Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees, were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”

Mark 2:18-22
 

They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Mark 1:22
 

They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

Mark 1:27
 

Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:12
 

The wedding guests cannot fast as long as they have the bridge groom with them, can they?

 

He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:29-30

 
An attempt to bind the newness of the gospel to the old religion of Judaism is as futile as trying
to patch an old garment with a new, unshrunk piece of cloth. When the new piece becomes wet,
it will shrink, pull away from the old, and make a larger hole.
It is equally disastrous to pour new, not fully fermented wine into old wineskins. Inevitably, as the
new wine ferments (expands), it will burst the skins and both the wine and the wineskins will be
ruined. Salvation, available through Jesus, was not to be mixed with the old Judaistic system
(cf. John 1:17).

 

For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:9-10
 

and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”)

Mark 3:13-15
 

His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:31-35
 

• Have we come to realize the newness of life provided in Christ?

 

• Are we trying to hold on to ways that are not compatible with the Kingdom of God?

 

• Lastly, what areas in your life is Jesus seeking to introduce a revolutionary display of his
  power?