The strange paths of our wonderful builder
by John Piper
- Was Christ building his church on September 11.
- 2001.
- When the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed.
- Or when our private world collapsed?The reason these questions arise is the absolute and universal authority expressed in Jesus’ promise: “Will I build my church?(Mt 16:18).
- Who said these words?11.
- 21).
- The demons obeyed (Mk 1:27).
- Satan was robbed (Mk 3:27).
- The winds ceased (4:41).
- The dead rose (Lk 7:14); Jn 11.
- 43).
- Thousands ate five loaves and two fish (Mt 14:19-21).
- The water became wine (Jn 2.
- 6-10) or on their way to their feet (Mt 14:25.
- 26).
This authority over heaven and earth is explicitly linked to Christ’s missionary commitment to building his church: “Will I build my church, and will the gates of hell not prevail against it?”(Mt 16:18). Jesus, approaching them, spoke to them, saying, All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth; therefore, go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28, 18-19). In other words, Jesus is firmly committed to using his power over heaven, earth, and hell to make disciples. No event that Jesus authorizes or produces in the universe is beyond his goal of building his church.
But things don’t seem to be like that. Your ways are not our means. It rarely travels in a straight line from point A to point B. The path to the top almost always passes through shallow water. The river curves backwards, away from the sea, as it heads towards it. I tried to capture this idea in a poem about the intensely painful life of Osas:
God’s astonishing and sinuous path, in the history of redemption, has led Paul to these words: “O depth of wealth, both of wisdom and knowledge of God!At what point are their judgments unreasonable, and how impenetrable their ways are!? (Romans 11. 33. )
For example, did Christ triumphantly build his church when he was killed by his enemies and buried for three days?Jesus replies: “I have destroyed this sanctuary, and in three days will I rebuild it?(Jo 2. 19); life for sheep. I still have another sheep, didn’t you pick it up, doesn’t anyone take it away from me?Do I have the power to deliver it and also get it back? (Jn 10,15,16-18). In other words, what seemed like a failure and a tragedy was total authority, and included the purchase of “other sheep. “For the worst of the sins committed?Jesus built his church triumphantly.
Was Christ building his church when the Apostle Paul was arrested in Rome?Paul replies: “I want, brethren, to know that what has happened to me has contributed to the progress of the gospel; so that my chains in Christ may be known to all. the Praetorian guard and everyone else; and most brethren, encouraged in the Lord by my wives, dare to say the word of God more dismayedly?; However, isn’t the word of God handcuffed? (2 Tim 2. 9). In other words, what seemed like a defeat showed Christ’s strange plan for victory.
Did Christ build his church in China when the Communists triumphed in 1949 and ended 150 years of evangelical missionary presence?
Has the growth of the Church in China since 1977 been unprecedented in history?Has Mao Zedong unconsciously become the great evangelist of history?[He] sought to destroy everything? Religious, but in the process removed spiritual obstacles to the advancement of Christianity. Did Deng [Xiaoping] reverse the horrors inflicted by Mao and, by liberating the economy, give Christians more freedom?[Today] the Church of the Lord Jesus is larger than the Chinese Communist Party.
So this Christ who rules all things built his church on September 11, 2001?I answer with questions that are not just hypothetical: What if Christ saw the planes heading toward the destruction of thousands of people and the turmoil of nations?Would it happen if, at the same time, you saw 200 million untouchables?(The Dalits) in India?What if you saw that your work, which has been going on for centuries, to free you from the slavery of Hinduism is about to end today, and that you are contemplating the acceptance of Islam, or perhaps Christianity or Buddhism?predicted that Islamic terrorism against the citizens of New York would have a powerful effect by driving thousands of dalitsa away from Islam and bringing them closer to Christ?What if he limited his power to stop terrorists, because (with thousands of other hopeful effects) did he have the eternal life of millions of people in sight?In India? And if it weren’t for your plan, my grandson could tell a better story of sovereign grace, which only time will reveal.
Excerpt from the book: Penetrado pela Palavra, by John Piper Copyright: © Editor FIEL 2009. Readers may disclose and distribute this text, provided that it does not change format, content and/or translation and report copyright such as translation and copyright. If in doubt, please contact Editora Fiel.