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They saw and they were changed. The miracle - changing the water into wine - was not for demonstration to the masses... only a few knew what had take place. But it led them to glorify God and believe who Jesus was -- the Word, the King of Israel, and the Son of Man.

John tells us that Jesus did many 'signs' and that he chose which to include so that we could 'believe.' The invitation to 'come and see' is repeated often in scriptures. Once we have seen, the call follows to follow the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and the Son of Man. What response have you taken?

The importance of John the Baptizer should never be underestimated. He is mentioned over 85 times in the New Testament and it was he who was chosen to introduce Jesus to the world - "Behold, the Lamb of God." What is God calling you to testify about that you have witnessed?

Solomon, when dedicating the Temple, asked the question, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth?" As John begins his gospel he answers to the affirmative - the Word, which was God, pitched His tent (tabernacled) among us. Jesus, the Incarnate Word, was in the beginning with God and was God.

The challenge Jesus used to close his message involved the appropriate answer to the words he had been speaking -- Be a hearer who becomes a doer! The focus is not on weathering storms, but on being obedient.

Two 'ways' to choose from leading to two gates with two final destinies. The call to choose is NOT just to receive the proper reward, but also to be the true disciple who is leading others to the hard and straight way that leads to the narrow gate. Which shall you choose?

What did Jesus mean when he said, "Judge not, that you may be not judged"? From the example he gave regarding the log in the eye, it is obvious that we are still to help remove the speck, but only after we have done the hard work to get the log out of our own eyes. Once we see clearly we are able to develop an accurate view of God, a healthy view of others, an honest view of ourselves, and the right balance within ourselves.

The words of Jesus were actually a command (Imperative Tense) - "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life... Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow..." (Mt. 6:25, 34). Anxiety regarding material possessions is a symptom of not trusting God...and can, therefore, drain from our treasures God supplies. So, don't worry, but find the joy of the Lord.

During this season of the year when gifts and treasures are occupying the forefront of many thoughts and conversations, what do you treasure, what are you focused on, and what has control of your life?

As Jesus is making his application regarding "practicing [our] righteousness," he speaks of giving, prayer, and fasting. In each case he begins, "When you..." John Wesley, summarizing both historical Christianity and current church practice at the beginning of the 18th century wrote, “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason and others have utterly disregarded it.” Are we guilty of 'utterly disregard[ing] it"?

Obviously, your right hand will always know what your left hand is doing. Jesus's point is that we should not do our giving to be seen, nor should we be self-conscious about it. Our reward should be seeing that the need has been met.

Pinchas Lapide has written, “the commandment of the so-called love of enemy is probably the most frequently cited, yet least often practiced saying of Jesus in the entire New Testament” (The Sermon on the Mount, 77). Are we neglecting this command of Jesus, if not in our words, certainly in our practice?