The Embodiment

John 19:³⁶ “These things happened in fulfilment of the Scriptures…”

If you were to commit your most treasured person to someone who would that person be? Our focus over the next few days is on John 19 and in this story, Jesus committed His mother to John. Who is your most precious person – is it your parent, or your child or children, or your spouse? If you were going on a long vacation and you want to trust that person into someone’s hands, who would that trusted person be or what kind of person would that person be?

While you are thinking about it, let me tell you a joke. A certain king was going to war and he had a very beautiful wife. In those days, women without husbands were usually vulnerable. So, the king called his best friend and said, “I am going to war. If I do not come back after three months, I do not want my wife to be a widow or to suffer. I have locked her in this room with provisions that will last her for three months I will be away. But if after three months I do not return, open the room and take her as one of your wives. I am trusting you to ensure that she does not suffer. But the condition is, do not enter the room until the three months have elapsed.” And the man said, “Never, we are best of friends.”

So, the king handed the keys to his best friend and started on his journey. He had barely gone for five minutes when he heard someone shouting, “King, stop!” It was his friend, what could be the problem? “The key is not working, you must have given me the wrong key”, he said. As soon as the king left, his friend was trying to enter the room. The king realized that he was the wrong man for the job. If you are to commit your most treasured person to someone, who will that person be? Please read John 19:1-42. The detail of Jesus’ life was all fulfilment of prophecy. Even when the soldiers took Jesus’ garment and shared it among themselves, it was prophesied already. Take this as homework; go and find where in the Book of Psalms it was prophesied that they will part with His clothes.

They were instructed to break the legs of those who were crucified so that they would die quickly. With crucifixion, they say when the legs are broken, the pressure comes to the heart and the person suffocates to death. But by the time they got to Jesus, He was already dead, so they did not need to break His legs. This was also in fulfilment of scriptures that says none of His bones will be broken [Ps.34:20]. To verify if He was dead, they pierced His side and the spear went through to His heart, and blood and water gushed out. At this point, they were convinced that He was dead. Meanwhile, they were fulfilling the scripture that says, “…They will look on the one they pierced.” [John 19:37] Everything about Jesus, from the beginning to the end, was an embodiment of and fulfilment of prophecy.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I honour and adore You, thank You for the cross, in Jesus Name. Amen!