Thread: For Good Friday: Why God Created the Universe
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For Good Friday: Why God Created the Universe
Posted : 22 Apr, 2011 01:48 PM
Why God Created the Universe�For Good Friday
April 22, 2011 | by John Piper
On the panel at The Gospel Coalition I was asked how my preaching may have become more Christocentric over the years. Here�s the summary of my answer.
My devotion to the truth that God magnifies himself in all that he does has been increasingly refined in a Christ-centered direction. I have been driven in this direction by a cluster of insights.
1. The apex of God�s display of his own glory is the display of his grace.
�God predestined . . . according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace� (Ephesians 1:5�6). Grace is the endpoint in the revelation of God�s glory.
This is seen in the way wrath serves to make God more glorious for the vessels of mercy. �Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, God has endured with much patience vessels of wrath . . . in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy� (Romans 9:22�23).
2. God�s glorification of his grace was planned before creation.
�God chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . to the praise of the glory of his grace� (Ephesians 1:4�6).
3. God�s glorification of his grace was to happen through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
�He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ . . . to the praise of the glory of his grace� (Ephesians 1:5�6).
�God called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began� (2 Timothy 1:9).
4. From eternity the apex of God�s glorification of his grace was designed to be Christ�s crucifixion for sinners.
Before there was any human sin to die for, God planned that his Son be slain for sinners. We know this because of the name given to the book of life before creation. �Everyone [will worship the beast] whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain� (Revelation 13:8).
5. God�s glorification of his grace in the crucifixion of his Son for sinners was the ultimate purpose for creating the universe.
�All things were created through him and for him� (Colossians 1:16). For all eternity we will sing �the song of the Lamb� (Rev. 15:3). We will say, �Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain� (Revelation 5:9).
6. Therefore God planned from eternity that the revelation of his glory would be the ultimate reason for creating the universe.
This glory would be supremely displayed in God�s grace. This grace would be supremely glorified in Jesus. And the apex of that glorification in Jesus would be reached when he was slain to save a people who would spend eternity magnifying the greatness of that grace.
In other words the universe was created for the glorification of God�s grace at Calvary, echoing through eternity in the Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed.
here is a question maybe you can answer then about good friday
how can you get three days and three nights from friday to sunday morning
this matters cause JESUS said the sign HE would give would be the sign of Jonah which was that HE would be in the ground for three days and three nights
so how come it is scaled down if that is THE sign HE gave
Hummm...Interesting article...since John Piper is a Professed Baptist of the Calvinist Tulip Doctrine of Total Depravity...it seems Odd for you to share this article since Good Friday is Concidered Arminian by your standards...:glow:..Antwho...Blessed Good Friday...Blessed Ressurection Day...Blessed Passover & Pesach...Shalom...xo
IceBro ~ ...Wed night...Thursday day / night...Friday day / night...Saturday...day..." And the day and night where 1 day"...3 nights 3 days...:bouncy:...xo
Thats true...This day & date [ Good Friday } is based on using a Julian / Gregorian Calendar...not the Hebrew Calendar...there is a differance as you know...xo
�God predestined . . . according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace� (Ephesians 1:5�6). Grace is the endpoint in the revelation of God�s glory.
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This article goes wrong right off the bat.
Grace is not the endpoint, it is the beginning point!...THE BEGINNING POINT!....It is who God is, it is his nature.
(KJV) Eph 1:5~ "Having predestinated us unto the [ adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, ] according to the good pleasure of his will, 6~ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Icebro, here is something I found that will explain for you what is taught in scriptures, if you have a Jewish Calender in the back of your Bible you will see it clearly.
The Feast of the Passover (a high Sabbath) and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (another high Sabbath) were celebrated on April 14th and 15th respectively. Sunset initiated the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Nisan 15 was a "high day", a non Saturday Sabbath.
The first month of the Jewish year is the month of Nisan or "Aviv." The name "Aviv" comes from the Hebrew term "Chodesh Ha-Aviv" which means the "the month of Spring." Aviv was the name used for first month of the year before the Babylonian captivity. After the Babylonian captivity it was called "Nisan" or "Nisan".
The day Jesus died was the preparation day (Wednesday) of the Passover celebration on Thursday (John 19:14, 31: "And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he (meaning Pilate) saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" This was the morning of the crucifixion day. Verse 31 states, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."
Therefore, Passover (Nisan "Aviv" 14 ) was on Thursday, that year, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began on Friday (seven day feast last to Nisan "Aviv" 21), and the regular weekday Sabbath was on Saturday. Jesus was crucified in the morning on Wednesday and placed in the tomb before 6 P.M. He arose from the grave sometime after 6 P.M. on Saturday, which would be early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, according to Jewish time-keeping. � This explanation fits Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 12:40 that He would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
This is the only view that fits the biblical account is that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and buried before 6:00 PM that day. The Jewish day began at 6:00 PM which was the Passover (Nisan "Aviv" 14).
Therefore the Passover began on Wednesday after 6:00 PM which would actually be Thursday in the Julian calendar.
The women brought the spices on Friday, rested on Saturday and went on Sunday morning after 6:00 AM and found the Lord was resurrected. This is the series of events and is accord with Jesus' states of Matthew 12:38-40.Jesus was in the grave three full days and three nights. Any other view violates the biblical account and the historical facts.
thank you very much everyone really thank you these are very informative. But i know these things i was asking how is it that christians celebrate good friday to sunday which like you said so well ET is a violation of the Bible and what it says,,,,so how is it justified to do so and not keep Passover and Unleavened Bread (which are shadows of things to come) ?
sorry i should have been more clear but you guys are on it and thank you for sharing the truth if i did not know i would know truth now!!!! thank you!!!!!! may YHWH keep you and bless you!!!!!!
