16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17

I reviewed three different interpretations of this passage. What follows seems reasonable, but is subjective.

The new wine that Jesus is referring to most probably is the Holy Spirit. Jesus was signalling to the leaders that before the Holy Spirit will dwell in a person, that person needs to be transformed into something new.

Recall in the previous verse that the John’s disciples wanted Jesus’ disciples to fast. They were still thinking of the old way of doing things.

Jesus was ushering in a new way, one that would be so radical that He would have to die for it to come to pass.

John’s disciples (or anyone for that matter) had no idea what was coming down the road in that regard, but Jesus was dropping solid hints along the way.

“”His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

How quickly we forget that.

“Everything we need for a godly life.”

Everything.