Transformative Power of Grace: Peter and the Cross

I think we would be agreed wouldn't we that Simon Peter was not by any means a straight A student in the school of Christ. It's perhaps not fair to single him out but there's a sense in which he just asks for it uh he's just like a naughty boy in school in many ways he was always putting up his hand always saying I have the answer I have the answer I have the answer and many times he did but he was often good at getting it for a moment and then falling back dreadfully his life was sort of a burst of enthusiasm followed by periods of chronic inertia. [00:55:40]

Because when you realize that the person who is declaring these words is the person that I have just given that brief biographical outline for and not one that is particularly commendable and yet here we have the Fulfillment of what Jesus had told these followers of his when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth and when the helper comes whom I will send to you this is in the upper room discourse in John 15 and 16 when the helper whom I will send to you comes then you will be in a position not only to understand but also to declare. [02:26:28]

Well the observation of Howard Marshall is in half a sentence what we discover is the Paradox of divine predestination and human Free Will in its strongest form not separated by a chapter not separated by a book not even separated by a verse this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God you crucified and killed by the hands of Lawless men. [03:16:20]

And so it is right for us when we take a Doctrine such as the doctrine of Providence which is in some ways a difficult Doctrine it's a Biblical Doctrine as a helpful Doctrine one of the things that we've been teaching one another to ask with something that is difficult like that is how does this actually play out in the life of Jesus because if we're trying to teach a Biblical principle a Biblical truth and when we come to it in the life and Ministry of Jesus it doesn't work then somewhere along the line we have ourselves gone wrong in what we're doing because it will always work it will always fit in relationship to Jesus. [05:32:76]

We must look to Jesus Christ quotes for he is the true mirror mirror as opposed to Mir he is the true he is the true mirror in which we are to contemplate God's Providence so in other words when we look at Jesus then we have the opportunity really to come to terms with his Providence. [07:08:12]

In respect of God the death of Christ was Justice and mercy all right so we're going to deal with it in respect of God in respect of Jesus in respect of man that's how that's how Knox dealt with it the Grave Divine of the Scottish Reformation so when we look at this in relationship to God we see it in terms both of justice and of Mercy. [08:09:36]

The bottom line is that the sun was assigned this work to accomplish Redemption and the father would glorify him in return that makes sense of the beginning of the high Priestly prayer in John 17 as Jesus and kneels in prayer or stands in prayer we don't know and father the hour has come glorify your son that your son may glorify you how is he going to glorify him in his death. [11:36:00]

And according to God it is the explication of his Justice and his Mercy both Justice and mercy equally expressed in the cross as we rehearse for one another routinely in the cross God pardons those who believe in Christ even though they have sinned and deserve only his condemnation without that we will be excluded from his presence forever and it is here in the cross that he displays and he satisfies his perfect Justice by executing the punishment on his own son the punishment that our sins deserve and without that we would be not only separated from God but God would not be true to himself. [13:26:39]

The fact that the principal cause was the definite plan and foreknowledge of God does not in any way at all relieve the instigators Jews and others and the perpetrators Romans and others does not relieve either the instigators or the perpetrators of their violence there's no freedom from their responsibility and again this comes so clearly doesn't it in in the 27th verse of uh of chapter four for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel they were all here and this was according to the foreknowledge and Council of God. [14:15:36]

And as I say to you the deeper truth is that the whole human race is culpable in this regard Were You There When They Crucified My Lord oh yes in every realistic sense we were so in relationship to God the Father it is Justice and mercy in relationship to man it is murder and cruelty and finally in relationship to Christ himself it is obedience and humility. [18:28:60]

It is true that God gave the son but it is equally true that the son gave himself remember when Judas comes to betray him in the garden with the soldiers he's not hiding behind a tree he steps forward and says are you looking for someone he knows they're looking for him when Peter once again seeking to go to the top of the class decides to take somebody's head off and misses and takes their ear off Jesus says put away your sword if I wanted it to be another way I could call 12 Legions of angels and we could be done with this whole program right now but no the father and the son take the initiative together in the salvation of sinners. [19:00:72]

And consequently the man that have the best influence in the church throughout history when you read their stories are those who according to Ian Murray have been taken with captivated by Carried Away by God's love for Sinners to the extents as Murray that persuading men of God's love is the great calling of Christian Ministry and we will never persuade men of his love unless we understand the extent of his love it was his love for me says the hymn writer that nailed him to the tree to die in agony for all my sin. [20:43:00]