Mark 2:20

Mark 2:20, in plain English

Jesus added, 'But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them—and then they will fast.'

Why it's here

A shadow crosses the celebration. Jesus was hinting at what was coming—a time when He would be torn away from them, and the joy would turn to grief. But even that wouldn't be the end of the story.

Who's speaking

Jesus shifts the tone, foreshadowing His coming death with a brief but heavy statement.

Where it sits in the story

In the middle of talking about weddings and joy, Jesus quietly pointed to the cross. He knew what was ahead. The party wouldn't last forever—but the grief wouldn't last forever either.

The scholarly reading

Jesus ominously predicted a time when the bridegroom 'will be taken away' (aparthē, possibly alluding to Isaiah 53:8, the Suffering Servant 'cut off'), at which point His followers would fast.

Language and setting

This is the first veiled passion prediction in Mark, using the passive aparthē to hint at a violent removal. The shift from celebration to mourning foreshadows the cross.

Voice

Jesus introduces a somber note into the wedding metaphor, foreshadowing His death.

Significance

In the midst of the joyous wedding analogy, Jesus introduced the shadow of the cross. The bridegroom would be violently removed, transforming celebration into grief and making fasting appropriate once more.

18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were often fasting. So people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees?”

19Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? As long as He is with them, they cannot fast.

20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.

22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”

Read all of Mark 2 — Jesus forgives sins, eats with outcasts, and lets his disciples skip fasting. The religious leaders can barely keep up with the offenses.