Why did Jesus reference being "numbered with the transgressors" in Luke 22:37? Canonical Text “For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:37) Immediate Setting in Luke Jesus speaks these words at the close of the Passover meal. He has just instituted the Lord’s Supper (vv. 19–20) and predicted Peter’s denial (vv. 31–34). With His arrest only hours away, He warns the Eleven that the season of public favor is ending (vv. 35–36). The citation from Isaiah explains that the coming violence is not a setback but the planned fulfillment of Scripture. Source of the Quotation: Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12) Isaiah’s Servant Song, written c. 700 BC and preserved in the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsᵃ, dated 125–100 BC), prophesies a righteous Servant who will voluntarily die, carry sin, and be counted among law-breakers. The unbroken chain of manuscripts, from the Dead Sea Scrolls through Codex Vaticanus (4th c.) to modern papyri such as P66 and P75 (2nd c.), demonstrates the textual stability of Isaiah 53 centuries before Christ. Historical Fulfillment in the Passion 1. Crucified between two criminals (Luke 23:32–33). 2. Publicly treated as an outlaw (Mark 15:27; John 18:30). 3. Buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57–60). Roman records confirm that seditionists were crucified in groups (Tacitus, Annals 15.44). Archaeologists uncovered the heel bone of Yehohanan ben Hagkol (Givat HaMivtar, A.D. 30s-40s) still transfixed by an iron spike—tangible proof of first-century Jewish victims of Roman crucifixion. Lukan Emphasis on the Innocent Sufferer Luke repeatedly declares Jesus innocent (23:4, 14–15, 22, 47). By quoting Isaiah, Jesus frames His condemnation as part of the divine script: though adjudged a criminal, He is in fact the sin-bearing Servant. Luke’s audience—Gentiles familiar with Greco-Roman honor-shame codes—needed this explicit link between an ignominious death and God’s approval. Substitutionary Atonement and Identification with Sinners Being “numbered” does not merely describe proximity; it denotes legal solidarity. On the Day of Atonement the scapegoat “bears” Israel’s guilt when the high priest confesses sins over its head (Leviticus 16:21-22). Isaiah employs the same motif: the Servant assumes the judicial status of transgressors so that they may receive His righteousness (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). Self-Conscious Prophetic Fulfillment More than predicting circumstances, Jesus interprets them: “this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me.” The Greek dei (“must”) expresses divine necessity. The convergence of prediction and event manifests providence, not coincidence. Statistically, the odds that a voluntary Messiah claimant could engineer birthplace (Micah 5:2), method of death (Psalm 22), casting lots for garments (Psalm 22:18), and burial (Isaiah 53:9) stretch credulity for purely naturalistic explanations. Early Church Reception • Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.18.3: “He was Himself numbered among the transgressors and bore the sins of many.” • Justin Martyr, Dial. 110: Christ “accepted to be considered lawless, that He might redeem us.” • Augustine, Enarr. in Psalm 40.10: “He chose to be reckoned with the wicked that the wicked might be counted with the righteous.” Patristic homilies consistently cite Isaiah 53 and Luke 22 together, indicating an early, coherent exegesis. Ethical and Discipleship Implications If the sinless Lord was cataloged with criminals, His followers should expect similar mischaracterization (John 15:20; 1 Peter 4:14-16). Luke records Jesus’ call to “take up your cross daily” (Luke 9:23); the quotation in 22:37 foreshadows that cost. Eschatological Vindication Isaiah 53 closes with exaltation (“a portion with the great”), pointing beyond death. Luke corroborates by ending his Gospel with the empty tomb (24:1-7) and resurrection appearances (24:36-43). The Servant, once labeled a law-breaker, is vindicated by bodily resurrection—historically attested by multiple independent strands (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, early creed; empty-tomb tradition shared by women witnesses; transformation of skeptics like James and Paul). Conclusion Jesus cited “He was numbered with the transgressors” to declare that His impending arrest, trial, and crucifixion were not tragic detours but the predetermined means by which He would bear humanity’s sin, fulfill Isaiah’s Servant prophecy, and inaugurate salvation. The phrase encapsulates His legal identification with sinners, His solidarity with the marginalized, and the divine orchestration of redemption—validated by manuscript integrity, historical corroboration, and the resurrection that followed. |
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