2:19 Jesus said to them. The reason Jesus gives sets Him off from all that was before, for the “bridegroom” has now come, the “new” (vv. 21, 22) is present. By comparing Himself to the bridegroom, Jesus affirms the presence of the kingdom as a time for celebration, like a wedding. Jesus eats and drinks with publicans and sinners, bringing joy and salvation to them (Luke 19:6, 9).