“TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE!”

 John 19:28-30                    (ESV)

The Death of JESUS 

“[28] After this, JESUS, knowing that ALL WAS NOW FINISHED, said (“TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE”), “I thirst.” [29] A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. [30] When JESUS had received the sour wine, HE said, “IT IS FINISHED”, and HE bowed HIS head AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.”

For those who have been exposed to the TRUTH contained in the SCRIPTURE, acknowledging that JESUS was/is THE WORD (John 1:1), and JESUS was with GOD from the beginning!!  With this in mind, JESUS had FULL AUTHORITY and TRUTH (John 14:6) to speak for THE FATHER as THEY were ONE!

Since JESUS was THE WORD and TRUTH, even in death HE HAD “TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE”!  Doing ANYTHING short of fulfilling every “jot and tittle” of what had been prophesied would have “fallen short” of HIS PERFECTION.  

It is IMPERATIVE to grasp that JESUS (GOD IN THE FLESH), even in the most excruciating death imaginable, HE was required to FULFILL ALL OF SCRIPTURE!  The last thing HE did before HE yielded HIS LIFE was drink a mixture from a hyssop branch, a reportedly bitter drink that was spoken of by King David in Psalm 51.  HE drank “the hyssop” and then said “IT IS FINISHED”, and HE bowed HIS head AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT”!

JESUS was mandated by SCRIPTURE to suffer ALL of the PAIN and SUFFERING “TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE”!  HIS PLAN didn’t allow HIM to escape, even when the final “sentence” would be the last thing HE performed before HIS death!  HE is THE WORD, and “TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE” was WHO HE WAS!!!  HE lives in me, so do I have any choice???