Holyoke Church of Christ

02/15/2026

02/16/2025

Sunday 2/16/25 - Sermon Notes

Sword of the Spirit

Reading: Hebrews 4:1-16
Key Text: Hebrews 4:12-13
Purpose: To see the Word of God convicting the heart of man.
Introduction:
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His
lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits
for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in
His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in
You.”
Psalm 33:18-22
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I
will keep Your ordinances. I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your
word. O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your ordinances. My
life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me,
yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for
they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to
the end.”
Psalm 119:105-112
It is possible for a person to feel close to God. Weariness in an inhumane world is real and
without continued relationship with God we can become overburdened to the point of quitting.
We just become weary. God is ever near but we must be willing to go to Him for help and rest.
The Psalmist writes of those who fear the Lord. To some this word means a fear of God which
removes them from His holy presence. The fear here is more about reverent respect for God
that results in faithful obedience. God will draw near to those who listen to Him.
The word of God leads us in all truth, guides our way, and enlightens our understanding. The
Holy Spirit pours forth the mind and will of the Father, convicts the sinner of sin and lays bare
the iniquity of us all. We cannot hide from God. We may, for a time, lie to ourselves justifying
our rejection of God but in the end, all will come face to face with His eternal truth.
With the sword of the Spirit in hand we take command of our lives and drive away the doubt and
fear that grips so many.
The Believers Rest—Matthew 11:28-30; Jeremiah 31:23-26
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
The invitation of the Savior
The word, “Come” is used to encourage with an implied opportunity and ability
“All” represents God’s universal invitation
Those who are under the weight of sin will respond to the invitation
“Me” represents that this is found in Christ alone
The gift is given freely
“Rest” represents the freedom from the guilt of sin and the burden of the worlds
shame
“Yoke” represents the responsibility on us when we accept Jesus’ terms
Note: For those who come to Jesus, any fear that the Lord will treat us in a harsh way is gone.
We submit to the Lord, implies following what He has said and the responsibility we have to Him
pales in comparison to the burden of sin the world offers.
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good
way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.’”
Jeremiah 6:16a
The ancient ways
The Lord’s way has always been the best way and the right way
Walk in the Lord’s way and you will find the peace and rest you yearn for
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Once again they will speak this word in the land
of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes, ‘The Lord bless you, O abode of
righteousness, O holy hill!’ Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and they
who go about with flocks. For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.’
At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”
Jeremiah 31:23-26
Pleasant rest in the Lord
God’s restoration
Sweet rest and comfort in the Lord
The Sword of the Spirit—Hebrews 4:12-13
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing
as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts
and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are
open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
Hebrews 4:12-13
Remember the call to faithful service
Give diligence to the word
Do not follow the example of those who turned away
The Word of God—That which comes from God
It is alive and active
It has the power to enliven and energize
It is sharp and decisive
It penetrates the hardened soul
It is precise and discriminating
It probes the throught and intentions of the mind
No one can hide from the power of the sword of the Spirit
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the
world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not
believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see
Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
John 16:7-11
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He the Spirit
of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but
whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify
Me, for He will take of Mine and disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine;
therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
John 16:12-15
Draw near the High Priest—Hebrews 4:14-16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet
without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:14-16
We have a great high priest
Divine and heavenly priest
Offered sacrifice on our behalf
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Intercessor for us before a holy and righteous God
Touched by our infirmities and tempted as we are
Hold fast the confession of faith
Commitment to the Savior
Draw near to the Savior
Conclusion:
Jesus Christ is our High Priest. As sinful creation we have a great need for an intercessor
before a great and holy God. Thank God we have that High Priest in Jesus Christ who can do
for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Our High Priest understands our plight, has been touched by temptation and infirmity as we
have and yet remained holy and faithful. He has been completely faithful to us and faithful in
righteousness before a holy God.
We must hold fast our confession of faith and confidently draw near to the throne of grace
where mercy and understanding flow freely. Listen to the gentle invitation of the Savior. Heed
the importance of His word, follow His guidance and accept His yoke of service.
If we desire to enter the Sabbath rest of God through Jesus Christ, where the burden of this life
is done, heed the word of God. We cannot hide from Him; His word penetrates and convicts,
but His invitation heals and restores.

