Trinity Church Woodbridge

The risen Christ is a paradigm shift for the world. In this passage, we are pointed to the revolutionary newness of what comes with the risen Christ. We'll look at the atonement, holiness and glory, which were needed to approach the Lord, and how all of that has been achieved through the cross. We also see a new way to relate to Christ in light of the resurrection.

This passage is a microcosm of the creation, fall, and redemption that we see in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis. Fittingly, Jesus is arrested in a garden. In the first garden, humanity sinned and brought forth death. But in this garden, Jesus will undo that curse and bring forth life as a result of his death at the hands of a sinful world.

In this passage, Jesus heals a man born blind. It's an incredible miracle. The religious leaders refuse to appreciate this miracle or accept the Savior who performed it. This miracle is meant to point to a greater reality that the world is blind- blind to Christ, blind to the gospel, and blind to our own sin. Jesus came to open our eyes to reality.

Alone at sea after hours of sailing, the disciples see a figure approaching. They’re terrified, but don’t realize that it’s Jesus himself who’s approaching. The most commonly given command in the Bible is to fear not, but this is never commanded in isolation. We’re told not to fear because of who God is. As his people, instead of turning to fear in uncertain situations, we are called to trust the Lord.

It’s the only miracle that Jesus does in all four Gospels and it leaves people wanting to make Jesus their king and declaring that he’s the Great Prophet to which the Old Testament pointed. Jesus feeds thousands of people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And he has leftovers! It’s an incredible sign that Jesus does that shows his power, but it also shows that Jesus has come to fulfill the Old Testament in leading his people in a new exodus of forgiveness from sin.

Jesus performs his first sign, which manifests his glory. It's an odd introduction to a ministry, but it's an important catalyst to the disciples believing in Jesus.

After the Sermon on the Mount, the next three events from Jesus are all miracles. In this week’s passage, we look these three miracles, what they mean in the ministry of Jesus, and what they mean for us today.

They say to live each day like it's your last. In this week's passage, the Apostle Paul knew that he was near the end of his life. And in his final word to his beloved student, Timothy, he gives advice, which also applies to all Christians. Fulfill your ministry!

Matthew 8 begins a new major section of this Gospel. Jesus has just finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount. What happens next? We start to see the miraculous power that Jesus has as God on earth. In this section, we see the first miracle which Matthew records. What is that miracle? Is it showing power over nature? No. Is it raising someone from the dead? No. It’s a simple healing of a man with leprosy. But in that simplicity, we see something profound as we begin a new series.

In this final passage of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about building the house of our faith on a good foundation. It’s a passage that will leave us asking, “Is your faith built on sand, or is it built on rock?”