood for 12 years. She was ceremonially unclean. The flow of blood, when a woman, this is Leviticus, has a regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days. And anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. There's a lot of attention given to this. It's the most obviously uncomfortable stuff to preach, but important. She had a constant flow for 12 years. This is the height of uncleanness in the Old Testament, okay? There's so much attention given to this in Leviticus. Death and impurity notice here you have death and impurity put together. Um, Old Testament law: "No one shall defile himself leviticus again that is, become ceremonially unclean for the dead among his people by touching a corpse or assisting in its burial. Even you shall not approach any dead person nor defile himself by doing so." He's talking about the priest now. "Shall not approach any dead person nor defile himself for his even for his father or for his mother." Okay.
Something beautiful happens here. Just like the paralytic, she says to herself, within herself, "If only I touch the fringe of his garment, we just talk about patching garments if only i touch the fringe of his garment i'll be made well jesus just said, "I'm not coming to patch my work onto old garments." His point was that everything the garment and the patch would be made new. There was a little square on the bottom of his robe where a tassel a patch would have been sewn and a tassel would hang from it. What she touched was important.
Numbers 15: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: throughout their generations to come, to you, you are to make tassels on the corner of your garments with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at so you will remember the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourself by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.
What a scene! The woman comes up by faith, by faith faith alone, and says, "If I just touch the hem, the little corner, the tassel of his garment, I'll be made whole." Mark says once she did this, immediately the blood dried up and she was healed.
Whatever just happened, think about this: Who this is is so powerful and so pure and so holy that whatever he decides to come in contact with automatically becomes cleansed, and not the other way around.
The news the new had just come and what does he do for her? Just like the paralytic, he says, "Take heart, daughter. Your faith has made you well." It was much more than just healing. If we understand what happened with the paralytic, your sins, "Take heart, son. Your sins are forgiven." She was just saved and healed all in one. She was forgiven. She was made new.
Hebrews says, "For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. The priesthood just changed. He says, the former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect. Who does? The priests. And a better hope is introduced. The hope by which we draw near to God. That's what Hebrews says. That's what just happened. She drew near to God with a better hope. The law didn't make perfect. Jesus does. She drew near to the priest of the new covenant, the High Priest. She was made new. She was told by him, "Take heart. Be happy. Rejoice. You're healed."
Now back to the other scene to confirm this. Verse 23: "When Jesus came to the rulers of the house, he saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion." This was a scene of great mourning. They'd play flutes and solemn songs, and everyone would have been fasting. So you have mourning, and you have fasting. The flute players, songs of mourning, he walks in, everyone's wailing. For Jairus, I can't imagine seeing my little girl there.
Jesus says, "Go away, for she's not dead, but she's sleeping." Amazingly, these same mourners can so quickly laugh at him, huh? What Jesus just meant was, just like Lazarus, "This sickness is not unto death." He put them outside, and he goes in, and he takes her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And the report went out everywhere.
Matthew records this briefly, but don't miss what just happened. Jesus had just said, "In the presence of the bridegroom, there's no reason to mourn." You mean, even in the face of death? He just reversed it. And you see, he's illustrated everything he said.
When he said, that "There's no reason to mourn," we have intense moments of sorrow in this life. The fasting, in the morning in the big picture, I want to say to you today, beloved, was aimed at this great moment in history the fulfillment of all mourning and the fulfillment, of all fasting think of all the mourning and all the sorrow that we have the fulfillment the aim of that was answered for us when God put His Son on the cross. When He was taken away in judgment, when He stood in the place and received what we should have received, and then God raised Him from the dead, God published to the ends of the earth an entire new covenant ministry that the time of mourning, the intended time of mourning, would be for a short time in the cross event, and then, after, in the resurrection, it would mean life for us.
"A little while," said Jesus, "and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me." "Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."
Did you hear that? The new covenant ministry that is being ministered to us is not a gloomy ministry. It's not a ministry under the law for condemnation. It's a ministry of forgiveness. It's a ministry of cleansing. It's a ministry because Christ is risen. He has promised us something very special in the new covenant ministry. What is it? "I will never leave you nor will I forsake you." And at the close of Matthew, he left us with those very words: "Lo, I am with you always to the close of this age." We know by the work of the Spirit.
No matter what we face, then, in this life to draw this to a conclusion. no matter death that we encounter. no matter the sorrow that sin, brings. No matter how much we are afflicted. No matter how much we sense, because as the law exposes sin, condemnation, He has come to us. He fulfilled all mourning. And He rose. And He dealt with our sorrows. and when you come in faith, and you believe these promises, He wants you to know: not even death. Not even death God separates us from that love.
Even the death of the saints, Psalm 116, is precious in His sight. Why? Why would He say that? Because God's not the God of the dead, but of the living. They're living. They're living. They're not dead. This is the promise. That's what he reversed. Abraham's not dead. Abraham's very alive today. He's with the Lord. So are all his children.
This is the joy he wants us to have. And that whatever sickness, whatever sorrow that may lead unto death, the resurrection will reverse it all. That's his promise. Something we enjoy today because He's risen indeed. "Sorrow comes in the night, but joy comes in the morning." You are told today to have joy.
Well, there's two groups here. That's my final question. There's two groups here. Those who have no joy, they're disfiguring their faces. They don't sing. They don't sing. Then there are those who know that grace and truth the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." This is what the ministry is intended to bring to you: that you might have joy and that you might have it to the fullest. It's not an artificial face on the opposite end that you have to wear around like the Pharisees who had a painted, disfigured face. You don't have a painted, joyful face. That's not what he's asking. He's asking for that confidence, that happiness, that peace, that by faith in him, he's answered all our sorrow. That's what's being ministered to us.
You say, "Well, should I fast?" Well, how about this, from Hebrews, as the answer? "Therefore, through Jesus, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of what? Praise. The fruit of lips that openly profess his name." That's what he's after.
Take heart, he says today. Do you believe? I've made you well. You are forgiven. You will rise from the dead. That promise drives us through this age until he comes again in glory and we drink anew with him in the kingdom. But until then, remember, lo, he said, "I am with you always to the close of the age. Let no one take you and take from you," said Paul, "the joy the gospel should bring, and rob you of that happiness."
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for so glorious a ministry and thank You for giving us forgiveness and cleansing and washing as we come directly to the High Priest. Thank You for a ministry of joy and happiness. Thank You for taking all of our tears, which ultimately on that day will be wiped away forever because in Your presence, Psalm 16, there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Bless your people with this as they struggle through this life with this perspective: that the bridegroom is with us, and ultimately we will behold him soon face to face, where there will never be again any of these sorrows or tears or sin or sickness or death. We praise you for such promises in Jesus' name. Amen.