Are You A New Wineskin?

Matthew 9:14-17 MKJV Then the disciples of John came to Him saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? (15) And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast. (16) No one puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the tear is made worse. (17) Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; else the wineskins burst, and the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.

For many years I (Mike) had questions about Jesus’ response to John’s disciples in this passage. I understood what he meant about not mourning while the bridegroom was still with them, but what was all that about old garments and wineskins? I didn’t see how they fit.

Also, most of the teaching I heard from these verses stated that Jesus’ new doctrine didn’t fit in with that of the Pharisee’s, and the application had to do with programs and structures. The teacher (and I was usually one of them) would mention the need to change the way we “did church” because the times were different and we couldn’t operate under the “old wineskin” any longer. The old way of doing things was obsolete and we needed to keep up with the times.

This past week God brought me back to this passage and has caused me to see it in a different way. The new wine, of course, is the Presence of God or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that God wants to give us, but the wineskin is not a structure or program that needs to change to be able to handle the new wine. The wineskin is US! You see, God never brings revival or an outpouring of His Spirit through programs but only through people, and it is only as His people are ready to handle it will He pour out His Spirit in revival.

Let me paraphrase what I believe is happening. John’s disciples say to Jesus. “Why aren’t your disciples doing anything? Why aren’t they out there ministering like we are?” Jesus responds by saying, “There is plenty of time for ministry later. Now is the time for preparation. What I have for them is much more than what you or anyone has ever experienced before, and while I am still here, I need to make sure they are ready to handle it. I don’t want to see them break under the pressure, and I don’t want to see this move of God ruined.”

We get so caught up in the doing of ministry, but God’s focus is on the being of the minister. Before God will send His Spirit in revival (new wine) He will make sure that the vessel carrying the revival (that’s us) will be able to handle it. He will prepare the wineskin by removing all that is of self, pride, sin, jealousy, fear, self-works, etc., etc., etc. until it is transformed into a new wineskin. Then, and only then, will He put His new wine into that vessel.

Much of the time as we are praying for revival, we feel that nothing is happening. No one is being saved, miracles aren’t happening, churches aren’t growing, and we get discouraged and often quit praying. Instead, we should realize that maybe what God is doing is preparing His people before He sends the revival. God wants His people to operate in faith and be dependent on Him instead of programs; He wants a body of believers who are united and not filled with jealousy and envy; He wants a righteous and loving church, not a self-centered one. And He is patient enough to wait for as long as it takes to get the wineskin ready before He pours His wine into it so that He can preserve them both.

So, those of us who are praying for revival and the transformations of our cities, maybe we should change our focus and pray first for the transformation of the wineskins (us) so we can handle the new wine that God wants to put in us.

God make us into new wineskins!