How Then Shall The Scriptures Be Fulfilled?

Scripture:  

Matthew 26:53-54 King James Version (KJV)

"53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 
54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

                                                                        

    

These scriptures in Matthew give us an account during the time of our Lord's betrayal by Judas.  This was the time that Jesus was given into the hands of those who sought His life.
                                                                         

Jesus refused all resistance and help at this time.  He knew that the hour of God's will, purpose and plan had now come.  

But, at the same time Jesus emphasized the fact that He was never without help when He chose to use it.  He had a Father whom He was able to call upon.  He had a resource of power far greater than the swords of men.  SO DO YOU AND I.  

Jesus is wanting to teach us something here.....Verse 53..."Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father....?"    Friends, there is no predicament in which you or I can not pray!  The door of prayer is always open.  We have a Father that we can go to in time of need.  He loves us!  He cares about us!
                                                                 

We do not have to tremble and fear when we seem to be outnumbered or all the forces of this world seemingly come against us.  May we be reminded that ALL the powers of God and Heaven are greater and at our disposal through Christ and prayer.  The individual who realizes he has such resources behind him can walk into an ambush without fear.  If God be for us, who can be against us?  Romans 8:31

                                                                          

Jesus is not only wanting to teach us something, He is wanting to show us that there is no limit to the available resources of God that are ours through prayer.                                       A legion of angels is 6000.  12 legions of angels would be 72,000.
Jesus says here that He could pray to the Father and He would give Him....MORE THAN.  "More than" 12 legions of angels.                                                                        

Aren't you thankful we have a Father with unlimited resources and available help when we come to Him in prayer?   

Notice something else here.....Jesus, as He was taken captive said, "thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and He would right now send thousands of angels?"
                                                                   

 But, He did not need to because He had already just prayed concerning this matter.  

In the Garden of Gethsemane He settled it with "not my will but thy will be done."

There is further thought here....                                                                                             Let us never employ other forces that God Himself does not order us to use!  

Many other forces may be at our disposal but if the are not the fulfillment of His Word they will only hinder His will.  

God's will....God's way....is the best way!

Let's read these verses again, especially noticing Verse 54. 

" But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

A single prayer would have wrought our Lords deliverance from His enemies.  "But, how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?"  Thus it must be!  

I want us to see our Lord's great respect for the Scriptures.  If the Scriptures were only the writings of man there would be no necessity that they be fulfilled.  But Jesus insisted that they be fulfilled.  Why?  He knew that they were the inspired Words of the Living God.  

He would not truffle with them or differ with them.  

He came to fulfill them.  

He believed in their infallibility.

Jesus knew the Scriptures were the will of God and the will of God must be done!  
Jesus was willing to die rather than the Scriptures be unfulfilled.  He willingly would go to the Cross rather than any one word not be carried out.  

Let me tell you something........  God stood - and still stands behind His Word!  
He did - and He will watch over His Word to perform it.

Come now to the Lord's table with this final thought....the Son of God was willing to be smitten rather than the Word of God fall to the ground.  Jesus would give His life for the Scriptures and their fulfillment.  That's how strongly He was convinced that it was the Fathers will and desired that we be redeemed and that we be healed. 

Oh, how much He loved and cared for you and I.

Jesus could have called down a body guard of thousands of angels......
"But, how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?"  

How then would we be able to sing "There Is Power In The Blood?" 

How then would we be able to say, "By His stripes I am healed?"  

How then would we be able to "resist the devil and see him flee?"

Jesus could have escaped being taken away and bound.  He could have escaped the suffering.  

"But, how then would the scriptures be fulfilled?"  

Would you like to be sheltered, protected and kept from all affliction, all sickness, all trouble, all poverty, all sorrow, persecution, etc?  

"But, how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?"  

How then would we prove Him to be the God of His Word?  

How then could we say, "by His stripes I am healed?" 

How then could we say, "Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ?"

Jesus declined the legions of angels

 so that you and I might claim

 the legions of God's promises.