Our reading for today is the book of Isaiah, chapter 54, verses 4 to 8.
Do not be afraid, you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace, you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth, and remember no more the reproach of their widowhood.
For your maker is your husband, the Lord Almighty is his name, the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.
He is called the God of all the earth.
The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit.
A wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.
Our second Bible reading today is taken from John, chapter 2, verses 1 to 11.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.
Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him,
They have no more wine.
Dear woman, why do you involve me?
Jesus replied,
My time has not yet come.
His mother said to the servants,
Do whatever he tells you.
Nearby stood six stone water jars,
the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,
each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants,
Fill the jars with water.
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.
They did so,
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.
He did not realise where it had come from,
though the servants who had drawn the water knew.
Then he called the bridegroom aside and said,
Everyone brings out the choice wine first,
and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink.
But you have saved the best till now.
This, the first of his miraculous signs,
Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee.
He thus revealed his glory,
and his disciples put their faith in him.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord God,
We thank you for your word,
and for the truth that it contains.
We pray,
that as Graham speaks to us now,
you would speak through him,
and that you would open our hearts and our minds
to hear from your word.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Well, good morning folks.
It's so lovely to have you with us today.
Here's what we're going to do
over the next number of weeks.
We're going to spend time in John's gospel.
This account of Jesus' life
that was penned by one of his closest friends and followers,
written so that everyday people of John's generation
and of every generation ever since
would be able to pick it up,
read, understand about Jesus,
believe, and have life in his name.
And it's a gospel full of encounters
that Jesus had with people,
different people.
Different people with different stories,
people doing different things,
people from different places,
people with all sorts of different stuff
going on in their lives.
And they each meet Jesus,
and an encounter with him
flips the whole way
that they understand themselves,
and they understand the world
in which they live,
and the lives that they are living
on its head.
So let me invite you to grab a Bible
and come with me to John chapter 2.
We're going to dive into the first of these today.
And as we come to John chapter 2,
let me go all Dr. Pepper on you.
Right, a wedding.
What's the worst that could happen?
Are you got any good stories
about car crash moments from weddings?
Let me tell you about one
that I was reading about recently
that will, I think,
really take the biscuit
when it comes to car crash moments.
Right, everyone is getting ready
for what do they call it?
The big day.
It's going great.
The service is brilliant.
The dinner is exquisite.
Everybody's having a ball.
And the moment in the day
comes for the speeches.
Now, speeches are always a highlight
of any wedding day, aren't they?
Well, on this wedding day,
the bride's father goes first.
And like any good father of the bride,
he gushes with pride at his daughter
and on a dry eye in the house.
And the groom's up next.
He showers his bride with compliments.
I mean, well played, boys.
Well played.
And then it comes to the best man
who sits down at the end of his speech
and thinking he's nailed it.
Only for somebody a few moments later
to whisper in his ear
and inform him
that he's actually used the name
of the groom's ex-girlfriend
all the way through his speech.
I'm no expert,
but that's, in my opinion,
what they'd kind of call
a Dr. Pepper moment, right?
That is an absolute howler
from the best man.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall
the first time he went round
to the newlyweds house for dinner
in the years to come.
John chapter 2,
here's what we're doing.
We're joining a wedding
that is on the verge
of a Dr. Pepper moment itself.
All right, here is a wedding
in John chapter 2
that almost all went wrong.
You see, in the first century,
Jewish culture,
a culture that centers
on honor and shame,
the worst thing
that could happen
at a wedding
is that the guests
run out of food and drink, right?
The worst thing imaginable.
Now, we're in the days
before outside caterers here.
We're in the days
before wedding planners
when that job
is kind of someone else's responsibility.
In this day,
it is one person's responsibility
and that person's solely
to make sure
that the food and drink
keeps flowing
for the entirety
of the feast,
which in this culture
could last for days.
Whose job is that?
It is the job of the groom.
So you've got two jobs, bro.
