Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

Between our two Gospel Sing sessions, church, and other engagements, it was a busy day. Now my head is ready for a pillow.

Have a good night of rest and reflection in anticipation of a new day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

In order to put Peter’s denial into context, let’s revisit John 13:37-38. “Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!’”

As I try to take in the entire landscape of human choices and events as it relates to the fulfillment of God’s sovereign Will as presented in this account, I sense my own residue of human pride and arrogance melting away to about zero. There’s something very awesome and transcendent going on here—by remote control—without people having a clue that they were being controlled.

Let me raise this question: HOW DID JESUS ORCHESTRATE OR KNOW WITH SUCH PRECISION ALL THAT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE? May I also add to this a statement that can assist you in formulating your answer? THAT’S FOR HIM TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIGURE OUT. So go ahead and take some careful time to get it all figured out and present your answer. Give it your best shot. OK, time’s up. What?—you still can’t figure it out? Well, good! That means you’re on the right track. You’re not supposed to get the sovereignty of God all figured out. He’s beyond that. The best conclusion to draw from trying to figure out God is to accept that you can’t figure out God. The best you can do is to comply with God. And for anyone to face or know the reality of His sovereignty, yet have no interest in compliance is to afflict oneself with the same blind stupidity of those in the mob who came out to arrest Jesus. Wasn’t there anyone in that gang that was intimidated by the fact that Jesus knocked every one of them on their hind ends without touching them (v. 6)?!?

Without getting God all figured out, I believe we are being offered in this story a very significant glimpse into how God works in the transaction of His sovereign Will. For example, Biblical prophecy as it relates to end times is coming into sharper focus all around us today—which is a way of pronouncing His Will. And His Will will happen—one way or another—no matter what. So behind the scenes, God, like an orchestra conductor is directing the various parts that make up the whole of the symphony. There is evidence in this story that He is giving cues and promptings to the players to do what they have been scripted to do—and precisely when. The final directive He gives in this segment could go something like, “OK, rooster, crow now!”