Fasting debate

Fasting debate

 

Mark 2:18-20『And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast in those days.

In the Old Testament, “one of the representative piety in serving God” was fasting. God commanded all the people to fast on the Day of Atonement. On that day, priests were also required to wear linen, burn incense, and sprinkle animal blood before approaching God. In addition, all the people had to stop eating and come together to God. Also, whenever the people felt God's wrath for something, they had to fast and weep all day. They had to tear their clothes, sprinkle ashes, stop eating, and cry. This is what fasting looked like in the Old Testament era.

The fasting of John's disciples and Pharisees according to the order of the Old Testament was an act of piety. However, the word of the Lord is, 『Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 』 is asking. Jesus "speaks of himself as the bridegroom of a wedding house, and his disciples as guests of the wedding house. And through Jesus himself, the bridegroom, a joyous wedding feast has begun in the kingdom of God. Jesus is the arrival of a completely different new era. By declaring, he is answering the question of fasting.

Even now, if we teach fasting in the Old Testament sense and require it as if it were a standard of righteousness, it is neither teaching God's people as the gospel nor is it correct. Christianity does not lead a disharmonious religious life, like cutting a new piece of cloth and weaving it into an old, holey piece of clothing. Regarding the fasting requirement of John's disciples, Jesus said, “No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment.” If they do that, because the fabric of the new clothes has a lot of tension, if they try to weave it on the old clothes, they will end up making the old clothes even more frayed.

Jesus says: The kingdom of God is not the old clothes of the Israelites in the Old Testament era based on the law, but the fresh cloth based on the law of the Holy Spirit. So it tells you what cannot be mixed. Today, in many churches, the practice of attaching old linen to raw linen continues. Although they believe in the Holy Spirit, they live a religious life based on the law.

『the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.』The new covenant enters into the new person chosen by God. A new person refers to someone who is born again of water and the Holy Spirit.

In John 3:3-5, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.』 In order for a believer to become a new person, the old person must die. The old self refers to the physical self.

Jesus said that one must be born again of water and the Spirit. Water represents the law. Jesus was first invited to a wedding feast in a place called Cana in Galilee. However, the wedding feast ran out of wine. These words speak of an imperfect wedding feast, that is, the situation in the Old Testament. In John 2:6-7, “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.”

Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.』

The six stone jars represent the law. The water in it is water for washing hands, washing away sins and showing purity. Water in the Old Testament means washing away sin. But Jesus said to the jar, “Fill it with water.” This is the fulfillment of the law. The fulfillment of the law is death on the cross. So water represents death. In the rite of baptism, water represents death. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death.”

But the water became wine. Wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the issue of washing away sins was expressed through water, but in the New Testament, it appears through the blood of Jesus. The meaning of precious blood represents the meaning of atonement. God gives the blood of Jesus to Satan and buys sinners who repent. So, God forgives people’s sins. So sinners become those crucified with Jesus. In Romans 6:2, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 』Romans 6:6-7』Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.』