Firstly, you need to say,
I do.
And secondly,
you need to make sure
that everyone at this feast
has enough to eat and drink, right?
You can nail this one.
But at this wedding in Cana,
do you see,
if you've got the text there,
how our groom learns
at verse three,
that he is staring
a Dr. Pepper moment
right in the face.
Now, why is he staring
that moment right in his face?
Four words.
Verse three,
the wine ran out.
The wine ran out.
I mean, he is,
he is never going to live
this one down.
The shame that he is about
to bring on his family,
on his bride,
and most importantly,
himself.
What's he going to do?
And it's not like there's
an offie just down the road
that he can go down to,
saying,
boys,
if you come down with me,
we can get a crate load
and bring it back.
It might still be open.
No,
here is a groom
who is living
his worst nightmare.
This must have been
the stuff in the days
before the wedding
that kept him up at night.
And there ain't nothing
he can do
about this situation.
And Jesus and his disciples
are at this wedding.
Do you know,
as a side,
I love,
I love
that Jesus was the kind of man
who got invited to
and attended weddings.
Right?
How many of us
have a picture of Jesus
in our minds?
A bit like Ned Flanders
from The Simpsons,
except he's slightly meaner
and he's slightly stricter.
Right?
He is kind of a
kind of a Santa Claus
kind of figure.
Right?
Not that he gives you presents,
but it is his job
to make sure
and discern
who has been naughty
and who has been nice.
Right?
But that's not the Jesus
who we encounter
in the pages of Scripture.
In fact,
later in John's Gospel,
Jesus is
talking about himself.
He's talking about
why he has come.
And he talks about,
and this is John chapter 10,
verse 10,
he's talking about
how he's come
that his people
may have abundant life.
You see,
that's what's on offer
by believing
in the name of Jesus Christ.
And that abundant life,
we have to understand,
is the life
that he is currently living
in joyful communion
with God his Father.
So,
what that means,
in other words,
if you and I want to know
what a fully human,
joyful,
loving human experience
life is,
then we need to look
no further
than to Jesus.
Which is an incredible claim,
is it not,
if you stop and think about it?
An incredible claim.
And yet,
this is the one
that Jesus makes.
And of course,
in the life of the Christian,
this is the business
that God is into
as he,
by his Spirit,
who's indwelling us,
is transforming us more
as we behold
the glory of Jesus Christ
into his image.
Restoring
that full humanity
that has been broken
by the sin of the fall.
Jesus is living
a fully human life.
Into celebration,
do you see him here?
Into celebration,
knowing friendship,
knowing joy,
and enjoying
the good creation
according to its good design.
And Jesus is at this wedding.
And he learns,
doesn't he?
Do you see from his,
from his mom,
he learns about
the looming nightmare
that's facing the groom?
And the question in the text
is what is he going to do?
What's he going to do
with this information, right?
Is he going to get
his smartphone out?
Probably not in this day,
but go with me.
Is he going to get
his smartphone out
and film this?
Probably what you and I
would have done, right?
If this happened in our day.
I mean, imagine how many people
would watch that on Facebook.
How many views,
how many likes that would get.
You would be an overnight sensation.
But not Jesus.
Because this episode here
is about him displaying
his glory
to the world
that his disciples
and those watching
might see and believe in him.
As we get a glimpse
into who he is
and
why he has come.
Now in the text,
you see verse six.
This is where we are.
John tells us
that there are six stone
water jars there.
The type used
for ceremonial washing, right?
Basically the ones
that people would use
to make themselves clean
before they eat.
And what does John say?
Verse six,
that each of those jars
holds 20 or 30 gallons.
Now these are really
important details
in the text.
And Jesus asks,
here's another detail,
that each of these
be filled
to the brim.
Right?
Now maths was never
my strong point
at school.
But even I can
deduce
that that is
a huge
amount of water.
Way more
than I'd imagine
they would actually
ever need
at this
wedding.
