What is the meaning of Matthew 26:54? But how then Jesus has just stopped Peter’s impulsive sword-swing (Matthew 26:51-53) and reminds the disciples that, with one request, He could call down “more than twelve legions of angels.” Yet He chooses not to. • The rhetorical “But how then” pulls everyone back to the Father’s plan, not human rescue efforts. • John 18:11 records the same moment: “Put your sword back in its sheath! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” That “cup” is the suffering foretold in Isaiah 53:10 and Psalm 22:1. • Acts 2:23 later explains that Jesus was “delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge,” underscoring that nothing about this arrest is accidental. would the Scriptures be fulfilled Fulfillment is more than checking off predictions; it is God’s unbreakable Word unfolding in real time. • Jesus has lived with this purpose from the start: “I have come not to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). • Luke 24:25-27 shows the risen Christ tracing Moses and the Prophets, proving that “all the Scriptures” point to His suffering and glory. • Specific foresights include: – Psalm 22:16-18—pierced hands and feet, casting lots for His clothes. – Zechariah 13:7—“Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered,” quoted minutes later in Matthew 26:56. – Isaiah 53:3-9—rejection, silence before accusers, substitutionary death. • John 10:35 reminds us, “The Scripture cannot be broken,” sealing the certainty of fulfillment. that say it must happen this way? The word “must” highlights divine necessity. The cross is not Plan B; it is the only way sin can be atoned and prophecy completed. • Hebrews 9:22 notes, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” • Isaiah 53:5 declares, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” • Acts 17:3 describes Paul “explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.” • 1 Peter 1:10-11 states that the prophets “predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” • The very details of “this way” were mapped out: – Betrayal by a close friend (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18). – Thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 27:9-10). – Silent submission (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14). – Crucifixion between criminals (Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:27-28). Every step, from Gethsemane to Golgotha, fits the prophetic blueprint. summary Matthew 26:54 captures the heart of redemption history in one sentence. Jesus refuses self-defense because the written Word promised a suffering Savior. By yielding to arrest, He guarantees that every prophecy about His atoning death will stand fulfilled, securing our salvation and proving the absolute reliability of Scripture. |
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