Luke 5:33-39 Meaning: When the Bridegroom Is Here
33They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”
34He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”
36He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
37No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled and the skins will be destroyed.
38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
39No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
33And 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?
34And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
36And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
33And they said unto him, The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink.
34And Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days.
36And he spake also a parable unto them: No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old.
37And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish.
38But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins.
39And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good.
33And they said unto him, `Wherefore do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications--in like manner also those of the Pharisees--but thine do eat and drink?'
34And he said unto them, `Are ye able to make the sons of the bride-chamber--in the bridegroom being with them--to fast?
35but days will come, and, when the bridegroom may be taken away from them, then they shall fast in those days.'
36And he spake also a simile unto them--`No one a patch of new clothing doth put on old clothing, and if otherwise, the new also doth make a rent, and with the old the patch doth not agree, that is from the new.
37`And no one doth put new wine into old skins, and if otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;
38but new wine into new skins is to be put, and both are preserved together;
39and no one having drunk old wine , doth immediately wish new, for he saith, The old is better.'
33And they said to him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make supplications, in like manner those also of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?
34And he said to them, Can ye make the sons of the bridechamber fast when the bridegroom is with them?
35But days will come when also the bridegroom will have been taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days.
36And he spoke also a parable to them: No one puts a piece of a new garment upon an old garment, otherwise he will both rend the new, and the piece which is from the new will not suit with the old.
37And no one puts new wine into old skins, otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;
38but new wine is to be put into new skins, and both are preserved.
39And no one having drunk old wine [straightway] wishes for new, for he says, The old is better.
Meaning in one sentence
Why Jesus says new wine needs fresh wineskins, and what that means for how we hold old religious habits and God's new work.
Context
In Luke 5, Jesus has just called Levi the tax collector and eaten a feast at his house with many other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes are watching, and they grumble about Jesus eating with such people. Then a new question comes: why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast often and pray, while Jesus' disciples eat and drink? Fasting was a regular practice for many devout Jews, a way to show humility and seek God. But Jesus and his disciples are feasting, not fasting. So Jesus answers with a picture that is both warm and startling. He calls himself the bridegroom, and says his disciples are the wedding guests. You do not fast at a wedding. Then he offers two short parables about cloth and wineskins, and a puzzling final saying about old wine being better. The whole passage is about why the new thing God is doing in Jesus does not fit into the old religious containers people are used to.
Key Words
The Greek text uses two different words for "new" in this passage, and the difference matters. Neos (new wine, verse 37) means young or fresh, wine that is still fermenting, still active. Kainos (new garment, fresh wineskins) means new in kind, unused, something of a different quality. The new teaching and presence of Jesus is not just a younger version of the old religion; it is something entirely fresh that needs its own forms.
The word for wineskins, askos, refers to bags made from animal hides. Old skins become brittle and stretched. If you pour still-fermenting wine into them, the pressure from the gas will burst the seams. Both the wine and the skin are lost. Jesus is saying his message, the good news of grace, the joy of the kingdom, the presence of God with sinners, is like that fermenting wine. It cannot be contained in the stiff, worn-out structures of religious rule-keeping. It needs new wineskins: new hearts, new communities, new ways of living.
And the word for the bridegroom, numphios, is a word full of Old Testament promise. God is often pictured as the bridegroom of Israel. By using this title for himself, Jesus is quietly saying: the wedding has started. The one Israel has waited for is here. That is why there is feasting, not fasting.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage as pointing to the newness of the gospel. Many Protestant commentators see the old wineskins as the system of the law and the Pharisees’ traditions, which cannot contain the grace and freedom brought by Christ. They emphasise that Jesus creates a new covenant that does not just patch up the old one.
Catholic and Orthodox readers often give more weight to verse 39, the remark that no one who has drunk old wine immediately wants new. They see this as Jesus gently acknowledging that people formed by the old religious practices are not to be harshly broken. The old is good, but the new is also needed. The Church holds both Testaments together, and fasting continues to have a place, especially after the bridegroom was taken away (the time after the ascension).
What all traditions share is the sense that Jesus is doing something unprecedented, and that holding onto familiar forms can keep us from receiving what He brings.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take verse 39, “The old is better”, as Jesus endorsing the old ways over the new. They think this means we should stick with traditional religious practices and resist change. In fact, Jesus is not praising the old wine. He is describing a natural human tendency: people who are used to something comfortable do not immediately reach for something unfamiliar. He is naming the resistance the Pharisees feel toward his new work. The saying is a diagnosis, not a prescription. Jesus loves the old wine of Scripture and tradition, but He is also the one who says new wine must go into fresh wineskins.
Living This Out
This week, watch for where you might be holding onto religious habits that have lost their life. Maybe you fast or pray or go through the motions out of duty, but the joy is gone. Jesus wants to put new wine into you, His presence, His freedom, His laughter. But that may mean letting go of some old wineskins: the way you have always done faith, the expectations you put on yourself, the judgments you make about who is in and who is out.
Is there a relationship or a practice where you are patching an old garment instead of letting Jesus give you something new? That is the question this passage leaves in your hands. The bridegroom is with you. You do not have to fast today. You can feast.
Main takeaway: Jesus brings something so new that it cannot be contained in old religious forms, He is the bridegroom, and His presence is a reason to feast.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus said His friends don't need to fast because He is with them, like having a party. New wine needs new bags so it doesn't break. Jesus gives us something new and good.
For ages 9, 12
When people asked Jesus why His disciples weren't fasting, He used two pictures. You don't sew a new patch on an old shirt, it will just tear. And you don't put new wine into old wineskins, the fermenting wine will burst them. Jesus was saying that the good news He brings is so fresh it can't fit into old religious rules. He wants to give us a new way to know God, full of joy because He is with us.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jesus call himself the bridegroom in Luke 5:34?
In the Old Testament, God is often pictured as the bridegroom of His people Israel (Hosea 2, Isaiah 62). By using this title, Jesus is claiming to be God present with His people. A wedding is a time of celebration, not mourning, so His disciples feast, not fast.
What do the old wineskins represent in Luke 5:37?
Old wineskins represent the old religious system, the traditions, laws, and practices of the Pharisees that have become stiff and brittle. Jesus' new teaching, the gospel of grace, forgiveness, and joy, cannot be poured into those old forms without destroying both. He calls for fresh wineskins: new hearts and new ways of living that can hold His new work.
Does Luke 5:39 mean the old way is better?
No. Jesus is describing a common human reaction, not endorsing it. People who are used to old wine do not immediately want new; they say the old is better. Similarly, people comfortable with familiar religious practices resist the new thing Jesus brings. The verse is a warning about the danger of preferring the familiar over the living God.
Is Jesus against fasting?
No. Jesus says there will be days when the bridegroom is taken away, and then His disciples will fast (verse 35). After Jesus' death and ascension, fasting continued in the early church (Acts 13:2-3). But fasting must fit the occasion. When the bridegroom is present, it is a time for celebration. Jesus is not abolishing fasting; He is putting it in its proper place.
Why does Luke include verse 39 when Matthew and Mark do not?
Luke alone records the saying about old wine being better. Many commentators see this as Luke's characteristic tenderness, he highlights Jesus' understanding of human reluctance. Jesus does not condemn those who cling to old ways; He gently names their hesitation. The verse shows both the patience of Jesus and the challenge of His new work.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study