New Wine Requires New Wine Skins

Welcome to 2026!

I love today’s passage. It has been my go-to Scripture ever since my family moved back to the United States from Portugal.

These verses were given to me by my pastor when we said our goodbyes. She shared that the Lord had laid these words on her heart specifically for me. I am always so blessed by encounters like that. My soul can be a little noisy at times, so I deeply appreciate it when people who are more mature in the faith speak messages from God into my life. It feels like a big hug from my Heavenly Father.

For many of us, the new year represents new beginnings, a chance to start over. But how you start matters. Luke 5:37–39 offers wisdom on how to step into a new season, or in this case, a new year.

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.

Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins;

the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new,

for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

-Luke 5:37–39 (NIV)

What Was Jesus Talking About?

Wine and wineskins?

In ancient times, new wine wasn’t stored in barrels or glass bottles—it was placed into animal skins. These skins needed to be new so the material was still hydrated and flexible. Old wineskins had already been stretched, and over time they became dry and brittle, losing their elasticity.

Wine must ferment before it is ready, and fermentation produces gases that cause expansion. If new wine were poured into an old wineskin, the pressure would cause the skin to burst—ruining both the wine and the wineskin.

Breaking It Down

In this passage, the new wine represents Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God. He preached salvation through faith—a radical shift from the law-keeping and ritual sacrifices the Jewish people were accustomed to. This new way of thinking would be difficult for many to accept. Jesus was making it clear: accepting His teachings would require real change.

Earlier in Luke 5:36, Jesus uses another illustration to emphasize this point:

“No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one.

Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment,

and the patch from the new will not match the old.”

The original Greek word used for match here is symphōneō, meaning to agree with, to be in harmony with, or to fit together. Think about that.

When you choose to follow Jesus, there will be things you no longer agree with, old beliefs, thought patterns, and even environments that no longer fit with the new truth taking root in your life. Sanctification is a process, and it often means letting go of what once felt familiar.

When the Old Still Feels Better

Jesus is very honest with His audience. He tells them,

“No one after drinking old wine wants the new,

for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

-Luke 5:39

Jesus understands the human heart. He knows that sin can taste better than righteousness, at least for a moment. The familiar often feels more comfortable than the unknown, even when it isn’t good for us.

But the truth is this: sin will never fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts. It will never satisfy our deep need for communion with the One who created all things.

Sin feeds the desires of the flesh. It helps us blend in with the world and numbs us to our emptiness. It distracts us from the ache within, convincing us we are satisfied when, in reality, we are still longing for more.

Only Jesus offers what truly satisfies. Only He can make us whole.

Encouragement for the Journey

Be encouraged—you do not walk through this radical change alone.

The Holy Spirit dwells within those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. And Jesus Himself promises us in Matthew 28:20:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Following Jesus means trading striving for Faith, anxiety for Hope, and fear for Love.

As we step into this new year, may we have hearts willing to become new wineskins—soft, surrendered, and ready for all that God longs to pour into us.