In Fulfilment

John 18:^8-9 “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfil his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”

John 18:¹¹ “But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” Jesus refused to circumvent the process. The remaining ten disciples were armed and guess who told them to carry their swords? It was Jesus but for a totally different reason and not so that they could protect Him. Jesus refused to circumvent the process. Some of us have the cross in front of us, the cup that we should take, the price that we should pay. But we want a shortcut, we want to circumvent the process. We want Peter to arise and cut off all their heads for us so that the enemies can fall down and die.

But Jesus says, ‘No, I have to drink the cup that the Father has prepared for me’. Note it is not the enemy that prepared the cup; it is the cup that the Father prepared. There is a path you have to go through that is God’s path for you. There is pain there but in the end, there is glory. Someone sent me a message that read, ‘Behind every overnight success is years and decades of hard work’ and I smiled. People can look at you and say you are an overnight success. Just thank them and move on because your back carries the scars that show the price you have paid. But it is not necessary for you to open your back, let them continue to call you an overnight success.

John 6:³⁹ “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.” In the Name of Jesus, we will not lose a single person in church because it is God’s will. John 18:¹⁰ “Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.” John knew the name of the servant of the High Priest, he was demonstrating local knowledge as a Judean homeboy. Peter and co were Galilean Jews but John was a Judean Jew and the Judean Jew has a chip on his shoulder. The Passover for the Galilean Jew, for instance, is celebrated on a Thursday but the Judean Jews celebrate Passover on Friday which was when Jesus was actually crucified. John writing this did not just say one of the soldiers, he mentioned the name of the servant of the High Priest. John and his family were well known; This was the first display of local intelligence.

John 18:¹² “So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up.” Jesus took our place. Jesus was tied up so that you can be set free. Everything in you that is tied up, in the Name of Jesus, we set it free. Everything concerning the greatness of your destiny that might have been tied up because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we cause there to be a release in the Name of Jesus. For someone reading this today, the best way to describe what you are experiencing is like a dam covered and sealed. Today, that dam and the seal will be broken, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. I see fresh water gushing out, in the Name of Jesus. Jesus was tied up so that you can be set free.

Prayer: Father, I stand in total freedom because Jesus took my place, in Jesus Name. Amen!