GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN CHRIST’S DEATH

One way God revealed His sovereignty is in the utility of Satan through the human agency of a traitor to facilitate gruesome crucifixion of Christ, as foretold by Prophets of God several centuries before its literal fulfillment.

I can envision the Sovereign LORD God had issued a Divine Decree before the foundation of the world that caused Satan in due time to possess the son of perdition and stir up the religious leaders with the Jewish rulers, bringing them together in a treacherous unity of deadly conspiracy: to accuse and arraign the innocent Son of Man before the then Roman authorities, to be unjustly condemned through criminal prosecution to execution.

“Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.” (Luke 22:1-6, NIV)

“During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:2, ESV)

“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesusf of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:21-27, ESV)

All this interplay of events and circumstances was as a result of the Sovereign Summons of God.

If the Devil could have stopped it, he would have.

If the rulers of this world had accurate knowledge of what was truly happening, that is, the bigger picture or the macro scale, then they would have manipulated it to their own ultimate advantage. 

“But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.” (1 Corinthians 2:8, NLT)

They would have changed the holistic narrative.

But no, they were not sovereign decision makers. 

They were delusional, powerful pawns in a tenured spot or space within the encapsulated consciousness and spectrum of Time in the Hands of The Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent—the Eternal God and King.

Their overall, overarching, overpowering capacity was grossly limited by the frailty of their humanity.

What delusion of grandeur, in the light of Eternity.

“The LORD reigns, let the Earth be glad; let distant shores rejoice.” (Psalm 97:1, NIV)

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” (1 Chronicles 16:31, NKJV)

Blessed be the Name of the LORD God Almighty!