So yesterday, Adam preached his first sermon at Community of Hope.  It was a  message a lot of us needed to hear heading into a busy fall where a lot is being asked of us, about whether following Jesus is easy or hard.  It served a second purpose as well - it allowed us to get to know him and his family and hear a bit of their story.

I was talking with Cheryl after church, and she says to me, kind of out of the blue, that she had a bit of a vision, but more of a realization.  She said she saw Adam and his family coming with us to Alberta.  Totally out of the blue.

I figured I had better note this down for posterity.  I like to give glory to God when he moves in ways beyond our understanding.  And it certainly will be beyond my understanding if (when) it comes to pass!

So, here’s your notice, Adam.  You’re moving again in a couple of years.  Yeah, sorry Phil.  What can I say?  It’s God, not us!

I was just reading on Just a Minute about people who think they can call themselves a follower of Jesus but then not believe what he said in the Bible.  The author began to make a good point about how Jesus proved himself God by predicting his death and resurrection.

Then it occurred to me - it goes beyond fulfilling prophecy.

When Jesus predicted his death, he was completely setting himself up.  But no human could be right about the exact time and circumstances of their death.  Repeatedly through his ministry he would say things to his disciples about his death coming, but they didn’t believe him.  He also said several times when he might have been killed, that it was not his time yet.  How did he know?  Yet he was right.

When he predicted that Judas would betray him that night, he might have been wrong.  Judas could have chickened out.  He didn’t.  When he was arrested, he could have been killed in the skirmish started by Peter.  Peter could have also been killed.  He wasn’t.

When he was taken before Annas and Caiaphas, it is concievable that the blasphemy that he was held responsible for could have resulted in a mob killing him.  Or they could have had him killed in secret.  Pilate was clearly interested in peace in Judea - he wouldn’t have disturbed things if one Jew turns up floating in the Jordan.

When he was taken before Pilate, the scourging could have killed him.  He might have been stoned.  He might have simply been executed by the Romans, instead of crucified.  At any point Pilate could have made a different decision.  And why not?  Romans were Romans - they had no particular loyalty to Jewish procedure.

The decision to crucify him could have even been delayed.  Pilate could have decided not to crucify him that day.  He could have decided not to try the case at all - he clearly tried to pass the buck to Herod.  He could have sent Jesus to be judged by other Roman authorities since he knew the man was innocent and didn’t want to be responsible for unrest.  But he didn’t.

The entire sequence of events from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion, including the events after his crucifixion such as what the soldiers did with his clothes, the death of Judas, and where Jesus was entombed, were completely beyond his control.  His followers always thought he was going to be a reigning king and dethrone Herod.  They had no clue that he had to die, despite his telling them.  He could have told them that he had to be buried in a rich man’s tomb, but they wouldn’t have done it, because they didn’t understand what was to come.

The foresight demonstrated in the crucifixion alone demonstrates Jesus’ divinity.  Nobody else could have known all that was to come.