Lesson#18

PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #18
THE PARABLE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE GUESTS (MAT 9:14-15)
THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES (MAT 9:16-17)

• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 8:13

• THE PARABLE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE GUESTS (MAT 9:14-15) AND THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES (MAT 9:16-17)
• READ MAT 9:9-26 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE TWO PARABLES.
• KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PERVADING ATMOSPHERE THROUGHOUT THIS PASSAGE IS A MARRIAGE CEREMONY.
• THE PARABLE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE GUESTS (MAT 9:14-15)
• THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE IS THE COMPLAINT BY THE PHARISEES THAT JESUS ATE WITH SINNERS. THEN SOME OF THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST QUESTIONED JESUS. BUT THEIR COMPLAINT WAS DIFFERENT.
• REMEMBER THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS JESUS’ COUSIN TO WHOM GOD GAVE THE MINISTRY OF PREPARING THE WAY FOR JESUS’ MINISTRY. JOHN WAS BAPTIZING AND CALLING PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE. REMEMBER THAT JOHN SAID THAT JESUS WOULD INCREASE AND THAT HE, JOHN, WOULD DECREASE.
• WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM THAT JOHN’S DISCIPLES HAD?
• WHILE THE PHARISEES COMPLAINED THAT JESUS ATE WITH SINNERS, JOHN’S DISCIPLES COMPLAINED THAT JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE EATING AT ALL! THEY WERE NOT FASTING.
• JESUS REBUKES THE PHARISEES BUT HE GENTLY GIVES AN EXPLANATION TO JOHN’S DISCIPLES.
• THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE GUESTS. (MAT 9:14-15)
• FASTING IS A SYMBOL OF MOURNING. THEREFORE, EATING IS A SYMBOL OF JOYFUL FELLOWSHIP. JESUS IS PREDICTING HIS COMING DEATH WHEN HIS DISCIPLES WOULD MOURN. THEREFORE, IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THERE ARE TIMES OF MOURNING AND TIMES OF REJOICING.
• WHO ARE THE GUESTS (THE SONS OF THE BRIDE CHAMBER)?
• THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN ARE THE GUESTS.
• INDIVIDUALLY THEY ARE THE GUESTS, BUT COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP THEY ARE TO BECOME THE BRIDE OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH (MAT 22:2 EPH 5:25-27 REV 19:7-8 REV 21:2)
• WHO IS THE BRIDEGROOM?
• IN THE PREVIOUS PARABLE BY JOHN THE BAPTIST CONCERNING THE BRIDEGROOM, WE DETERMINED THAT THE BRIDEGROOM IS JESUS CHRIST. BECAUSE ALL SCRIPTURE IS CONSISTENT, THE BRIDEGROOM IN THIS PARABLE IS ALSO JESUS CHRIST.
• READ JOH 3:29
• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN, “THE BRIDEGROOM WILL BE TAKEN FROM THEM”?
• THIS IS HIS REFERENCE TO HIS COMING CRUCIFIXION, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION.
• WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE TOWARD FASTING?
• IT IS NOT REQUIRED.
• ASCETIC PRACTICES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE OUR LOYALTY TO HIM.
• WE HAVE THE LORD WITH US BECAUSE HE IS IN US. (JOH 14:15-17) THEREFORE, IN A SENSE HE HAS NOT LEFT US.
• HOWEVER, JESUS INDICATED THAT THE TIME WOULD COME WHEN HIS DISCIPLES WOULD FAST. FASTING IS, THEREFORE, PROPER AND PROFITABLE BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• READ REV 19:7-9

• THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES (MAT 9:16-17)
• TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE?
• JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST ABOUT THE PHARISEES. THE PARABLE OCCURS AT MATTHEW’S HOUSE DURING A CELEBRATION OF MATTHEW’S CONVERSION.
• THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES (MAT 9:16-17)
• THE NEW ATTACHED TO THE OLD IS INCOMPATIBLE. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY. ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.
• READ 2COR 5:17
• WHAT DOES THE “PATCH OF UNSHRUNK CLOTH” REPRESENT?
• IF YOU WERE THINKING OF A WEDDING GARMENT, YOU WOULD NOT PUT A PATCH OF NEW CLOTH ON AN OLD GARMENT. THIS PARABLE WAS PRIOR TO THE SANFORIZED ERA OF PRE-SHRUNK FABRICS. IF YOU DID PUT A NEW PIECE ON AN OLD GARMENT, WHEN NEXT IT WAS WASHED, THE NEW PATCH WOULD SPLIT AWAY FROM THE OLD GARMENT.
• THE ILLUSTRATION FOR THE WEDDING GARMENT REPRESENTS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
• READ REV 21:2
• READ ROM 3:10-26
• READ EPH 4:22-24
• WHAT DOES THE OLD GARMENT REPRESENT?
• THE OLD GARMENT REPRESENTS OUR OLD SINFUL NATURE.
• DISCUSSION: WHY IS THE RIGHTOUSNESS OF CHRIST INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE OLD NATURE?

• READ GAL 2:20
• THE OLD NATURE DOES NOT HAVE A HEART ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD BUT THE NEW SPIRIT DOES. A PERSON CANNOT BE FOR CHRIST AND AGAINST CHRIST AT THE SAME TIME.
• JOHN’S DISCIPLES AND JESUS’ DISCIPLES MUST BE BORN AGAIN AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION.

• THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE METAPHOR FROM CLOTH TO WINESKINS.
• THIS PART OF THE PARABLE IS DIRECTED TO THE PHARISEES WHO WERE THERE. THEY WERE CRITICAL OF JESUS FOR NOT KEEPING THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS.
• WHAT DOES THE “NEW WINE” REPRESENT? (REMEMBER WHAT WINE REPRESENTS IN SCRIPTURE! READ ACT 2:13)
• WINE SYMBOLIZES THE FLOWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHAT DO THE “OLD WINESKINS” REPRESENT?
• THE USE OF WINESKINS IS AN ANCIENT PRACTICE. THEY MADE BOTTLES OF THE SKINS OF ANIMALS. WHEN THE SKIN IS “GREEN” (NEW) IT STRETCHES AS THE WINE IN IT FERMENTS. IF YOU PUT NEW WINE INTO AN OLD SKIN, THE FERMENTING PROCESS WILL CAUSE THE SKIN TO BURST.
• THE OLD WINESKINS REPRESENT THE RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF THE PHARISEES.
• JESUS INDICATES THAT YOU CANNOT PUT THE NEW FLOWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO THE OLD LEGALISTIC TRADITIONS OF JUDAISM PRACTICED BY THE PHARISEES.
• DISCUSSION: WHY?
• LEGALISTIC TRADITION WITHOUT A HEART ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD WILL NOT PERMIT THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES AND HEARTS OF MEN.
• WHAT DO THE “NEW WINESKINS” REPRESENT?
• THE NEW WINESKIN REPRESENTS JESUS’ TEACHINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BASED ON HIS CRUCIFIXION, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION. FAITH IN HIM MAKES A NEW HEART READY TO HOLD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• READ JOH 7:37-39

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE HARVEST (MAT 9:36-38)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE GUESTS (MAT 9:14-15) AND THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES (MAT 9:16-17)
• EXAMINE YOUR HEART AND LIFE. ARE YOU RELYING ON OLD RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS TO BRING YOU INTO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? ARE YOU RELYING ON YOUR OWN SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS (YOUR OWN GOOD WORKS) TO CREATE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND GOD? IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES, WON’T YOU CONSIDER THAT FAITH IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS A BETTER WAY? IF YOU HAVE NEVER ASKED JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR HEART, NOW IS THE TIME!
• I OR ANY CHRISTIAN WILL BE HAPPY TO PRAY WITH YOU SO THAT YOU, TOO, WILL HAVE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST AND A NEW LIFE WITH A NEW SPIRIT.
• WRITE ANY THOUGHTS YOU MAY HAVE HERE.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE HARVEST (MAT 9:36-38)
• READ MAT 9:35-38 AND ISA 53:6 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• WHO DO THE SHEEP REPRESENT?

• WHO IS THE SHEPHERD?

• WHAT DOES THE HARVEST REPRESENT?

• WHO ARE THE LABORERS?

• WHO IS THE LORD OF THE HARVEST?

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 16:15