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Notes:
Biblical fasting
Fasting is often practiced for its health, system cleansing benefits
- Daniel Fast
- Fasting as a general practice in the world
Fasting as a biblical practice
A regular practice
- A focus on denying the flesh as we seek to draw closer to the Lord
Specific fasting
Spiritual preparation for ministry
- Matt. 4, Luke 4: Jesus’ own ministry
- Matt. 17:21: This kind only comes out with prayer and fasting
- Acts 13:1-3: In concert with prayer/worship for God’s wisdom and direction: direction
- Ezra 8:21-23: In concert with prayer for God’s protection
The question at hand regarding fasting
In the context of a wedding (the presence of the Bridegroom), fasting would be inappropriate
- The image of the wedding is often used in both the Old and New Testaments
- While the Bridegroom is here, the response should be one of joy
- There will soon come the time when the Bridegroom will be taken away, and fasting will become necessary
Old/New cloth
- You wouldn’t expect to fix up an old cloth with new cloth
- Jesus didn’t come to “patch up” the Old Covenant, but to fulfill its purpose, and introduce the New Covenant
Old/New Wine & wineskins
- Old wineskins are inadequate to hold new wine, therefore a new/fresh wineskin is necessary for new wine
- The Law was adequate for what it was intended to hold, but not for the new wine/Covenant
