What was meant by fresh wineskins?
Deutsch: Christus im Hause des Pharisäers, Jacopo Tintoretto, Escorial (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 9:14–17 “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is…the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved” (v. 17). From an argument with the Pharisees over the propriety of eating with sinners (Matt. 9:10–13), Jesus moves to a misunderstanding regarding fasting in today’s passage. The disciples of John the Baptist protest that Jesus and His followers do not fast like they and the Pharisees do (v. 14). This text is not saying that Jesus neglects fasting altogether. As a devout Jew , He certainly obeys God ’s command to fast on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29, 31). He also fasted before meeting Satan in the desert (Matt. 4:1–2). Furthermore, Jesus teaches that His people will fast after His ascension (9:15). But in the first century, certain “pious” Jews observed fasts on Mondays and Thursdays each week, in addition to the