02/08/2025

Sunday 2/9/25 - Sermon Notes

Peril of Unbelief

Reading: Hebrews 4:1-13
Key Text: Romans 4:12-13
Purpose: To see the Word of God convicting the heart of man.
Introduction: Psalm 95
“O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us
come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the
Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth,
the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His
hands formed the dry land.”
Psalm 95:1-5
“Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our
God, and we are the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your
hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me,
they tried Me, though they had seen My work. For forty years I loathed that generation, and
said they are a people who err in their heart, and they do not know My ways. Therefore I swore
in My anger, truly they shall not enter My rest.”
Psalm 95:6-11
The sacred writer of the Psalm quotes the Holy Spirit, the divine who speaks through this text.
The urgent warning is against unbelief and a hardened heart. The hardening of the heart is a
gradual condition, fostered by cynical doubt and jealous greedy hearts. God may not be
providing us with what we believe to be His side of the bargain.
The nation of Isael had a similar problem with a sure fate. Even though they had witnessed the
wonders of God and were blessed in His care, they grumbled, and God was not pleased with
them. As a result, God, in His justice, proclaimed they would not enter His rest. This is
salvation talk folks.
The application for the first century reader of Hebrews as well as for the 21st century Christian
is the same, do not fall from the grace of God through a hardened and disobedient heart. The
application is the same, the methods are similar, and the results are saddening.
Soften the hardened heart. Listen to God. Trust Jesus Christ. Let not your heart be closed to
the gentle prodding of the Spirit lest later God’s promised rest be taken for us.
The Peril of Unbelief—Hebrews 3:12—Hebrews 4:2
“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls
away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called
‘Today.’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become
partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is
said, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.’”
Hebrews 3:12-15
The application of example
The term “brethren” is used, these are not people outside the church
Be fearful of falling away
Encourage one another while there is still time
Sin deceives
We belong to Christ
“For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt
led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned,
whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His
rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of
unbelief.”
Hebrews 3:16-19
The example of Israel
They heard the message and saw the miracles
They did not enter the promised land due to unbelief
Note: They lesson simply reminds us that those who want to flirt with sin and apostacy had
better take note. Learn the lesson of history.
“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem
to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also;
but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who
heard.”
Hebrews 4:1-2
Repeated warning
One must have a reverential fear of not receiving God’s promised rest
We have had the good news preached to us just as they did
The Conditional Promise of Rest—Hebrews 4:3-13
“For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ‘As I swore in My wrath, they
shall not enter My rest,’ although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For
He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day, ‘And God rested on the seventh day from
all His works’; and again in this passage, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ Therefore, since it
remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to
enter because of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:3-6
Divine rest available
God did not need to rest but He gave us an example and a divine promise
Continue in obedient faith to receive the promised Sabbath Rest
“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has
been said before, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.’ For if Joshua had
given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a
Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also
rested from his works, as God did from His.”
Hebrews 4:7-10
The call to faithful obedience
God has fixed a day for salvation, Acts 17:31
God has fixed a day for Sabbath rest
“Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same
example of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:11
Diligence
Diligence so you will not fall away
Diligence so you will enter the Sabbath rest
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing
as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts
and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are
open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
Hebrews 4:12-13
The power of the word of God
Holy Spirit convicts of sin
No one is exempt from the Spirit’s call
Confidence in Jesus—Hebrews 4:14-16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet
without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:14-16
We have a great high priest
Divine and heavenly priest
Offered sacrifice on our behalf
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Intercessor for us before a holy and righteous God
Touched by our infirmities and tempted as we are
Hold fast the confession of faith
Commitment to the Savior
Draw near to the Savior
Conclusion:
We as sinful creatures, have a need for someone to intercede for us before a holy and righteous
God. God cannot tolerate sin and without Christ we are subject to the wrath of God’s righteous
judgment. Jesus Christ became our great high priest, sacrificed Himself for the sin of the world.
Jesus is the perfect sacrifice as He understands our weakness in temptation, our sickness in sin
and our suffering in shame. Jesus is the remedy for what ails us most. People tend to turn and
run when confronted with their own sin, Jesus implores us to turn to Him for relief.
The Hebrew writer reminds us that we can fall from God’s grace. The offer of salvation comes
with conditions and the promise of eternity can be lost if we do not pay attention to the lure of
sin.
Through the word of God, the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner, pierces and cuts with righteous
judgment. Heed the Spirit’s call, cherish the Spirit’s promise and hold fast your confession of
faith. Jesus has been and will always be the faithful high priest. Draw near to the throne of
grace for the abundant mercy given in time of need.