Here are all these
stone water jars
filled to the brim
and Jesus turns
every single
drop of it
into wine.
Right?
You read around here
some commentators
they speculate
that that is somewhere
of being our equivalent
of a thousand
bottles
of wine.
A thousand bottles.
Get your head
around that.
Now I don't know
if you've ever been
on a tour
of a vineyard before.
Right?
And learned
how they make wine.
The only time
I've ever done
something like that
was in Stellenbosch.
I was there
in South Africa
a number of years ago
and I don't remember
an awful lot
from that trip
except
for the fact
that I learned
that there's a lot
more to making wine
than for example
there is to making
Ribena.
Okay?
This isn't
20% cordial
80% water
and hey presto
there you go
kind of thing.
Right?
Making wine
takes time
and it's
a complicated
process.
So here's a question
that you may be
asking from this
text
and it's a great
question to ask
how?
How was Jesus
able
to do this?
I mean H2O
doesn't just turn
into C2H5OH
ethanol
right?
What a bizarre
thing to believe.
True.
But
what if Jesus
the one who
stepped in here
is actually
the one who
controls
the laws
of chemistry?
What if
he is the one
who controls
the whole
scene here?
What if
he is the creator
who is able
to do all things
who stepped
into the human
equation
and here he is.
You see here's
what John
has already said
about Jesus
back in chapter
one.
If you want
to flip back
a page.
Rightly off
he said
all things
were made
through him.
That he is
God in the
flesh.
This is Jesus
and therefore
this is exactly
the kind of
thing that we'd
expect someone
making that
claim would be
able to do.
Here's a confession.
I think I would
struggle more
with this.
If Jesus
made these
claims about
himself and he
wasn't able to
do things like
this.
Jesus has
this kind
of power.
The question
is what will
Jesus do
with this
power?
It's interesting
isn't it?
It's a question
that maybe
as a society
and as a
world that
we're asking
ourselves right
now about
those people
who are in
positions of
power.
Right?
In those
positions of
influence.
Having those
platforms.
What will
they do
with the
power that's
been given
to them?
What will
they do
with the
power that
they have?
Now part of
the question
and we'll
come back
to it.
What would
Jesus do
with the
power that
he has?
But there's
a question
you might
have in
your mind.
How is
Jesus able
to do
this?
Secondly,
you might
be thinking
well people
back then
didn't know
as much
about science
as we do
today.
I mean
Einstein
didn't come
up with
the equals
mc squared
until 1905.
What do
these guys
know?
Well true.
But these
people probably
knew enough
about the
way things
work in the
world to
know that
this isn't
normally how
you make
wine.
In other
words these
people who
taste, it's
important to
see that as
well, the
taste is
included here,
they taste the
water turned
into wine,
these people
aren't fools.
Right?
They know how
this process
normally goes,
they aren't
fools.
In fact, do
you see how
the proof is
in the pudding
here?
Which is
probably completely
the wrong
metaphor to
use here but
we'll go with
it.
Do you see
at verse 9
how the
master of
the ceremonies
comes on
the scene?
Right?
He's probably
been to a
wedding or
two, I'd
imagine in
his lifetime
he tastes
the wine.
Right?
Another detail
important to
see here, he
tastes the
wine, a
physical thing.
Right?
He doesn't
get his wine
app out on
his phone and
say it looks
to me like a
Pinot
Noir.
He doesn't
do the smell
test that we
all do with
wine, pretending
we know what's
going on when
actually we don't
and saying it
smells like the
good stuff.
This man tastes
the wine and
his palate can
detect when wine
is wine and it
can detect when
wine is bad and
it can detect when
wine is good and
when it is good.
wine.
And he tastes this
wine and you
see how he
concludes that
this wine is
the best.
This is wonderful
stuff that's been
brought out here.
I mean this is
the first century
equivalent of the
Screaming Eagle
Cabernet Sauvignon
which somebody paid
$500,000 for
recently at a
charity auction.
