Meaning of Matthew 9:17

Jesus uses the analogy of wineskins to illustrate the incompatibility of the new covenant He is establishing with the old religious systems and expectations. Old wineskins, made of animal hide, would become brittle and inelastic with age. If new wine, still fermenting and expanding, were poured into such a wineskin, the pressure would cause it to burst, leading to the loss of both the wine and the wineskin. Similarly, the radical newness of Jesus' teachings, His ministry, and the coming Kingdom of God could not be contained within the rigid, tradition-bound structures of Judaism as it was then practiced. To attempt to do so would result in the destruction of both the new message and the old framework, rendering both ineffective. The principle is that new wine requires new wineskins, signifying that new spiritual realities demand new vessels and new approaches that are flexible and capable of accommodating the transformative power of God.

Context and Background

This saying is found within the Gospel of Matthew, specifically in chapter 9, following Jesus' calling of Matthew the tax collector and His subsequent dining with tax collectors and sinners. This event had already provoked criticism from the Pharisees and John the Baptist's disciples regarding Jesus' association with "sinners" and His disciples' not fasting. Jesus had just responded to their questions about fasting (Matthew 9:14-16) by explaining that His disciples would not fast while He was present, comparing His presence to a wedding feast. The verse in question, Matthew 9:17, directly follows this discussion on fasting and serves as a further elaboration on the fundamental difference between Jesus' ministry and the existing religious paradigms. The imagery of wineskins would have been readily understood by His agrarian audience.

Key Themes and Messages

The central theme is the innovation and transformative nature of Jesus' ministry and the Kingdom of God. It highlights the incompatibility of the new with the old when the old is rigid and incapable of adaptation. Key messages include:

• The Newness of the Kingdom: Jesus' arrival signifies a radical new beginning, not an amendment to the old system.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: God's work often requires new wineskins – new ways of thinking, new structures, and new approaches – to be received and preserved.
• Preservation through Renewal: Both the "new wine" (the Gospel, the Spirit, the Kingdom) and the "new wineskins" (believers, the Church) are preserved when they are aligned.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Spiritually, the "new wine" represents the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, the teachings of Jesus, the grace of God, and the life of the New Covenant. The "new wineskins" represent believers and the Church, which must be open, flexible, and receptive to the Spirit's leading. Attempting to live the Christian life with an old, rigid, and unyielding mindset (the "old wineskin") will lead to spiritual "bursting" – a lack of spiritual vitality, a loss of the Gospel's power, and ultimately, the failure to effectively participate in God's new work. It calls for a constant renewal of the mind and spirit, allowing God to shape us into vessels fit for His current purposes.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

This verse is a pivotal point in understanding the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. The Old Testament foreshadowed a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), and Jesus is presented as the inaugurator of this new era. The Old Covenant, with its laws and sacrificial system, was a preparatory stage, a "wineskin" that served its purpose but could not contain the fullness of God's redemptive plan revealed in Christ. Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection usher in a new reality of grace, forgiveness, and direct relationship with God through the Spirit, which requires a new framework – the New Covenant, embodied in a renewed people.

Analogies

• Software Update: Trying to run a brand new operating system on an ancient computer with outdated hardware will lead to crashes and malfunctions. The new software requires compatible, updated hardware.
• New Clothes for a Growing Child: A child outgrows their old clothes. They need new, larger ones to be comfortable and functional.
• Modern Currency: Trying to use ancient coins in a modern economy would be impossible; new currency is needed for the current economic system.

Relation to Other Verses

• Mark 2:22: This saying is also recorded in Mark's Gospel, reinforcing its importance.
• Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." This verse emphasizes the need for inner transformation, analogous to the "new wineskin," to discern and live out God's will.
• Hebrews 8:13: "By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear." This passage directly addresses the obsolescence of the Old Covenant in light of the New, aligning with the metaphor of the old wineskin.
• John 16:12-13: Jesus tells His disciples, "I have much more to say to you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." This speaks to the progressive revelation of God's truth, which requires receptive hearts and minds (new wineskins) to receive.