In Jesus' time the Pharisees fasted twice a week, there were also several yearly fasts. John the Baptist's disciples also apparently followed fasting. However, Jesus' disciples did not fast.
Jesus answered by saying that the times were like guests being with the bridegroom. It was unthinkable to fast at such a time. However, they would fast in the future. Moreover, we get the first hint of what was going to happen in the future with Jesus being taken away from them. When we follow religious practices we just get into a rut in following them, being totally blind to all other things that are going on. Fasting was not wrong, but now was not the time to fast.
The Pharisees needed to realise that a new day was dawning. New wine needed to be poured into new wineskins. Patching up old wineskins or pouring new wine into old wineskins would not work. In the same way when Jesus comes into our life He does not come just to patch up our old life, or to fit in where He can. We are born again, we need to completely rethink our life.
Besides our individual life, Jesus' new wine and wineskins also apply to our corporate life in churches. To what extent, do our churches look and act more like synagogues (led by Pharisees) or the temple (led by Sadducees) than like Jesus' new kingdom of disciples?
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