This stuff is the
best.
Here's the point.
Jesus hasn't just
provided quantity.
Jesus has provided
quality.
Do you see it?
Both of those
things.
His provision in
other words is
extravagantly
abundant.
Way more than
anything we could
possibly conceive
of.
And verse 10
here's what's
going on.
The MC calls for
the groom because
the usual
thing to do in
this culture is to
bring out the good
wine first.
And once your
guests were tired
and they're full you
bring out the cheap
stuff because they
won't really notice.
But not so this
groom.
So thinks the MC.
This groom has done
the opposite.
He's not gone for the
downward curve on the
day.
He's gone for the
upward curve.
To quote Vanessa
Williams he's gone
and saved the best
to last.
And you see maybe
zooming out here
what's going on.
This groom
he hasn't just
been spared
shame.
Actually
he's been given
honor
in the wedding
that almost
all went
wrong.
But you see
there's way
more going on
here
than simply
Jesus pulling
off a neat
trick.
right like
some kind of
first century
David Blaine.
More going on
here and
to see it
and I pray
that we see
it and
savor it.
A good question
to ask ourselves
from the text
is who is
Jesus standing
in for
here at this
wedding.
Now the
culture vultures
out there might
know that
that huge
painting of
this scene by
Paolo Veronese
hangs proudly
in the
Louvre
in Paris.
Some of you
might have
gone and
seen it.
And it's
a huge
picture.
And if you
look carefully
at it there's
something really
strange actually
about this
scene.
And the
strange part
of it is
when you look
at the head
of the table
the positions
of honor.
And the
strange thing
is it's not
the groom
that's sitting
in that
position
where you
normally
expect him
to be
sitting.
Actually is
Jesus sitting
in that
position?
Now I've
got no idea
whether Veronese
meant that
or not.
But that is
profoundly the
point of the
passage.
Who is
Jesus standing
in for here
friends?
He's standing
in for the
groom.
Isn't he?
And when you
add to that
the fact that
this little
episode and
as it
follows John
chapter 1
and on
to John
chapter 2
as he
presents it
it takes
place at
the end
of the
first week
of Jesus'
public
ministry
as John
records it
here i.e.
it happens
on the
seventh day
the perfect
day
you begin
to see that
there's more
going on here
than we might
first see.
you know
I want you
to think
back
did you
catch the
reading from
Isaiah that
we heard
earlier
what God
had said to
his people
centuries before
Jesus arrived
God calling
his people to
turn back to
him to stop
running their
way their
sinful way
following and
worshipping idols
to turn back
to him and to
trust him
why?
What will God
do for them
and be for
them in the
years to
come?
Here's what
Isaiah records
God says
do not be
afraid
you will not
be put to
shame
do not fear
disgrace
you will not
be humiliated
you will forget
the shame of
your youth
and remember
no more
the reproach
of your
widowhood
for your
maker is
your husband
the Lord
Almighty
is his name
the Holy
One of
Israel is
your redeemer
he is
called the
God of
all the
earth
so God
is promising
to come
and rescue
his people
and be for
them
a perfect
husband
and here
is Jesus
the perfect
divine groom
who has come
for that
express
reason
to rescue
his bride
his people
because the
wedding that
almost all
went wrong
it points us
to consider
the wedding
where all
will be
right
because the
Bible story
it ends
with a
wedding
it ends
with Jesus
the groom
and his
people
the bride
God
finally
and fully
dwelling
with his
people
which has
been his
intention
all along
dwelling with
them fully
in his
new creation
and we get
the scene
there in
revelation
of a
great
multitude
of people
are there
from every
tribe
from every
tongue
from every
nation
gathered
together
singing
one song
glory
to the
lamb
who was
slain
worshipping
their
heavenly
father
gathered
together
as one
people
of faith
and feasting
with
Jesus
in his
new
and in
his
perfect
kingdom
now let me
ask you
is a
wonderful
thing
to consider
and know
to be
