Matthew Chapter 9 Verses 14 – 15

• This is the first time Jesus even hints at His coming rejection and very interesting, this word for “friends” is actually, completely…entirely…, “sons,” in the Greek. This is huge, a WHOLE NEW THING! John’s disciples followed John’s example of extreme humility. The Pharisees fasted as often as twice a week to appear to be spiritually superior…but Jesus was here neither to establish John the Baptist nor Judaism. He was here to do something entirely new…Jesus came not to establish a religion but to perfect it…The Son of God became of Son of man, so that sons of men could become sons of God!

Matthew Chapter 9 Verses 16 – 17

• This is a perfect parable! Jesus is saying to them and to us that He didn’t come to simply repair or reform or rearrange…He came to replace! Christianity should not improve your life. True Christianity should completely replace your life! These are practical truths! The patch has to be prepared for the pants leg…or it won’t hold on to it…just like you and me…if we come to the Lord with some sort of self-centered motive then after some time, a couple of washes, you’ll tear away…that’s just how it happens…but come pre-shrunk – HA – with a heart that is broken over sin and a spirit that is submitted to God then man, you’ll hold…
• And if you pour new wine into old wine skins then the wine, as it expands and continues its fermenting process ever so slightly, the old wine skins just aren’t flexible at all…in fact they become brittle in strength and yet hard to the touch…just like a life lived apart from Christ…and that new wine causes the old wine skins to burst…and its all ruined…Jesus says put the new wine into new wine skins (brand new in the Greek)…a picture of being born again…and yet also a picture of simple Christian living…the living we are called to!  
• Jesus desires to do something new in you, not just patch up something old…on the day of salvation and every day thereafter as a follower of Jesus and child of God! Now interesting, two things that come to mind…if you put just a little wine into old wineskins, you’ll probably be ok…which is what a bunch of church folk do…don’t do that…you’re missing out…and second, there is a way to renew old wineskins…just soak them in water, rub them with oil and repeat!

• I love that! Hey Christonian…that’s a Christian that has become prehistorically crusty…if the things of God are not new and exciting to you anymore…if the love and joy of God is lacking in your walk…do this…submerge yourself in the water of the Word…what does that mean, read more? Not necessarily. Repent from your sinful habits that have crept in…you know what they are…those things that take away from your walk with God…go under water, man…and apply that oil of gladness again…draw near to God by walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit…that’s just good spiritual calories right there, get you some!

Matthew Chapter 9 Verse 18

• Now this same scene can be found in Mark and Luke and the other gospels actually name this ruler…Jairus…and Mark actually tells us that Jairus was THE ruler of synagogue. Now that’s big…because before the Babylonian captivity there was only the temple and all or most of the Jews lived within traveling distance of the temple but when they were carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC they faced somewhat of a religious crisis…
• The temple and the temple services were Israel’s link to God but there in Babylon, as they established life amongst the Babylonians…jobs, houses, etc…they had no temple. And so they wondered if the covenant God had made with them still stood. God sends a prophet named Ezekiel to assure them that they would be returned to the land which we know they were after 70 years of captivity but while in Babylon they began to gather together twice a week for prayer and reading of the Torah…and this is where the concept of the synagogue was born.
• Synagogue literally means “bring together,”…and so in any given city, if there were 10 Jewish men they would establish a synagogue and out of those 10 men, one would be chosen amongst them to lead it…and thus that ruler of the synagogue would be a man of great influence and power amongst the Jewish community. Often even acting as judge in civil matters there in the city.

• So here, the ruler of the synagogue, the most prominent Jewish man, the most pious of the Judaisers with great name, power and position…and none of that matters in light of his personal crisis. Matthew says here, “Behold a ruler came a worshipped Him.” He didn’t care what they thought of him. They probably thought that he was coming to throw DOWN! HA! Because Jesus had just in essence said openly that He Himself is God, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” He didn’t care if he would be thrown out of the synagogue or his position or Judaism. Where is his hope now? What has religion gotten him?

• This scene is intense because in a way this is a picture of the law bowing to Jesus. No power to save the sick or raise the dead, here the inferiority, inadequacy and inability of the law is laid exposed to the people in worship to the King of kings!

Matthew Chapter 9 Verses 19 – 22

• Confession! I LOVE this scene SO much! Jesus is on his way with Jairus…no doubt the crowd is just right there with them at every step…and here another outcast threads the needle of the crowd to get to Jesus! And notice, is her doctrine correct? Her doctrine is all wrong isn’t it! Where in the scriptures is it written, "Whosoever Toucheth my Jordans shall be made whole!" Nowhere, right? But what we do find…, "The pure in heart, they shall see God." "When you seek Him with all your heart, you’ll find Him." We read that "God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." So this lady right here…terrible doctrine! But healed? Yes! Why? Because God see’s right into the heart of a person. I love this.

• Why? Because there are churches and groups and pastors all over the world that claim that only they have it right. News flash for them and for us. Only Jesus has it right. We don’t have it all right. By the very practical fact that we learn means that we ain’t got it right. And that’s ok. Well pleased is the Lord!
• This lady, 12 years with a flow of blood. Poor and lost now. She’s spent all her money. And the world has spent all of her. To have an issue of blood meant that you were unclean…think about it…she hadn’t been touched for 12 years…the physicians wouldn’t have even touched her. She hadn’t been held, hugged or honored in 12 years. She hadn’t been able to work, to farm, to buy, to sell, to care for her children or her husband or her mother or father…she probably hadn’t even been home. How utterly broken her heart and her spirit must have been…and here comes Jesus. 

• Doctrine schmoctrine…pure and undefiled religion is this…brokenness…humility…purity of heart and desperate love for Jesus. You pray an hour a day, great. Fast one week out of the month, very nice. You read your Bible every day and memorize scripture purposefully and diligently. I don’t really care. Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? And do you love others? If not…what’s it all worth?

• Show me your love man. Show me your service. Let me watch you press through the crowds of your real deal problems and issues man to get to Jesus…to simply touch His garment…that is what impresses me. That is what reminds me of the cross man…that is what honors God…that is good doctrine, man.

• Mark tells us, “immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed,”…that she could go home…that she was restored. Fasting didn’t get her there, prayer didn’t get her there, repetitious religion didn’t get her there, spending didn’t get her there, seeking the counsel of men didn’t get her there…perfect doctrine got her there…I’m lost, I’m broken but if I could just get to Jesus…I can be made well… 

• This is why I reject religion and I personally reject the expressed piety of others…so what. Show me the love of Christ lest it be discovered that you are just a poser man…lest your life be wasted on living for pride and for self. I. Hate. Waste. And therefore, unashamedly, I hate religion. But my heart is filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit when service to God and service to others is revealed through the love flowing through us straight from the veins of the crucified Christ man…