Mark 2:18-22

The Bridegroom

Devotional 11 of 50 · Mark chapter 2

00:00--:--

Audio coming soon

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you.” So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus

Mark 2:18-22 · BSB

¹⁸Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were often fasting. So people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees?” ¹⁹Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? As long as He is with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. ²¹No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result. ²²And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”

Jesus

What is the connection between fasting, Jesus being a bridegroom, shrunken cloth, and wine skins? One connection is that none of these things are common to our culture today. Fasting is rarely practiced in churches, grooms are not called bridegrooms, wine isn’t put into animal skins, and we usually just buy new clothes instead of patching them. Jesus uses this imagery to make the point that the old way of fasting, found in the Old Testament, doesn’t fit anymore. And not only does it not fit, but it will actually cause damage if done in the old way.

Jesus has changed the game of fasting and the reason lies in this title He gives Himself as bridegroom. The former way of fasting was for repentance and mourning. Fasting was also often abused and used to draw attention to those fasting, mostly by the religious leaders. The chief characteristic that is to mark our fasting now is a longing for Jesus, the Bridegroom. A bridegroom enters into a covenant with his bride and offers a bride price for her hand in marriage. Although the ceremony, consummation, and moving in together won’t occur for months, the covenant is made and it is unbreakable. After this covenant is made, the bridegroom then goes and prepares a place for them both to live together, and they are separated for this time until the father of the bridegroom says it’s time.

Jesus, as a bridegroom, paid the price for us on the cross and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us. Now, the chief mark of fasting is one of longing for Jesus to return to be with us forever. Jesus has bought us with a price, which makes Him our redeemer. Jesus has entered into an unbreakable promise, He paid the price for us, He is preparing a place for us, and He will return for us. He is our Bridegroom.

His Desires

Don’t rush past this revelation; since Jesus is our heavenly Bridegroom, this means He desires us. He desires His people. He longs for us and delights in us. He aches, deep in His heart, for the day when we are forever, fully together. And He desires that times of fasting will be during this time of temporary physical separation from Him. Fasting will be practiced by those longing for His return.

Note also that Jesus didn’t say “if they will fast”, but “then they will fast”. He assumes that fasting will be an act of love and worship that His followers will practice. And again, not out of obligation, but out of a heart-felt longing for His return.

Follow Through

Take time to fast—intentionally skip meals
Associate longing for food with the greater longing for Jesus’ return
Worship and delight in Jesus as our coming Bridegroom

Testimonies

This is where people will share how they actually obeyed this passage — and read what happened to everyone else who obeyed the same words.

Coming soon

Devotional 11 of 50

NextMaster of RestMark 2:23-28

← Seeking Sinners

Comments

Coming soon. This is where readers will share how they obeyed this passage.