Luke 5:33-35

Luke chapter 5 verses 33, the 35 for our text and study this morning. And they said unto him, why did the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink? and he said unto them, can you make the children of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. May God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. John Bunyan was once, a foul-mouthed tinker, went about repairing, you know, various kitchen materials, pots and pans and things of this nature. And he was turned into a Baptist preacher by the grace of God. However, for the odious crime of continuing to preach, when forbidden to do so by the magistrates, he was thrown into prison. 1660, that occurred. His prayer. preaching was silenced. He was separated from his family, which was a real hardship for his family. And yet out of the bitterness of the situation comes the sweetness of Bunyan’s writings. We would not have had Pilgrim’s progress if he wasn’t thrown into prison. So out of this situation, we have this book which is beloved by believers everywhere, and many of the writings of Bunyan had to do with some of the time that he spent in prison. How often we find Christ in the Gospels having to deal with objections and disputes? People are always bringing complaints to him. And we’ve seen it prior to this. You know, why are you? eating and drinking with publicans and sinners. And now we have another question that arises with regard to fasting. Here is a complaint against his disciples. It provides an occasion, however, for Christ to give us some very important instruction. So out of this negativity comes something positive. The wisdom of Christ enables him to bring good out of evil. And so the interest of the truth are served. This present discourse of our Lord shows how much he loves his people and how tenderly he deals with young Christians. I want to deal with the topic of young Christians and religious duties from this passage of Scripture. Now let me begin by saying this. The Christians may disagree with regard to certain customs and practices. Verse 33, and they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees but thine eat and drink? Now, John’s disciples here, find fault with Christ’s disciples over the matter of fasting. The word they here is not defined for us in this text. However, in Matthew’s Gospel, we read, then came to him the disciples of John in chapter 9, verse 14, and asked this question. It’s possible that disciples, some of the disciples of the Pharisees had joined in with them. So they may. may refer back to the scribes and the Pharisees in verse 30. They seemed like the two of them, the disciples of John, and at least some of the disciples of the Pharisees, according to Mark 218, went to Christ with this question. Now, while there was no essential difference with regard to the major doctrines between John’s disciples and Christ’s disciples, there were some differences, evidently, with regard to customs and practices. Now, John’s teaching was clear on the issue of salvation. Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. He pointed people to Jesus Christ. John’s disciples believed the gospel. However, his teaching certainly lacked the fullness and the perfection that Christ teaching provided. Now, the objection raised by John’s disciples, and perhaps some of the disciples of the Pharisees here, against the disciples of Christ, had to do with the frequency of fasting. Now, this fasting was not the fasting that was commanded in the law. There were certain days that they were supposed to fast. That’s not what he’s talking about here. He’s talking about private fasting when you voluntarily fast for some reason or another. You know John, if you read the economy, he lived a very plain life. He was a man that spent much time in the wilderness, not in fancy houses. He had a garment of goat’s hair. He ate locusts and wild honey. He had a leather girdle wrapped around his loins. And it’s fair to conclude that evidently he fasted often. lived the rather austere life. His followers, no doubt, followed in the footsteps of John the Baptist. Perhaps because of the austerity of his own life, they thought they should fast often. And so they did. They frequently fast. Perhaps as much as, you know, twice a week, just like the Pharisee claimed in Luke 18 when he went to the temple. So the disciples of John saw this situation as another instance of a clear slackness in Christ’s disciples, which were young disciples. And so the question comes up, why aren’t your disciples fasting? Add to this, that of eating with the publicans and sinners that came up. and you get the impression that John’s disciples did not have a high view, perhaps, of the Christian life of Christ’s disciples. John’s disciples thought themselves to be superior, and thus they found fault here with Christ’s disciples. So they complain to Christ. They go to the master, say, look at your disciples. They’re not fasting what’s going on. They’re lacking in some. something. So John’s disciples find fault with Christ’s disciples on the matter of fast. Now, we should note this. If you read the sermon on the Mount, you’ll notice that Christ instructed his disciples that when they fasted, they were to keep it a secret. If you read chapter 6 of Matthew’s Gospel, perhaps John’s disciples didn’t really really. that Christ’s disciples were fasting at all. For Christ commanded his disciples not to be like the hypocrites. And evidently he was specifically referring to the scribes and the Pharisees who put on a sad countenance, who disfigured their faces so that they would appear to everyone to be