Daily Devotions
It Is Written
"This Scripture is fulfilled..."
Text: Luke 4:21
SIGNIFICANT CONSCIOUSNESS
The Lord Jesus exemplified what it means to be fully conscious of the place of the Scriptures. Two statements of His may be highlighted: –
1. “It is written”
This was uttered by the Lord Jesus when He fought off the temptations of Satan (Matthew 4: 4, 7, 10).
2. “It is fulfilled”
Jesus was most conscious that He was fulfilling the Scriptures. He not only cited the Word of God, He consciously sought to fulfil it too.
MINISTRY IN NAZARETH
A significant occasion occurred when he was at the synagogue. Luke recorded that moment.
“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And when He had opened the book, He found the place
where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’And He began to say to them,
‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'”
Luke 4:17-19, 21
A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT STAND OUT
The following things may be highlighted as we look at this text.
1. Great familiarity with the Scriptures
a) Jesus knew the Book of Isaiah well.
b) The life and ministry of the Messiah were well prophesied in this book.
2. Citing of the Scriptures
a) Jesus cited the appropriate text.
b) He read the Scriptures to the congregation at the synagogue.
3. Fulfilment of the Scriptures
a) Jesus declared that the Scriptures were fulfilled in their hearing.
b) He had come to fulfil the Scriptures.
c) The Scriptures were meant to be applied and fulfilled.
This consciousness of fulfilling the Scriptures would stay with Jesus throughout His ministry.