CORINTH
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Notes from Steve:
-Sermon Notes-
January 19, 2025
“What’s Your Sign?”
(Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11)
We have a tendency to define people by how they look, their zodiac sign, ancestry, etc., none of which truly define you or others. In today’s readings we find signs which are definitive as to the nature of God, us and Jesus.
The Isaiah passage includes a poem addressed to the returning Israelites, who had been in Babylonian captivity for a number of decades. Even though their beloved city and homeland (Jerusalem) lay in ruins, there was a sense of hope and optimism which is captured in the words spoken by the prophet: righteousness, salvation, glory, and splendor. Instead of being known as a defeated people, they would be known as victorious people. This account reveals the loving, faithful, grace-filled nature of God. In this passage we are able to identify the characteristics of God.
The Psalter reading thought to be written by David also points to the identity of God, using words such as steadfast love, righteous, precious, abundance, fountain of life and salvation. It appears David shared these words after being delivered from trying circumstances himself, or as the leader of a nation delivered from a trial.
From 1st Corinthians we find part of a letter Paul wrote which defines us as followers of Jesus. In this letter Paul reminds the people that before they were “in Christ” they were identified as pagans. But now, as followers of Christ, their identities had changed. And, by being filled with the Spirit they would be identified by the variety of individual gifts they were able to share (wisdom, speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, faith among them.)
From the Gospel of John, Jesus performed the first of 7 signs in John’s account which point to his divine identity. It was customary for a wedding to last 7 days with many guests joining-in the revelry. So it is not surprising the host family would run short on supplies. During our recent Advent and Christmas celebrations, we embraced the names Immanuel (God With Us) and the term Incarnation (God in Flesh) pertaining to Jesus. The 7 miracles in John (water to wine, healing of the Royal’s son, healing of paralytic, feeding of the thousands, walking on water, healing of the blind man, raising Lazarus from the dead) clearly serves as a sign to the identity of Jesus.
The name of today’s sermon asks the question “What is Your Sign?” Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day; as we think about identity I am reminded of his words from his famous “I Have a Dream Speech,” which include: “I have a dream that one day my children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
What’s your sign? We are reminded this morning that the sign you hold in front of you which defines you is dictated by living and growing inside us. May our “fruit” (signs) define us as beloved children of God.
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