What is the meaning of Luke 5:39?

And no one after drinking old wine

• Jesus pictures someone already satisfied with what he has. Old wine stands for the established religious patterns of Israel—familiar rituals, long-held interpretations, and the Mosaic covenant (cf. Luke 5:36; Hebrews 8:13).

• Those steeped in the law felt secure; they had “tasted” it all their lives (Acts 22:3).

• In the wider storyline, this mirrors the human tendency to cling to tradition even when God presents something fuller (Colossians 2:16-17).

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Wants new,

• “New” points to Christ’s fresh work—the gospel of grace, the new covenant written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Corinthians 3:6).

• Many in the crowd admired Jesus’ miracles yet hesitated to abandon former ways (John 1:11).

• Our flesh also resists change: comfort over conviction, routines over renewal (Acts 7:51).

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For he says,

• The saying reveals an inner dialogue: a rational defense of the status quo (Proverbs 14:12).

• Religious leaders verbally dismissed the need for change: “We know that God spoke to Moses” (John 9:28-29).

• Words can mask unbelief; Jesus exposes the heart beneath the speech (Mark 7:8-9).

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“The old is better.”

• This verdict is sincere yet mistaken. By exalting the familiar law above the promised Messiah, they misjudge value (Romans 10:2-4).

• Veils remain “at the reading of the old covenant” until hearts turn to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

• Jesus does not disparage the law; He fulfills it (Matthew 5:17). But clinging to the shadow while rejecting the substance forfeits the very righteousness the law pointed toward (Galatians 3:24-26).

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Living it out today

• Check what “old wine” you prize—traditions, accomplishments, cultural comforts.

• Embrace the “new wine” of daily fellowship with Christ, even when it stretches old habits (Romans 12:2).

• Let Scripture, not sentiment, decide what is truly better (Psalm 19:7-10).

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summary

Luke 5:39 highlights the natural pull toward the familiar and warns that treasuring tradition over truth blinds the heart to Christ’s better covenant. Jesus calls us to lay aside comfortable old skins and taste the new, superior wine of His grace.