New Wine and Wineskins

The Gospels of Matthew (Chapter 9) and Luke (Chapter 5) record Jesus using the relationship between new wine and wineskins as a metaphor for the difference between the Old and New Covenants. The Lord Jesus said, “…no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins” (Luke 5:37-38).

Here, Jesus vividly and profoundly illustrates the difference between the Old and New Covenants. The Old Covenant was a covenant of law. Its outward form (wineskin) consisted of rituals and places, primarily the Temple with its altar, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place. During the Second Temple period, the Pharisees turned religious rituals into a way of life, turning the Law into a set of 613 behavioral rules. These man-made rules burdened Judah and Israel under the heavy weight of superficial piety.

Christ compares the gospel to new wine. The old religious rituals and places cannot contain the gospel. The New Covenant’s temple is the human body. Its sign is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Its holiness is the covering of Jesus Christ’s blood. Its offering is the total dedication of oneself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Its rest is entering into Christ and being united with Him. Therefore, a Christian’s rest is not bound by a specific time but is an eternal and light rest in Christ.