true
in light
of everything
that's
gone on
in recent
days
a
people
many
people
of
different
tribes
tongues
and
nations
gathered
together
what a
wonderful
scene
and I want
you to know
that if you're
a Christian
I want you
to be
edified
as you
think about
this scene
because
in all your
difficulties
that you
might be
facing
right now
and all the
questions
that you
might have
all the
anxiety
that might
be lingering
in your
heart
as you
view
the world
and as you
live your
life
in it
that right
here
is your
untouchable
hope
the one
that you
have
for the
future
and how
will Jesus
bring this
about
it's a
wonderful
picture
but how
will he
bring it
about
well do you
see how
Jesus is
like the
groom in
this episode
but in a
sense
friends we
all too
are like the
groom in
this episode
world
because we
deserve
shame
for our
failure to
do something
for our
failure to
honour our
creator God
as he
deserves to
be honoured
and our
desire to
our hearts
kind of bent
inward on
themselves
our natural
inclination to
want to honour
ourselves
rather than
him
it's the
very essence
of sin
the plagues
deep inside
of all of
us
and with that
in mind
do you see
how there's a
wonderful picture
of the good
news of the
gospel here
as we see
Jesus standing
in for
this groom
taking the
shame that
should have
been rightfully
his and
instead
bestowing on
him
honour
in fact it's
essentially what
the rest of
John's gospel
is about
for what does
he say
to see Jesus
back at verse
four what does
he say has
not yet come
his hour
in fact you'll
get that phrase
repeatedly in
John's gospel
all the way
through Jesus
saying my
hour has not
yet come
my hour has
not yet come
my hour has
not yet come
until he's on
the verge of
his death on
the cross and
he says my
hour has
come
the cross
the place
where he
goes to
bear our
shame
on himself
as he hangs
there as he
sheds his
blood as he
bears the
wrath of God
on himself
the one that
we deserve
so that we
through faith
in him
and purely
by faith
in him
as he brings
us to
himself and
as he makes
us his own
can know
the status
the privilege
the right
of being
honored in
the eyes of
our creator
because our
lives are
found in
the son
because what
will Jesus
do with
the power
that he
has
answer
he will
use it
to serve
he will
use it
to serve
the beating
heart
of a
loving
heavenly
father
for a
world
that is
turned
against
him
the
devotion
and the
desire
and the
determination
of Jesus
the son
to win
his bride
for himself
as he goes
to the cross
this is what's
driving this
Jesus will
use his
power
not to
lord it
but to
serve
you know
I was
reflecting
with
somebody
recently
on the
phone
in our
church
and
we were
talking about
everything that's
going on in our
world just now
and we were
mentioning that as we
look at everything
that's happening in our
world at the
minute the
uncertainty
the
pain
the sense of
helplessness
the
abuse that's
going on
when you behold
the world
and in you
behold
God's king
we reflected
that at perhaps
no other time
in our lives
has following
Jesus
being his
disciple
both
made more
sense
and
felt
more
attractive
here is
God's king
here is
Jesus
so friends
a wedding
what's the worst
that could
happen
well according
to John
it's
as he records
this wedding
here
actually the worst
thing that you
and I could do
is that we
could
read of this
wedding
and we would
fail to see
the glory
of
and believe
in
Jesus
the perfect
divine
groom
so my question
as we finish
is do you
know him
as your
lord
and king
and saviour
and if not
what a wonderful
opportunity
you have
now
to
believe in
the name
of Jesus
and have
life in his
name
so why don't I
pray
and
during this
time
why don't you
just use it
to reflect
on everything
that we've
spoken about
just in the
silence
before I
pray
from heaven
you came
helpless
babe
entered our
world
your glory
veiled
not to be
served
but to
serve
and give
your life
that we
might live
this is our
God
the servant
king
he calls
us now
to follow
him
to bring
our lives
as a daily
offering
of worship
to
the servant
