God Planned for Our Good

Excerpt from John Piper:  Jesus Died to Gather the Children of God

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FIVE TRUTHS IN THE TEXT

So let’s see the five truths and then make those five applications.

1. God did not just turn this national crisis for Israel’s good and our good, he was in it from the start planning it for good.

Notice carefully what John says about Caiaphas’s words. Caiaphas says in verse 50 : “It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” And then John says something amazing in verse 51: “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied.”

He prophesied. In other words, God brought these words to his mind. God put them there. And God has a meaning. At one level, these are Caiaphas’s words with his meaning. And at another level, these are God’s words with his meaning. And the point I am making here is that these are the words that sealed Jesus’ death. These words are Jesus’ death warrant. Caiaphas wanted Jesus dead, and out of the way, and so he spoke these words. God wanted Jesus dead and risen and reigning forever, and so he spoke these words.

This Is What God Said

Caiaphas prophesied, that is, he spoke God’s words, and God said: “It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” God said that. “Better that Jesus die.” Better. “Better than any other plan in the universe.” This is what God said.

Therefore, the death of Jesus was not mainly a tragic set of events which God turned for our good. It was a loving set of events which God planned for our good. God himself served the death warrant on his own Son. He did not just predict it. He unleashed it. This word of prophecy tracked Jesus down into Gethsemane and put him under arrest. There was no escape. This was the word of God. “It is better that he die.”

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