Day 26: Paradox
- Updated Mar 26, 2009
Who is ultimately responsible for the death of Jesus Christ? The
answer may surprise you. According to the Bible, God takes
responsibility for the death of his Son. This is the first part of
Isaiah 53:10 in the New International Version: “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer.” The New King James gives that phrase a slightly different feel: “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.”
Both versions say the same thing, but the NKJV emphasizes that it
pleased the Lord to “crush” his only Son. The terrible suffering our
Lord endured did not happen by chance nor did it happen solely because
the Jewish leaders wanted it and Pilate cravenly caved in. Behind the
evil deeds of evil men stands the Lord God Almighty. He and he alone
sent Jesus to the cross. Until you understand that fact, the true
meaning of the death of Christ will be lost to you.
Why did Jesus die? Listen to the answer provided by John Piper:
The
most important question of the 21st century is: Why did Jesus Christ
suffer so much? But we will never see the importance if we fail to go
beyond human cause. The ultimate answer to the question, Who crucified
Jesus? Is: God did! It is a staggering thought. And the suffering was
unsurpassed. But the whole message of the Bible leads to that
conclusion.
Just ponder these words: “Who
crucified Jesus? God did!” The exclamation point drives the point home.
No one would have expected God to put his only Son on the cross. But
that’s exactly what happened. The events of Good Friday will make no
sense until you grasp that great truth.
That’s why Jesus could truthfully take responsibility for his own death: “The
reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up
again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I
have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This
command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18). No one
“killed” Jesus against his will. If God had not willed for his Son to
die, and if Jesus had not willingly laid down his life, all the armies
of Rome could not have killed him. We can bring these truths together
in three simple statements:
The Father planned it.
The Son embraced it.
Evil men perpetrated it.
Herod
and Pilate (and everyone else involved) were unwitting actors in the
great drama of redemption. They were truly guilty for their sins, but
through their evil salvation has come to the world. What is the
greatest sin in the world? Surely the answer must be: Crucifying the
Son of God. Yet here is a mystery and a paradox that becomes a miracle:
From the greatest sin has come the greatest blessing for the whole human
race. The bloody death of Jesus opened the door of heaven for anyone
who wishes to enter.
We are amazed, Father, that you
could use the evil deeds of evil men to bring salvation to the world.
Thank you for the overruling providence that accomplishes your will
even when all seems lost. Amen.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.