king
and so
father we
thank you so
much for your
precious word
oh help us
to savor
and see
Jesus
more
off the
back of this
today
may these
words linger
long
in our
hearts
and in our
minds
in Jesus
precious name
we pray
and ask
amen
well I
trust that as
we've heard
God's word
this morning
and as
we've responded
to it
individually
in our
own
lives
that it's
caused us
to think
to stop
in our
tracks
and to
consider
both the
world in
which we
live
and the
lives that
we are
currently
leading
our day
to day
lives
let me
just
encourage
you
if you
want
to read
John's
gospel
if you've
never read
it before
and you're
thinking
that may be
something
you might
want to
do
or you
can think
of a
friend
or family
member
who might
be interested
in doing
that
let me
just
encourage
you
to
consider
the
words
one-to-one
this is
John's
gospel
is designed
in a really
accessible
format
to be read
one-to-one
with somebody
with the aim
of introducing
them to the
Jesus that
we meet
in the
Bible
so if you'd
be interested
in that
again just
email
questions
at
Brunsfield
we would
love to be
able to
do that
with you
you know
one of the
things that
we've been
doing over
the last
few Sundays
and has been
a great
encouragement
to many of
us is to
hear from
different people
in our
congregation
and to hear
them tell us
their stories
about how they
came to meet
Jesus and
know him as
their Lord
and as their
king and as
their saviour
and what it
means for them
to follow him
be his disciple
as they live
their daily
lives
and to hear
a bit about
what the Lord
has been teaching
them during
this season
of lockdown
so I'm
delighted to
say we're
going to
hear now
from one
of our
members
called
Bobby
and Bobby
is just
going to
tell us a
little bit
about his
story
and after
Bobby has
spoken to
us we will
have our
final song
hi there
my name is
Bobby
and my
wife
Joanna
and I
are
members
here
at
Brunsfield
in Edinburgh
I wanted
to take
just a
short amount
of your
time to
let you
know what
we've
learned
faith-wise
during the
lockdown
and also
a reminder
of a story
that happened
to us
about a
year ago
which I
think is
very relevant
right now
now obviously
we've found
this time
a little
odd
and I guess
not exactly
as we'd
imagined
especially
because we're
expecting our
first child
in around
a month
so it's
been an
exciting
time
but also
an anxious
time
I guess
like many
of you
being stuck
inside
one thing
that's important
to note
is that
we find
ourselves
very fortunate
and blessed
at the moment
I've remained
in work
and within
a job
we haven't
been furloughed
we haven't
lost our
jobs
and Joanna
has been
safe at
home
at the
moment
which is
great
so I guess
in the large
scheme of
things we
have very
few worries
which we
can be
thankful to
God for
and this
uncertain
time has
made me
think a
little bit
about
trust
what it
means to
trust in
God in
good times
and what it
means to
trust in
God in
bad times
as well
or in
uncertain
times
and this
whole
situation
we're in
has reminded
me of a
difficult
time for
our family
which happened
around this
time last
year
it was
the day
before my
birthday
and I'd
woken up to
about 20
missed calls
from my
mum
and upon
calling her
back she
said to
me
your brother
is really
unwell
your brother
David
we think
he's going
to die
and obviously
this was
devastating
he took the
rug out from
underneath us
and what
happened was
my brother
had gone
into work
a normal day
at work
and soon
after had
collapsed
an infection
in his tooth
had spread
to his heart
and caused
the condition
called endocarditis
now this
condition pumps
blood clots
around the
body
and had
pumped
two blood
clots
either side
of his
head
which
subsequently
had caused
an aneurysm
on both sides
of his head
so two
explosions
within his
head
and then
short after
in the hospital
we found out
that the
doctors
the consultants
the surgeons
at the Glasgow
Queen Elizabeth
told us to
expect the worst
that people
don't survive
these things
and that
if he did
recover
which is
super unlikely
that they