01/25/2025

Sunday 1/26/25 - Sermon Notes

The Year of the Lord
Salvation Proclaimed

Reading: Isaiah 61:1-11
Key Text: Isaiah 61:10; Luke 4:21
Purpose: To study the salvation of the Lord in Isaiah 61
Introduction:
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered
the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was
handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,”
Luke 4:16-17
“’The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.’”
Luke 4:18-19
“And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the
synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.’”
Luke 4:20-21
Jesus begins His ministry in the synagogue where He was brought up, Nazareth. In His
sermon He selects Isaiah 61:1-2 as His text. The listeners expect a sermon that is biblically
accurate, interesting, and engaging. The audience could not miss the point that He declares
the fulfillment of Isaiah 61 in Himself.
This text describes the mission of God through the Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. To some,
this may seem a rather dull and uninteresting mission as they look for a Savior who will fix their
every ill and defeat their every enemy. To the one who looks to God, it is Good News indeed
that God is fulfilling His mission to save humanity.
The Holy Spirit is poured upon the Savior in His mission, active and present then as today.
One cannot miss the implied blessing poured out on God’s people as they faithfully follow God
through the anointed One. There is salvation in none other and that salvation is proclaimed to
the end of the earth. All who will follow are invited to partake with joyfulness and gladness of
heart. God restores His people, reclaims their inheritance, and grants new life for the one who
will follow Jesus.
Holy Spirit filled ministry—Isaiah 61:1-5
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the
afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and
freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of
our God; to comfort all who mourn.”
Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Lord in upon Jesus
Active in His ministry
Signs, wonders, and miracle
Proclamation of Good News
The gospel of Jesus Christ
Redemption for the people of God
The blessings
Hope and comfort for the brokenhearted
Freedom to those captive to sin
Restoration for the lost
Judgment for those who oppress
“To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness
instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called
oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:3
“They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will
repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. Strangers will stand and pasture
your flocks, and foreigners will be your farmers and vinedressers.”
Isaiah 61:4-5
Proclamation of the year of Jubilee
Fiftieth year in which Israel would not plant nor harvest because God would
provide
Intended to right all the wrongs that occurred in Israel in the previous years
Jubilee—Leviticus 25:8-17
All land returned to the original owner and debts released
Slaves released back to their home
Do no wrong to one another
Fear the Lord your God
Blessings and expectations—Isaiah 61:6-9
“But you will be called the priests of the Lord; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of shame you will
have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs.”
Isaiah 61:6-7
Blessings of restoration—Jubilee
Spoken of as ministers of God
God will provide in abundance—Double portion
“For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them
recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them. Then their offspring will be known
among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will
recognize them because they are the offspring whom the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61:8-9
Justice and righteousness
Honesty and righteousness in worship
God will faithfully reward the honest worshipper
“I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them
good, and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.”
Jeremiah 32:40
Everlasting covenant
God will always faithfully uphold His covenant
Our part of the covenant is following faithfully
“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is the fullness of joy; in Your right
hand there are pleasures forever.”
Psalm 16:11
Everlasting Joy
Following God in life’s pathway
Joy here and in eternity
“For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and stream on the dry ground; I will pour out My
Spirit on your offspring and My blessings on your descendants.”
Isaiah 44:3
E. Everlasting blessing in abundance
Salvation to the end of the earth—Isaiah 61:10-11
“I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me in garments
of salvation, he has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself
with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its
spouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord will cause
righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”
Isaiah 61:10-11
God provides salvation
Clothed in garments of salvation
Wrapped in robes of righteousness
The world exults in the salvation of the Lord
People who desire to find God will find God because God provides the means for
salvation
Salvation offered to all
“He says, ‘Is it too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will make You a light of the nations so that My
salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and
its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers,
‘kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the Lord who is faithful, the
Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’”
Isaiah 49:6-8
The church is the light of the gospel
The church teaches the nations how to find salvation in Jesus Christ
All the world will see the salvation of the Lord by the faithfulness of the church
Conclusion: Isaiah describes the year of Jubilee in the Savior. I like to call it God making
everything right again. When we do not follow God, we indeed make a mess of ourselves, fall
captive to our own desires and drown in our own sin. The year of Jubilee described in Leviticus
intended to restore all things in Israel to the way it was as God promised. The implication in
Jesus’ ministry is that He has come to restore us back to God, releasing us from the bo***ge of
sin and granting blessings in this life and the one to come.

