ChancePoythress

38 The Sovereignty of God
part we have focused on incidents where a bystander may not have noticed
anything extraordinary. In each case, the narrative as a whole shows that
God was accomplishing his purposes. He was in control of these apparently
“happenstance” events. We could add to our list many incidents in the
Bible of a more extraordinary kind, where God exerted miraculous power.
He brought the plagues on Egypt, divided the waters of the Red Sea, gave
manna in the wilderness.
We see a supreme exhibition of God’s control when we look at some of
the apparently “happenstance” events during Jesus’s crucifixion and death.
When Jesus was crucified, the soldiers happened to cast lots to divide
his garments. They thus fulfilled the Scripture,
They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots. (John 19:24; Ps. 22:18)
When Jesus had died, one of the soldiers happened to pierce his side
with a spear, fulfilling prophecy:
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, . . . (John 19:34)
And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they
have pierced.” (John 19:37; quoted from Zech. 12:10)
After the death of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man (Matt. 27:57),
took the body of Jesus and laid it in his own tomb, which happened to be
nearby and which was empty. He thus fulfilled prophecy:
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and
laid it in his own new tomb (Matt. 27:59–60)
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death (Isa. 53:9)
In Acts, the believers took courage as they reflected on how God had
controlled the events of Jesus’s crucifixion (Acts 4:25–28). They prayed that
God would continue to act in power in their lives:
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats [from the religious leaders] and
grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are per-