Luke 5:34–35

The Lord was the Bridegroom, and while He was on earth the "sons" (companions, friends) of the bridechamber could not mourn or fast. In His absence they would. Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34. The friend of the Bridegroom (John the Baptist compared himself to him) is someone different from the bride herself. John 3:29.

They did not know the glory of the Person who stood in front of them, and they knew His grace no better. If they had known the unique dignity of Jesus, they would have seen how out of place it would be to fast in His presence. At ordinary times, given the evil of the first man and the sad experience of his rebellion against God, fasting would be right. But how strange for His people to fast in the presence of their longed-for King! Angels announced His very birth as good news of great joy... Gladness of heart suits both the grace and the glory of the Lord.

But the disciples of the Lord had advanced one step further. They were not taken up with the badness of the flesh, still less with its supposed goodness. Instead, the One who was all the delight of God's heart had won their hearts. So the Lord answered, "Can you make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the Bridegroom is with them?" It was He Himself who filled their hearts with joy; there was no fasting in His presence.

The presence of Christ is the only source of joy to His disciples. He has convicted them of sin, taken their sin away, and claimed their service. He wants them satisfied in Himself. They cannot fast, therefore, in His presence. It is true that for us, since He has gone, fasting and rejoicing go on together. As we pass through a judged world where Christ is not, we fast. On the other hand, as we live in His presence, with Himself always with us, we rejoice... But the lesson stands, and it can never be written too deeply on our hearts: the presence of the Lord is our joy. May we never seek it from any other source.

"The days will come, when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." The more we enter into the joy of His company, the more we will feel His absence. Feeling that, we will hold back from the joys and resources of the earth far more completely than those who are taken up either with the goodness or with the badness of man.

There are many things a Christian might do, which are not sin, but which he abstains from. We must be separate from the world, which rejected and crucified our Lord, and being separate involves fasting. The person who lives for this world is feasting today, but will fast throughout eternity. The Christian fasts today, but will feast throughout eternity.

This is the Lord's first public announcement of His death. He had spoken of it before, but privately, to Nicodemus (John 3:14). See also Luke 9:22; Luke 18:31-33; Luke 24:7, 26, 46.

At that time the disciples had enough reason to rejoice, because the Hope of Israel was with them. But the days would darken again before the millennial dawn. The Bridegroom would be taken away; then they would have reason to fast. So early in His ministry the Lord signalled to His own, in veiled but weighty language, that He must be removed from among them. As a result a sorrow would fill their hearts. Only at His second coming would that sorrow turn into joy (see John 16:17-22).

It is a striking thing to see how the Lord always holds His rejection as an integral part of His history. The Son of man must suffer, the Bridegroom be taken away.

However, the days would come when the bridegroom would be taken from them — and in fact by the cruel violence of men's rejection. Then they would fast. Our present day has that same character. We have reason to mourn the absence of our Lord, so the discipline of self-denial simply fits. Fasting is therefore often seen in the book of Acts, but always linked with prayer. Prayer has a positive character; fasting is the negative side of it, but it is not to be ignored.

From this we gather that the presence of Christ is the only source of joy to His disciples. He has convicted them of sin, taken their sin away, and claimed their service. Now He would have them satisfied in Himself. So they cannot fast in His presence. For us, since He has departed, the fasting and the rejoicing go on together. We pass through a judged scene where Christ is not, so we fast. Yet we live in His presence and have Himself always with us, so we rejoice.

Yes, those days have come. The Bridegroom was shamefully taken away, and He is still absent, so fasting suits mourners. That stays true whatever greater joy they have. They are united to Him as members of His body, a privilege never dreamt of before. They also have the joy of grace, in the revelation and active working of a Saviour God to lost sinners, Gentile no less than Jew.

His presence governed everything, and guaranteed a wonderfully full supply. Soon He would be absent, and then fasting would be fitting. Let us take note of this, for we live in the day when fasting fits. The Bridegroom has long been absent, and we are waiting for Him… Fasting is giving up lawful things so as to be more wholly for God. It is not just going without food for a set time.

There are many things a Christian might do which are not sin, but which he abstains from. We must be separate from the world, which rejected and crucified our Lord, and being separate involves fasting. The worldling is feasting today, but sadly he will fast throughout eternity. The Christian fasts today, but will feast throughout eternity.