"No one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins" {Mark 2:22}.
When something we use often begins wearing away, we start looking for a new one. When a car is old, one part after the other starts giving in. The trouble of getting the car repaired every few weeks becomes too much for the owner. The expense rises and the inconvenience increases. Before long, he buys himself a new car. The seats are more comfortable, there are no scratches on the body, the brakes work well, the car runs like a dream - even the smell of the new car is breathtaking. The driver feels like a new person.
Jesus Christ was completely new. In many respects the old religion had lapsed into a sad state of obeying countless petty rules and regulations. There was no joy, no peace, no personal strength. And because it was difficult obeying so many laws, many people were saddled with a heavy burden of guilt there was no getting away from.
Jesus wasn't there to simply patch up the old way of doing things. He proclaimed a new religion, a new concept of God and a new way of life. He breathed renewal.
In those days, there weren't any glass bottles; wine was stored in leather wineskins. As the wine fermented, the skins stretched and couldn't be used more than once. New wine would cause the skins to tear. The real question is: Have you tasted the new wine of Christ's empowering love yet?
Heavenly Father, renew everything in me through Jesus. Amen.
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