“I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”-Mark 14:49
The scene painted by the context of this verse feels straight out of a movie:
“… midnight, pitch-black darkness except for a few flickering torches. The steady march of soldiers, armed to the teeth. Enemies who always argued about what Moses said and wrote united for a cause. And the famed miracle worker and teacher people call the Messiah, looking expectantly at the darkness, with an aura that makes it impossible to believe that moments ago he was drenched in sweat, and blood, close to giving up; a kiss of death …”
You get the picture, this is box office, blockbuster stuff!!
“Have you come out with swords and clubs to take me like a thief?” Jesus asked. “I was with you teaching in the temple and you did not seize me…but the scriptures must be fulfilled.”
At that very moment, the words of the prophet Isaiah were set into motion:
“...He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment, he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?..."
“But the scriptures must be fulfilled”, such confusing yet profound words uttered at that moment. It's profound because the statement implies that the scriptures, written earlier, contained descriptions of future outcomes—an outcome for which circumstances must align to make it a reality.
At the same time, it’s confusing because it opens up a whole can of “what-if” worms: What if the chief priests knew their actions had been foretold thousands of years ago? Would Judas have acted differently if he knew what was said in the prophets?
Regardless of where you stand, one thing remains clear: the events unfolded exactly as foretold in scripture. This shows how God is totally in control. He knows how everything ends from the very beginning, and He can use any situation, any choice people make, to bring about His ultimate plan. Think about it. Nothing that happens can mess up God's promises. He’s faithful, the ultimate "Man of His word."
The message translation of Isaiah 55:10-11 puts this more clearly:
“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.”
Beautiful isn’t it? But that’s not all!!
If God will watch his word come to pass, it is reasonable to believe that what has been written about us will also be fulfilled. And many things have been written concerning us:
God will not forget your labour of love - Hebrews 6:10
Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love - Romans 8:38-39
God cares about you - 1 Peter 5:7
God will perfect all things concerning my life - Psalm 138:8
When we ask God we will receive - Matthew 7:7
God will answer us when we call - Isaiah 58:9
Greater is He that's in you - 1 John 4:4
And much more !!!!!
We can be sure that these and many more words will be fulfilled in our lives because Jesus said: “The scriptures must be fulfilled”
This month
Let’s pay extra attention to what God has said concerning us.
Let's watch as they come to pass in our lives just as God said they would!
Let’s fulfil the scriptures together!
Cheers!!
This piece is comforting. We are assured by words of Christ, in that, we will live to see the scriptures fulfilled in our lives. Amen.