fasting. He complains about that in Matthew 6.16. They were doing it for show. I’m fasting. Instead, they were to keep their fasting secret, and God would reward them openly. And therefore, it’s uncharitable to conclude that Christ’s disciples didn’t fast at all, but we read in Matthew 914, the question that John’s disciples ask is, why do we, and the Pharisees fast off, but thy disciples fast not? Well, they were, you know, they were. They could be fasting. We just not told specifically about it. Christ is going to address the issue specifically here in a moment. You must not judge a person’s religion solely but what you can see externally, because there may be indeed a deeper spirituality to people than we recognize off the first glance at their life. Christ’s response to this accusation seems. to agree with the fact that the frequency of his disciples did not match that of John’s disciples. He doesn’t deny that that’s the case, but Christ here commanded his disciples to keep their fasting a secret. Now let me make a couple of observations from this passage of this verse. It’s common for people to make themselves the standard to which everybody else must conform. You should be prepared to find differences in customs and practices among the various Christians that you meet. It’s going to happen. Well, agreeing on major doctrines of the faith, on the lesser points of religion, maybe there is some difference. The problem arises when someone tries to force their standard on every else. You’ve got to be just like me. Such is the situation in our text. Your disciples aren’t fasting frequently enough. We don’t think they’re doing it all. No one has a right to dictate how frequently you fast. That’s between you and God. Christians have had disputes and how often the Lord’s Supper should be observed. There are people that observe the Lord’s Supper once a month. There are people that observe it every quarter. There are people who observe it once or twice a year. Is, you know, can you, can I say, hey, it’s wrong for you? Not to, you know, if you do it quarterly, if we do it monthly, it’s wrong for you to do it quarterly? It’s wrong for you to do it quarterly? Is it right for me to demand that everybody conform to what we do? No. You know, when I was growing up, there were some pastors that demanded that you did the Lord’s Supper on Sunday evenings. You’re not allowed to do it on Sunday mornings because Christ, during the Passover, supper, it was done in the evening. So you have to do it in the evening. You can’t do it in the morning. There are reform denominations, one in the United States and one in Australia, who are almost identical in their doctrinal beliefs. You read the works from both, and I have. They’re almost identical. And yet they have a problem worshipping together. when they visit each other’s country. Why is that? Both believe in exclusive psalmody. However, one demand you have to use music, and the other one says you not to use music. So they, you know, and so they have trouble with this situation. There have been heated disputes over whether the cup in the Lord’s supper should be wine or gracious. In fact, there have been disputes over what should be red wine or a white brine in the past. And we can get into all these debates, but sort of lose the big picture when we get in a lot of these things. But beware of trying to force other Christians to match your standard. We have to be charitable and allow for differences on lesser matters of religion. And see, this is the problem that I think that John’s disciples had here, they were saying, you’ve got to do it as often as we do it or you’re not doing it right. Well, Jesus doesn’t condemn his disciples here. And so it’s common for people to make themselves the standard to which everyone must conform. The second thing I notice here is that those who urge needless conformity often give advantage to the enemies of the faith. Well, John’s disciples put this question before Christ. It’s clear that, and it should be feared here, that it seems that the scribes and the Pharisees were also involved in this, and they were behind it. And they were behind it. And they’re attempted to discredit Christ. You can imagine the Pharisees were seeking to create a division between John’s disciples and Christ’s disciples. Can you imagine? Imagine going to John’s disciples and saying, you know, Christ’s disciples, these people, these men do not fast like you and I do. And so they were trying to create a wedge. Now the scribes and the Pharisees disciples, we would say, I don’t know that they’re converted. John’s disciples, I’d say, yeah, they’re converted. Christ’s disciples, we know, are converted. But what about these Pharisees? Why are you joining with them against Christ’s disciples? Is the question that should be raised. You can hear the Pharisees saying, your disciples and ours, take our religion seriously, so we frequently fast, what’s wrong with Christ’s disciples that they don’t do that? It’s shameful when we think about it. That John’s disciples would join with the Pharisees who are enemies of Christ to condemn their brothers. is in Christ. How would you feel if a fellow believer came up to you and said, we and the Catholics observe Lent, which is a type of fasting, we observe Lent every year. What’s the matter with your church? Can I put it in that way this morning? Can I put it similar to that? It’s a sad day when the so-called reformed churches side with the Roman Catholic Church against Calvin and Luther. the basic doctrines of salvation and justification by faith. Yet they claim to be reformed. What do you join in