Mark 2:18-22 (NKJV)
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
(Matt. 9:14–17; Luke 5:33–39)
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
V18 “The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
According to the Jewish Virtual Library: “Second Temple Period
During the Second Temple period, daily or biweekly fastings were practiced for reasons of asceticism, especially among women (Judith 8:6; Luke 2:37; TJ, Ḥag 2:2, 77d), but also among men (Luke 18:12; Mark 2:18), or in preparation for an apocalyptic revelation (Dan. 10:3, 12; ii Bar. 12:5; 20:5–21:1; 43:3; iv Ezra 5:13–20; 6:35; Sanh. 65b; TJ, Kil. 9:4, 32b). The Jewish literature of the Second Temple period also advocates fasting as a way of atonement for sins committed either unintentionally (Ps. of Sol. 3:9) or even deliberately (Test. Patr., Sim. 3:4), or to prevent them (ibid., Joseph 3:4; 4:8; 10:1–2). These reasons for fasting were strengthened by the destruction of the Second Temple and even more by the repression of the Bar Kokhba revolt and the subsequent religious persecutions.
It has been said that the Pharisees and Sadducees fasted on Mondays and Thursdays as a religious ritual promoting godliness.
They are asking Jesus a legitimate question.
V19 “And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.” Jesus is the bridegroom. Compare Revelation 19:9. The Greek word for friends/attendants is (G5207) υἱός hyios, (see Mounce) which means son, descendant, young of an animal, spiritual son, regarding societal rank, and “a son as implying connection in respect of membership, service, resemblance, manifestation, destiny.” Vincent comments: “The sons of the bride-chamber are different from the groomsmen. They are the guests invited to the bridal. The scene is laid in Galilee, where groomsmen were not customary, as in Judaea. Hence there is no mention of them in the account of the marriage at Cana. In Judaea there were at every marriage two groomsmen or friends of the bridegroom.”
There could be no fasting while Jesus was still ministering on Earth.
V20 “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” The time came when Jesus returned to heaven. Now, we do fast.
A question I answered some time ago:
What Does the Bible Teach About Fasting?
Mark 2:18-20 (EHV) John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. They came and asked Jesus, “Why is it that John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” [19] Jesus said to them, “The friends of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. [20] But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then on that day they will fast.
There are different forms of fasting, such as one meal, one day, liquids only (not just water), water only, etc.
It is OK to fast according to the Lord Jesus (Mark 2:21).
The purposes of fasting are not to manipulate God or impress Him. Compare Matthew 6:16-18.
The purposes of fasting include:
- As a means of worship (Luke 2:37 and Acts 13:2-3)
- Intense prayer time (1 Corinthians 7:5 and Matthew 17:21).
- Seeking God and His will (Daniel 9:3).
Other reasons, as in the OT:
- Sorrow (1 Samuel 31:13, 1 Kings 21:27, Nehemiah 1:4).
- Repentance (1 Samuel 7:6,Joel 2:12, Dan 9:3-4).
- Sincerity in prayer (2 Chronicles 20:3-4 and Ezra 8:23).
Manser’s Dictionary of Biblical Themes:
Genesis 1:1 (Dictionary of Bible Themes) Situations in which fasting is appropriate.
- Bereavement 1Ch 10:11-12 pp 1Sa 31:11-13 See also 2Sa 1:11-12; 3:31-35.
- Distress Est 4:3 See also 1Sa 1:7; 20:34; 1Ki 21:4-6; Ps 109:24; Da 6:18; Ac 27:33.
- Penitence 1Sa 7:5-6 See also Ne 9:1-3; Da 9:3-6 Daniel identifies himself with the sin of the people; Da 9:20; Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-15; Jnh 3:5-9.
- Seeking God’s intervention 2Sa 12:15-17 See also 2Ch 20:2-4; Ezr 8:21; Esther 4:15-16; Ps 35:13-14.
- Seeking guidance Jdg 20:26-28 See also Dt 9:9 Moses fasts before the revelation of the Law; Da 9:1-3,20-23; 10:1-2,12; Ac 13:1-3 The church receives direction through the Holy Spirit while fasting.
- Indicating earnestness Ac 23:12-13.
V21 “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.” But fasting is for different reasons and under a new law—the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
V22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” The old wineskins are the Old Testament. It is not repairable but must be replaced.
Two quotes from Warren W. Wiersbe:
“Jesus came to usher in the new, not to unite with the old. The Mosaic economy was decaying, getting old, and ready to vanish away (Hebrews 8:13). Jesus would establish a New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:19-20). The Law would be written on human hearts, not on stones (2Co 3:1-3; Hebrews 10:15-18); and the indwelling Holy Spirit would enable God’s people to fulfill the righteousness of the Law (Rom 8:1-4).
“Salvation is not a partial patching up of one’s life; it is a whole new robe of righteousness (Isa 61:10; 2Co 5:21). The Christian life is not a mixing of the old and the new; rather, it is a fulfillment of the old in the new. There are two ways to destroy a thing: you can smash it, or you can permit it to fulfill itself. An acorn, for example, can be smashed with a hammer, or it can be planted and allowed to grow into an oak. In both instances, the destruction of the acorn is accomplished; but in the second instance, the acorn is destroyed by being fulfilled.
“Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, types, and demands of the Law of Moses. The Law was ended at Calvary when the perfect sacrifice was once offered for the sins of the world (Hebrews 8-10). When you trust Jesus Christ, you become part of a new creation (2Co 5:17), and there are always new experiences of grace and glory. How tragic when people hold on to dead religious traditions when they could lay hold of living spiritual truths. Why cherish the shadows when the reality has come? (Hebrews 10:1) In Jesus Christ, we have the fulfillment of all that God promised (2Co 1:20).
We learn:
- To leave the old ways of Mosaic Law.
- To embrace the new ways of Jesus’s law.
- All things are made new (Revelation 21:5) started with the new birth (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Questions:
- Have you experienced the new birth (John 3:16)?
- Are you still trying to live in the old ways of Mosaic Law?