January 13

In Matthew 9:16-17, Jesus gives us insight into the greatest miracle Scripture promises, the indwelling Spirit of God within His children. "Within His children" is a critical phrase. Not everyone has God within. Everyone is part of His creation, but only those who have made a vow of devotion to Jesus have the promised Holy Spirit (John 1:12-13)

Jesus gives us two analogies in Matthew 9 that seem at odds with each other at first glance. The patch analogy speaks of shrinking and the wineskin analogy speaks of stretching.

In the first parable, Jesus is trying to help us see that God miraculously enables Himself to fit within us, an act only possible by an all powerful God. In the patch analogy, we are the garment and He is the patch. We are incapable of repairing ourselves! We need a God patch!

In the wineskin parable, God is the new wine and we are the old wineskin. Here, God miraculously enables us to stretch, that in our grossly sinful state, to not be destroyed by the indwelling presence of an absolutely holy God. If it were not for Jesus' death on the cross making atonement for our sin, we would not be able to withstand God's presence, especially living inside of our humanity!

God shrinks, we stretch...eternal life!

Pastor Fred