the enemy for? What do you attack in those that you claim are brothers in Christ, promoting an error? Lord Nelson was a commander of the English Navy during the Battle of Trafalgar, and during this naval battle, he came on deck and he found two officers of his fighting and arguing with one another. He whirled them around, pointed it across the water to the adversary, the French, and exclaimed, gentlemen, there are the enemies. Don’t fight with one another. That’s the guy, those are the guys over there we’re supposed to be fighting with. Friends, don’t let the enemies of the gospel so discord between you and fellow believers in Christ. So Christians may disagree regarding certain kinds of people, customs and practices, that’s going to happen. Secondly, as long as Christ is physically present with his disciples, it’s a time of joy. And that’s what Jesus says here in verses 34 and 35. He said unto them, can you make the children of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken. taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. Now, you notice how Jesus, he’s always wise in how he addresses these issues. Notice how he frames his answer in a way that justifies the behavior of his young disciples, and at the same time does not condemn John’s disciples for their own disciples, fasting often. He frames it in such a way that he says, well, you should know that this is the reason. And this is why it’s not necessary for them to be fasting frequently. But he never says anything negative about the fasting of John’s disciples because they obviously were to see and in their fasting. His argument is taken from the joy and the rejoicing that takes place in a marriage situation. It’s a festification. It’s a time of celebration. It’s not a time of sadness and mourning. It would be unfit for us to be gloomy, to be sorrowful on a happy occasion of a wedding, would it? Wouldn’t it? I mean, if you had a gloomy goss on a wedding day? Now, our Lord portrays himself here as the bridegroom. His church is the bridegroom. We’ve been doing at this in the Song of Solomon. If you read Psalm 45, if you read the book of Revelation, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and so forth, Christ is portrayed throughout Scripture as the bridegroom, even in the Gospels, he is portrayed that way. Christ and his people have a special relationship, a close relationship. Christ is the king’s son, for whom there is a wedding feast prepared. Matthew 22. Christ is the Lamb. We have the marriage supper of the Lamb in the book of Revelation chapter 19. Paul says to the Corinthians, I have a spouse to you one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. John the Baptist himself spoke of Jesus as the bridegroom. In John chapter 3 in verse 29, here’s what he said. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom. Christ is the one with the bride. All the people were going to Christ, leaving John and going to Christ, and he says, that’s fine, because he’s the bridegroom, and they’re the bride. The friend of the bridegroom, I’m the friend of the bridegroom, see, which standeth and heareth him, rejoith this greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. I’m happy that Christ is here. I’m thrilled that he has come. Thus, my joy therefore is fulfilled. I’m happy. I’m satisfied. So John’s disciples must acknowledge what Christ is saying is true because their own leader taught about Christ being the Brighroom. So this is not an obscure language here. They should know what he’s talking about. And Christ’s disciples here are friends of the Brigham, just like John the Baptist. They are the ministers, the gospel preachers, if you would. They’re part of the bride, but they are separated because of the distinction that they have as being friends. And they have a special relationship to Christ as the, if you would, the watchman over his church, trusted with its oversight and care. The point is, having Christ, physically present with them, the bridegroom, requires them to be in a state of joy and happiness. It’s only reasonable that that would be the case, he says. And John and Baptist himself, my joy is fulfilled in seeing Christ. So the time of Christ being with his disciples, beginning with his public ministry, all the way up through his death, and then shortly after his resurrection, he ascends to heaven, was it time to rejoice. However, he says the day’s going to come when the bridegroom will be taken away. You’ll be put to death. He’s going to be cut off from the land of the living. And then Christ’s disciples, when he returns to heaven, then we’ll have an occasion to fast and more frequently. So just as John’s disciples were now, in a sense, suffering because remember John the Baptist, he was beheaded. He was persecuted by the king, Herod, and so forth. We find that this kind of persecution was coming on the people of God. And so it’s going to get worse, and Christ’s disciples are going to undergo attacks too. And so they’re all going to be fasting and suffering. But right now, with Christ here, it’s time of joy. Now, let me make a couple of practical observations here. The first is this. Look at the wonderful relationship that Christ has with his people. We often read about these things, but we don’t ponder the relationship that’s mentioned here as clearly as we should. The name bridegroom speaks volumes about the kind of relationship that Christ has with his people. Christ doesn’t have. have a cold, aloof, distant relationship with his people, but a close, intimate relationship with his people. What joy would be in this distant, aloof relationship? No, it’s a