Queen's Road Cell

 17. Old garments tear when patched, and old wineskins break when refilled. Why do you think people sometimes prefer to patch their old coats or keep their old wineskins?   "The old is good/better" (likely an ironic observation on the attitude of the Pharisees).  We tend to resist change because it requires adjustment on our parts: the familiar is comfortable. We face discomfort with any change and growth. The parable of the garments/wine and wineskins is the first parable in Luke: the point is that the newness of  the Kingdom inaugurated by Jesus cannot co-exist within the old structures of Judaism. There will be a need for true repentance (5:32), regeneration (Jn 3:3) and worship (Jn 4:ŷ 18. What one truth from 4:14 - 5:39 would you like to apply? Write it down, with a verse reference. For Thought and Discussion Why was fasting inappropriate when Jesus was present?  "the bridegroom is with them".  Fasting is the voluntary self-denial of a legitimate need ...

We spent no time on the book questions on this topic and instead focused on John 7:37-39 as well as some of the concepts in the introduction in our study guide. Jesus 'stood up' (Jewish rabbis customarily sat to teach) and 'cried out'. This draws attention to the importance of his teaching.  I noted that the Greek punctuation in v.37-38 can also be "If anyone thirst, let him come to me. And (let him) drink, whoever believes in me. As the Scripture has said...". This variant reading is found in the ESV as well as the NIV and makes Christ rather than the one who comes to Him the subject of the Scriptural reference. John 4:10-14 suggests that both readings are possible and true. Although there is no single OT verse that speaks of rivers of living water flowing out of hearts, there are numerous references (Zec 14:9, Is 55:1 Is 12:3 , Ez 47) to living water in the OT. Jesus then must be speaking of the entirety of what the OT teaches about the Spirit's coming...