Acts 13:27-29, Ex. 11:4-7, Prophecy Fulfilled

We have been paying attention to the OT and the things written about the crucifixion of Christ.  Jesus mentioned this to the disciples when they were eating the Passover meal.  Later, in Gethsemane, He said this: I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled (Mk. 14:49).  Even after His resurrection Jesus emphasized this connection with the OT.  To the Emmaus Road disciples He said, ‘Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk. 24:26-27).  Then He said the same with the Twelve: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me (24:44).

Let me remind you, as well, that we are not finished with this approach.  There is more to come that has its anchor in the OT.  It was not until Jesus had fully suffered the cross and the separation from His Father that it was said, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ (Jn. 19:28).  And even then, John tells us that the piercing of Jesus’ side was a fulfillment of Scripture (Jn. 19:36-37). 

We also need to remember that Jesus’ crucifixion contains that amazing and mysterious mix of the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of Man.  In our previous post we noted that the Passover was “the LORD’s Passover.”  It was God’s planned event, as was the fulfillment in the Passover.  As Isaiah said, it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief (53:10). Yet, note how the Apostle Paul described this in Acts 13:27-29.  First, he said, For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.  And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.  Those who fulfilled the prophesied did what they did because of their own sinfulness, their own ignorance of those very Scriptures.  Paul concluded, When they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.  Everything was done according to the will of God, and out of the sinfulness of men. 

There is one other matter I want to say concerning Jesus’ death at Passover.  In Ex. 11:4-7 God gave Moses the initial idea of “Passover,” and that through this event He would make a distinction between Egypt and Israel.  How could God be merciful to Israel given that they were also sinful people?  The answer is found in the blood of the Passover Lamb.  As the LORD said, When I see the blood I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt (Ex. 12:13).  And so it is with Christ, our Paschal Lamb.  Praise the LORD!