don't normally
see
that he
wouldn't be
himself
he'd be a
vegetable
he'd be
unresponsive
and this
was obviously
devastating news
for us
but it's
important to
note that
the story
didn't end
there
there were
months of
prayer
there were
months of
uncertainty
and heartbreak
while David
remained on
a ventilator
unresponsive
we would go
to visit him
and there
would be
nothing there
and it
was hard
to remain
positive
and upbeat
and hard
to keep
trusting God
during that
time
but he
pulled through
I'm pleased
to say
and rather
than give
the full
story here
I thought
it would
be nice
if we
heard from
David
directly
now
he's got
a strong
Glaswegian
accent
and speaks
pretty quickly
so I thought
it'd be nice
to put some
subtitles below
because it's
really important
that people
understand his
story
firstly
thanks for
agreeing to
do this
David
I'm sure
a lot of
people at
Brunsfield
and in other
places that have
been praying for
you will
love to put a
face to the
name
I guess
firstly it's a
miracle that
you're here
right
I mean the
doctors didn't
think you would
make it
my brother
I mean it's
crazy to think
that they'd
written you
off
I mean it's
definitely a
miracle
and the
beard
am I
right
in saying
that's
going to
be
shaving
off
when you
go back
to work
yeah
you know
when this
had all
first kicked
off
and you
know we'd
heard what
happened to
you
I didn't
know what
to do
and I'd
sent a text
to a few
people at
Brunsfield
telling them
the situation
and asking
for prayer
and at that
point you
know it was
when the
doctors said
that you
wouldn't
survive
so things
weren't
looking great
for you
how does
it feel
that hundreds
of people
in Edinburgh
in Perth
and around
the world
were praying
for you
it is humbling
to just think
about it
because it's
one of the
ones that I
don't I
can't entirely
sort of
fathom the
amount of
people that
they've not
even met me
they don't
know me
but have
prayed for me
because they've
heard so much
about me
and all that
and I think
that's amazing
I can't put it
in the words
how grateful
I am that
these people
have actually
taken their
time out to
think about me
and to pray
for me
I was in
death's door
and it was
because people
were praying
for me
and people
were like
it was
because of
that
that I
became better
it's nothing
to do with
me
I was just
lying around
my thumb
for about
two of
it was to
do with
everyone
who was
praying for
me
got me
better
and brought
me to
where I'm
now
so it's a
big thank you
to each and
every one of
them
yeah
amazing
and I
guess
what did
the people
who had
looked after
you early
on in your
illness
think of
your recovery
am I right
in saying
that you met
one of the
nurses
from early
on
you know
I had
the
medicine
I was in
with my
dad
and it was
a woman
who was
kind of
looking after
a few of
the other
residents
or a few
of the
patients
and she
told me
to stay
at me
for about
five minutes
and I was
around
and she
was one
of the
nurses
who was
there
when they
were told
I wasn't
going to
make it
and she
she
would
phone
up
20
thousand
people
to
tell
David
saw
out
basically
miracle
well
thanks for
taking the
time David
it's been
good
to interview
to hear
just a
small part
of your
journey
and your
story
so thanks
for taking
the time
to do
this
not a
problem
now from
that short
interview with
David
it's clear
that God
had answered
our prayer
David's living
proof of
that
but thinking
back to the
time
it was hard
for us as a
family to
trust in God
we had so
many questions
why is this
happening God
but ultimately
I think we knew
that God was in
control
and for Joanna
and I
the faith
and the trust
that my mum
and my stepdad
Robert had in
God during
this time
was really
inspiring
you know
and this whole
situation proved
to me that
you know
if God was at
work then
he can still
be at work
now
he can answer
prayers now
and he can be
with us
he can be with
you in a
difficult situation
now
just like he
was with us
last year
so
trust in God
and remember
that prayer
works and that
he still
answers prayers
may be
you