Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting^(A)

^18 (B)The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, “Can the ^[a]friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be ^(C)taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. ²¹ No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry^(A)

^14 (B)Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, ^(C)preaching the gospel ^[a]of the kingdom of God,

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

¹⁶ “Moreover, ^(A)when you fast, do not be like the ^[a]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, ^(B)anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you ^[b]openly.

⁵¹ Then, behold, ^(A)the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

²⁰ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ^(A)“This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

¹⁸ For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of ^(A)its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for ^(B)the law made nothing ^[a]perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of ^(C)a better hope, through which ^(D)we draw near to God.

²³ Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. ²⁴ But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also ^(A)able to save ^[a]to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives ^(B)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a High Priest was fitting for us, ^(C)who is holy, ^[b]harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, ^(D)and has become higher than the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His ^(E)own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

⁶ But now ^(A)He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a ^(B)better covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant^(C)

⁷ For if that ^(D)first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

Limitations of the Earthly Service

⁶ Now when these things had been thus prepared, ^(A)the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. ⁷ But into the second part the high priest went alone ^(B)once a year, not without blood, which he offered for ^(C)himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that ^(D)the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.