warm, happy, special relationship. Think of the tender love that Christ has for his church. He loved his church and gave himself for it. His affection for you corresponds to that of a husband. in life, indeed newlyweds. Think of the type of union you enjoy with Christ. It certainly exceeds that of king and subject. He is our king and we are the citizens of his kingdom, but it’s better than that. It’s certainly better than a boss and employee. It’s certainly better than teacher and student, even though he’s our master. It’s certainly better than doctor and patient, although he’s the great physician, and we’ve been healed by. him. It’s certainly better than parent and child, even though we were sons of God. It’s the closest of all unions possible. That of the union of a husband and wife. Ephesians 5 says this, for we are members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. We’re united to him in a special way. Think of the participation you enjoy with all that is Christ. When you marry, and we’ve talked about this in the past, all that the husband has is yours. So being married to Christ means that every benefit, every blessing of his is now ours. Is he an heir of God? So are we. we’re joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That’s what the scripture tells us. Is he, does he inherit all things? Yeah. Do we inherit all things? Yeah. He gives his wife his name, his wealth, his property, his home, his standing in society. That’s the way it is in marriage. And in the spiritual marriage, it’s the same. We get all that Christ has. When you marry all your debt and liability is assumed by the husband as the head of the home. He takes that responsibility. So when we, being married to Christ, all our sin debt, all our liabilities before God are taken by him. He bears them, so let us rejoice in such a relationship that we have with Christ. Do you know anything about this? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Because A union with Christ involves faith in him, being his disciple, following him. So the wonderful relationship Christ has with his people. The second thing I suggest you is this. You learn every duty of the Christian life is to be done in its proper season. To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 says, And verse four goes on to say, a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance or rejoice. There’s a time to fast, and there’s a time to rejoice that Christ is here. You don’t laugh and rejoice at a funeral. It’s a sad and solemn occasion. Nor do you, or should you be mournful and gloomy at a wedding. That’s a joyful celebration. Well, the Christian. Christian life requires you to study what’s proper in the situation in which you find yourself. Is there any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any among you marry? Let him sing Psalms. There’s two different things he mentions here. The time of great temporal and spiritual prosperity is a time of great gratitude to God. you’re joyful on those occasions. But the time of dark providences, the time of backsliding, is a time for deep humiliation, sorrow, fasting, weeping with regard to fasting. There are occasions when it is suitable, when it is necessary. I like how Jesus states it in the sermon of the mouth. He doesn’t say if you fast. He says, when you fast, Here’s how you do it. As if he expects us at times to be fast. Not all the time, but when you do, do it like this. There is indeed a need at times to cultivate a spirit of self-denial to keep our body in subjection to the laws of Christ. Fasting is commonly a private matter between you and the Lord. People have been a private matter. known to go to extremes and, you know, actually harm themselves at times. But weigh the matters carefully. Seek to do what’s appropriate for the occasion. Prayerfully considered, if this is a time, a proper time to fast, how best should I use this time in which I’m fasting? And am I fasting under the Lord for his honor and for his glory? These are the kinds of things we question and should ask us. those. Fasting shouldn’t be a routine thing. Oh, I do it twice a week, you know, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It should be more of a situation where something comes up, where we have to mourn some sin or do something, deal with something. Sometimes the church in its ordination of leadership will fast before because it’s a solemn occasion. You’re putting someone into authority. And so we read in scripture and occasions, occasions, They fasted when they did this and prayed about who they were putting in the office. As long as Christ, though, is physically present with his disciples. It’s a time of joy. And so there’s a time to fast and there’s a time not to fast. Well, let me close this morning by saying this. Out of the bitterness of John Bunyan being thrown into prison, we get the sweetness of his writings, like Pilgrim’s Progress. Out of the bitterness of John Bunyan, out of the bitterness of his writings, out of the bitterness. objections and disputes that Christ had to deal with, we find some wonderful teaching here by our Lord. Christians may disagree regarding certain customs and practices. One, Christians must not make themselves the standard, but everybody has to conform to. And two, urging needless conformity gives advantage to the enemies of the church. As long as Christ is physical, present, it’s a time of joy. But every duty of the Christian life has its time and its seasons. Weigh this and practice appropriately. There’s a time to fast and mourn and there’s a time to rejoice and celebrate. Let’s close with a word of prayer.