Mark 2:20 means that Jesus knew his disciples would one day be without him, and that their grief would then shape how they lived. The verse looks ahead to his death and teaches that fasting belongs to a season of loss and longing, not to a season of his presence. Jesus speaks these words during a debate with religious leaders who wonder why his followers do not fast like the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees.
But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.
Mark 2:20 (WEB)
What Mark 2:20 Means
The phrase “the days will come” tells you that Jesus is pointing to a future moment, not describing the present. “The bridegroom” is a picture Jesus uses for himself. In the Old Testament, God often describes his relationship with Israel in the language of a marriage, so a bridegroom signals joy, celebration and the presence of the one everyone has been waiting for. When Jesus says the bridegroom “will be taken away,” he is speaking about his coming death, which his followers did not yet understand.
The last phrase, “then will they fast in that day,” explains why fasting will fit that season. Fasting in the Bible is usually an expression of grief, repentance or deep dependence on God. Jesus is saying that when he is gone, his followers will naturally turn to fasting and prayer. The verse does not promise a particular schedule of fasting or make it a rule for every believer. It simply says that loss will change the shape of their devotion.
The Context of Mark 2:20
The Gospel of Mark is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of Peter, and it was likely written for a Gentile audience in the Roman world. It moves quickly from one scene to the next, and it presents Jesus as a servant and a suffering Messiah. Chapter 2 is full of conflict: Jesus eats with tax collectors, heals on the Sabbath and forgives sins, and each episode raises the question of who he is and how his followers should live.
Just before verse 20, Jesus says that he came to call sinners rather than the righteous, and right after it he uses two small illustrations, a patch on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins. Both point to the same truth: his arrival brings something new that cannot simply be fitted into old religious habits. Read this way, the verse about fasting is not a criticism of fasting itself but a statement that his presence changes the rhythm of life for those who follow him.
Key Phrases in Mark 2:20
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
(WEB)
This verse speaks of weeping that lasts for a night and joy that comes in the morning. It pairs well with Mark 2:20 because it shows that seasons of sorrow are real but not permanent, and that God brings gladness again after grief.
John 16:22
Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
(WEB)
In this passage Jesus compares the disciples’ sorrow to a woman in labor whose pain turns to joy when a child is born. It deepens the picture from Mark 2:20 by showing that the time of loss he describes will lead to a joy that no one can take away.
A Short Prayer From Mark 2:20
Lord Jesus, you knew that your friends would one day grieve your absence, and you spoke to them with honesty and tenderness. Help me to bring my own seasons of loss and longing to you without fear. When I am in a time of mourning, teach me to wait on you in prayer and humility. When I am in a time of joy, help me to celebrate your presence with a thankful heart. Keep me close to you in every season. Amen.