Jesus Did Not Stop at Making Salvation Possible
00:00:00.000 | [Music]
00:00:05.000 | The cross of Jesus Christ is a watershed point for so many issues in theology and ethics.
00:00:12.000 | So was the cross a tragic event that God turned for good,
00:00:17.000 | or was it a loving event that God planned for good?
00:00:21.000 | Which side of the watershed you choose to kayak down
00:00:24.000 | will decide the trajectory of your entire theological system that you based your life on.
00:00:29.000 | It's that important, as John Piper explains in a sermon clip from his 2011 sermon on John chapter 11.
00:00:35.000 | Here's a clip of what he said.
00:00:38.000 | God did not just turn the national crisis for Israel's good and our good.
00:00:48.000 | He was in it from the start, planning it.
00:00:54.000 | See the difference? Does God see a difficult situation and fix it, turn it,
00:01:02.000 | or is he in it from the start, managing it, planning it?
00:01:08.000 | And I'm arguing that's the case because of what this text says.
00:01:12.000 | So notice carefully what John says about Caiaphas' words, verse 50.
00:01:19.000 | "It's better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."
00:01:25.000 | And then John says something amazing in verse 51.
00:01:30.000 | He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied.
00:01:41.000 | He prophesied of God's accord, not his own.
00:01:46.000 | He prophesied of God's accord, not his own.
00:01:50.000 | Now think that through.
00:01:53.000 | God brought these words out of Caiaphas' mouth.
00:01:58.000 | God put them there.
00:02:00.000 | God has a meaning.
00:02:03.000 | At one level, these are Caiaphas' words, and his meaning is one thing.
00:02:08.000 | At another level, these are God's words, and his meaning is another thing.
00:02:13.000 | And the point I'm making here is these words sealed Jesus' death.
00:02:20.000 | These words were the death warrant of Jesus.
00:02:25.000 | God spoke these words.
00:02:27.000 | Caiaphas wanted Jesus dead and out of the way, so he spoke these words.
00:02:35.000 | And Jesus wanted Jesus, God wanted Jesus dead and risen and reigning and triumphant over the world.
00:02:46.000 | And he spoke these words.
00:02:49.000 | He didn't arrive on the scene here late and say, "Oh my, what will I make of these words?"
00:02:56.000 | He spoke these words.
00:02:59.000 | That's amazing.
00:03:02.000 | I mean, my whole life is based on things like that.
00:03:06.000 | You think you're troubles?
00:03:08.000 | God says, "Oh no, what will I make of that?
00:03:12.000 | That horrible mess.
00:03:15.000 | I'll figure it out."
00:03:17.000 | That's not my God.
00:03:20.000 | Caiaphas prophesied, that is, he spoke God's words, and God said,
00:03:26.000 | "It is better for you that one should die for the people,
00:03:30.000 | and that the whole nation should not perish."
00:03:32.000 | God said, "Better that he die."
00:03:35.000 | God said, "Better that he die."
00:03:37.000 | God said, "Better that he die."
00:03:40.000 | Better indeed, better than any plan in the universe.
00:03:45.000 | Infinitely better that he die.
00:03:49.000 | I love God.
00:03:51.000 | I love God.
00:03:53.000 | He did this with you in mind.
00:03:57.000 | Therefore, the death of Jesus was not mainly a tragic set of events
00:04:04.000 | which God turned for good.
00:04:06.000 | It was a loving set of events that God planned for good.
00:04:11.000 | God himself served the death warrant on his son.
00:04:16.000 | He didn't just predict it.
00:04:18.000 | He unleashed it.
00:04:20.000 | This word of prophecy tracked Jesus down to Gethsemane
00:04:25.000 | and put him under arrest.
00:04:28.000 | There was no escape because God had spoken.
00:04:33.000 | Listen carefully.
00:04:35.000 | Inside the universal offer of salvation, which we know from John 3.16, right?
00:04:41.000 | For God so loved the world.
00:04:43.000 | Whoever, inside the universal offer of salvation,
00:04:47.000 | God has a particular design in the death of his son
00:04:54.000 | to convert the elect, the scattered children of God,
00:04:59.000 | and bring them to himself.
00:05:03.000 | Within the glorious open door sent to the world,
00:05:10.000 | whosoever will may come.
00:05:13.000 | For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,
00:05:17.000 | whoever believes, whoever believes, may not perish, but have eternal life.
00:05:24.000 | Within that glorious proclamation, which we should announce everywhere we go,
00:05:29.000 | there is a design as well.
00:05:33.000 | Don't limit Christ's purposes in the cross
00:05:40.000 | to providing an opportunity for all to be saved.
00:05:45.000 | Don't limit the work of the cross to that.
00:05:49.000 | That's true, and gloriously so.
00:05:52.000 | It unleashes us in the neighborhood.
00:05:54.000 | It unleashes us among the nations to look into every eyeball and say,
00:05:59.000 | "He loved you and gave his son so that if you will but believe, you will be saved."
00:06:06.000 | But he did more than that.
00:06:09.000 | And that's here.
00:06:11.000 | The more is here.
00:06:13.000 | And the more is by your blood, you ransomed a people.
00:06:20.000 | You are gathering a people called the children of God who are out there,
00:06:26.000 | chosen before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1, 4, for adoption.
00:06:32.000 | And you have died to bring them.
00:06:36.000 | And you will do what you died to do in regard to your elect.
00:06:41.000 | You will get that done.
00:06:44.000 | And there will be one people infallibly.
00:06:50.000 | Christ died not only to offer the world salvation.
00:06:56.000 | He died in order to bring his people to himself, to overcome their rebellion
00:07:06.000 | and gather them omnipotently to himself.
00:07:12.000 | Beautifully put.
00:07:13.000 | This is an incredibly important doctrine.
00:07:15.000 | And, of course, you can find the entire message online at DesiringGod.org.
00:07:20.000 | This message is titled "Jesus Died to Gather the Children of God,"
00:07:25.000 | which was preached on October 29, 2011.
00:07:28.000 | This clip was found by Donnie from New Mexico who sent it in to us.
00:07:32.000 | Thank you, Donnie, for the clip.
00:07:34.000 | And John Piper returns tomorrow, and we're going to talk about four reasons
00:07:37.000 | why you should consider sharing your personal struggles with your non-Christian friends.
00:07:41.000 | That should be an interesting discussion.
00:07:43.000 | I'm your host, Tony Ranke, and I'll see you tomorrow on the Ask Pastor John Podcast.
00:07:47.000 | [ Silence ]
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