Cake Salvation

Devotion

1-25-10

Cake Salvation

John 2:1-11

Howard, Joyce’s husband, stood in the lobby of the church talking to the guest speaker when suddenly Joyce rushed over to tell him something.  “Excuse me sir, but I really need to talk to my husband for a second.” Taking her husband aside she explained that she had overheard a women talking about a situation she was going through. Joyce had never met this lady before; she was visiting with a friend. Her daughter was getting married in two days and her husband had been laid off from his job. Now she was in a panic as to how to pay for the wedding cake.  Everything else was in place, but there was no more money for the cake and she didn’t know what to do.  As Joyce explained the situation to her husband he looked at her a bit puzzled and said, “Sweetheart, what are you telling me this for?  What do you want me to do about it, it isn’t our concern.  It’s just a cake, they can live without it. It’s not like it will keep them from getting married.”  Joyce’s eyes filled with tears as she heard her husband speak. His heart melted with conviction as he looked in his wife’s eyes and he knew he couldn’t deny helping the lady. So Joyce went to the lady and told her, “My husband wants to talk to you, listen to what he has to say and he will explain how he can help you.” The lady listened to Howard as he explained that he would buy the wedding cake for her daughter’s wedding. Tears began to fall and a shaky smile appeared on her face as she softly said, “Thank you.” 

 

Later during the evening service, the pastor read a letter to the congregation.  It said. “Dear First Baptist Church, I can’t tell you want a blessing I received this morning from one of your members.  He went beyond saying he was a Christian to showing he was a Christian.  My husband was laid off a month ago and our daughter is getting married in two days.  We were out of money and somehow this man found out.  This man handed me a check for the amount of my daughter’s wedding cake.  I stood crying and only the words thank you could come out of my mouth.  When I returned home, my husband, who doubted if there is a God, had out of desperation prayed to God that morning asking Him to show His self if He is real. So when I told my husband the story of what happened at church and handed him the check for the cake, tears began to pour. Though we could have had my daughter’s wedding without the cake, the Lord used the lack of money for it, to reveal Himself to my husband.  My husband was so touched and in awe that God had answered his prayer that he dropped to his knees right in our living room and asked Jesus to be His Savior. The Lord had showed up for him and proved His love for him through the obedience of a man in your church who loved the Lord enough to reach out and help a stranger.  Thank you First Baptist church for opening your doors to me this morning; and thank you Howard and Joyce for opening your hearts and allowing the Lord to use you to reveal God’s love to my husband.”

 

There is a wedding in the Bible that was similar to this story. Let’s take a look at it in John 2:1-11.  However, before you begin pray to the Father and ask Him to reveal any sin in your life that could be hindering you from hearing His voice. (Psalm 139)  As He reveals those sins ask Him to forgive you and make your heart ready to receive His word today.  When you are finished read, out loud, John 2:1-11.

 

This is the story of Jesus when He, His mother, and His disciples were at a wedding in Cana. The wine had run out and Mary, Jesus’ mother came to Him concerned about it. Take a look at verse 3.  What did Mary say to Jesus? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was Jesus’ reply in verse 4? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now take a good look at verse 5, what happens? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think that after Jesus told His mother that His time had not yet come, that Mary told the servants to do whatever He said? Do you think he did it because he was honoring his mother? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did Jesus do with the six stone waterpots? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The headwaiter and the bridegroom were amazed at what Jesus did, why? (v10) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ok, so what is the big deal about this miracle Jesus did?  Was it the fact that He turned the water to wine or that the wine ended up being the better wine?  Was it because He showed His power? Was it the fact that His mother wanted Him to do this even though it really wasn’t the right time? All these are important parts of the story, but take a look at verse 11.  Write it down. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The key to this story is found in verse 11, turning the water to wine was like the check for the wedding cake in our opening story.  Both of these events revealed God’s power, His love and concern for the little things in our lives, but most of all they were used to manifest His glory and to bring someone to believing in Him.  In the above story, the man who had asked God to prove Himself came to an acceptance of Jesus through the check for the cake.  Who came to believe in Jesus in verse 11 because of the water being turned to wine? ________________________________________________________________________

 

Wow, His disciples? Yes His disciples. You see there are many people running around and inside our churches today that believe Jesus is real but they don’t believe in Him.  This, “believe” being talked about in verse 11 is a trust, not only in who Jesus is but in what He can do. 

 

Jesus Christ will manifest His glory through our needs.  We can be sure that by His glory we will see our needs met, our hearts changed, and lives forever blessed.  Most importantly however, there is someone who will come to know Jesus because of the need in your life where God can show up and create a kind of wine or cake salvation miracle. Thank Him for your needs, watch Him work in your life and see who comes to believe because of it.