What sets apart Christianity from all other false religions of the world? From the previous week Pastor Paul preached that Christianity is different because it deals with the heart and the inner man. Because man’s heart is deceitful and sick, Jesus came down from heaven to transform hearts made of stone to hearts of flesh. Moreover, Christianity is a religion full of joy and love that surpasses all circumstances and comprehension. And it begins and ends with Jesus Christ alone. It is only through Christ’s death and resurrection a sinner is given a new heart filled with joy and love inexpressible, and the desire and ability to love Christ above all else.
Exclusivity of Christianity – v. 36
As Jesus begins to tell a parable, He illustrates by beginning with something that was common sense to all people during Jesus’ days: “No one tears…”. Jesus, then, quickly transitions into contrasting a new garment and old garment, the old garment representing Judaism by which the Pharisees exercised their authority and emphasized the importance of oral laws over the written laws (i.e., tradition). What is dangerous about tradition is the lessening the seriousness of sin, so that there is no need for a Savior. False religions are no different when it comes to downplaying the gravity of sin. Another problem with tradition is it breeds a heart of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Jesus likens these hypocrites as washed tombs with dead bones inside because they only care about the externals.
Bu, Jesus presents the exclusive gospel that brings sin to light, which represents the new garment. The new means something never heard or seen. This newness Christ illustrates is when “anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore, Christianity is defined as a pure religion that is unmatched (Jn. 14:6); there is none like it because it is supernatural. Only through God’s supernatural work in the sinner’s heart can sin be realized, repented of, forgiven and live in exclusive love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why Christianity is a living religion – v. 37
The first implication Jesus makes is that the gospel is new. In the analogy that describes no one putting new wine into old wineskins, Jesus implies there is no room for the gospel of Christ (i.e., the New Covenant) with Judaism and its rituals. Christianity is alive because Jesus rose from the grave and is alive today and forever and it is through His Word that continues to pierce the hearts of sinners to trust and follow Him. This truth is what makes Christianity growing and continuing until the Lord fulfills everything until the end.
Why Christianity is supernatural – v. 38
As mentioned previously, it is when we hear the living word of God that we know we are made alive to God (Heb. 4:12). The word of God has power to save and helps the redeemed to continue on in their faith through diligence (Heb. 4:11). The truth is that without God drawing us out from our sinful state we will have no desire to do so. The old cannot ever be made new without the supernatural of God. Unless God changes the way we think about our sin can we, then, turn from it to God to be saved. Therefore, only the Christian can utter the words “It is by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).
In Jesus’ parable, He illustrates that is not possible to patch New Covenant truth onto Old Mosaic ceremonial forms. It is through Him alone a sinner is made alive to live according to the will of God. In the context of the passage, the Lord Jesus Christ was showing what the Pharisees did in fasting or any other ritual had no part in the new gospel Jesus preached. Therefore, may the sinner realize their sin by the grace of God and believe in Christ through faith so that change can take place from the inside out. This is Christianity.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
Leave a comment