01/18/2025

Sunday 1/19/25 - Sermon Notes

The First Signs of Jesus

Reading: John 2:1-12
Key Text: John 2:11
Purpose: To see Jesus manifest His ministry
Introduction:
“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are
not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John 20:30-31
Jesus performed signs, wonders and miracles for the purpose of confirming who He was, the
Son of God. For the believer, these signs and wonders became life. For those who continue in
disbelief, they became death. For many, there would be no miracle big enough or grand
enough to solicit the belief that brings repentance, Note Jesus’ words in the account of the rich
man and Lazarus, “But He said to them, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will
not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:31
Also note the fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah:
“But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.
This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our
report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ For this reason they could not
believe, for Isaiah said again, ‘He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that
they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal
them.’”
John 12:37-40
For the believer, the miracles of Jesus not only confirm his deity, but they strengthen faith. The
disciples will witness Jesus’ first recorded miracle, the changing of water to wine at the wedding
feast in Cana of Galilee. This will change them. It also changes the relationship of Jesus and
His mother. In perception, Jesus goes from being just another prophet to the Son of God.
“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name,
observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to
them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for
He Himself knew what was in man.”
John 2:23-24
A change in relationship—John 2:1-5
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the
mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does
that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, Whatever
He says to you, do it.’”
John 2:1-5
For Jesus and His mother
A change in relationship must be recognized by Mary
God would set the schedule for Jesus, not His mother
Note: Remember Jesus at age twelve when his family traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover.
Jesus is not found among the travelers on the way home. Joseph and Mary return to find Him
in the temple.
“And He said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be
in My Father’s house?’ But they did not understand the statement which He has made to them.
And He went down to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother
treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men.”
Luke 2:49
Note: When Jesus’ family thought He was losing His mind and tried to take charge of Him:
“Answering them, He said, ‘Who are My mother and brothers?’ Looking about at those who
were sitting around Him, He said, ‘Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the
will of God, he is My brother and sister and Mother.’”
Mark 3:33-34
Mary’s observation at the wedding
Do whatever He tells you
Words of wisdom from a wise woman for Jesus Himself would later say
“Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does
the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
Matthew 7:21
A change in quality—John 2:6-10
“Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing
twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the water pots with water.’ So they filled
them up to the brim. And He said to them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.’
So they took it to Him.”
John 2:6-8
Jesus’ control over quality
Six large water pots
Used for Jewish ceremonial cleansing
The superior quality of the wine. They were all amazed because the wine was a
far better quality than anything else they had had
Note: John’s description of the quality of the wine is for our understanding. The water pots
were common, intended for cleansing. They held twenty to thirty gallons each. Jesus instructs
the servants specifically what to do. Mary has told them, “Do what He says.” The text goes on
the read:
“When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it
came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the
bridegroom, and said to Him, ‘Everyman serves the good wine first, and when the people have
drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.’”
John 2:9-10
What Jesus provides
Superior in quantity
Superior in quality
Note: This miracle shows us that listening (belief and obedience) to Jesus produces superior
quality and quantity in our lives. Jesus not only will supply our needs spiritually but provides
that which is superior in quality and beyond our comprehension in quantity.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to
the riches of His grace.”
Ephesians 1:7
A change in the quality of faith—John 2:11
“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His gory, and His
disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:11
Two things happened because of the miracle
Jesus manifested His glory.
Manifested means He revealed Himself to the world as the Son of God
His disciples believed on Him
The significance of the disciple’s reaction
They believed on Him and their faith would increase as His ministry continues
There would also be unbelief throughout Jesus’ ministry that would culminate in
the crucifixion of Jesus on a Roman cross
The significance for the world
Our faith increases as we learn of and respond to the Son of God
There is also unbelief in the world that results in lost souls
Conclusion: This first miracle recorded for us in the gospel of John glorifies Jesus, manifests
who He is as the Son of God. It changed the relationship He had with His earthly mother,
changed the quality of the relationship He had with His disciples and changed the quality of faith
they had in Him.
For us today, the miracles of Jesus certainly strengthens belief and faith and confirms Jesus as
the Son of God, John 20:30-31. I hope we have looked deeper than that. I hope for us we can
see a changed relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son. We are redeemed, brought
back to covenant relationship.
I hope we see, as well, that God, through His Son, gives His grace overwhelmingly, beyond
measure, beyond expectations. His grace is not only immense in quantity but unfathomable in
quality. Nothing matches our relationship with God.
Lastly, may we experience a change in the quality of our faith. May our faith be rich and pure,
from the heart, in Spirit and in truth. May you look forward to the day you spend eternity with
Jesus.