Matthew 26:54 kjv
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
Matthew 26:54 nkjv
How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"
Matthew 26:54 niv
But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
Matthew 26:54 esv
But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"
Matthew 26:54 nlt
But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?"
Matthew 26 54 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth... | Suffering servant, submissive to affliction. |
| Zech 13:7 | "Strike the Shepherd, That the sheep may be scattered..." | Prophecy of the Shepherd's demise. |
| Ps 22:16 | For dogs have surrounded Me; A band of evildoers has encompassed Me... | Prophecy of Messiah's encirclement by enemies. |
| Ps 69:4 | Those who hate me without a cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head... | Unjust hatred towards the Messiah. |
| Dan 9:26 | Then after the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off... | Messiah's decreed cutting off. |
| Mt 16:21 | From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things... | Jesus' repeated foretelling of His necessary suffering. |
| Mk 10:33-34 | "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests..." | Another clear prophecy by Jesus about His delivery. |
| Lk 24:25-27 | "O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things...?" | Jesus' post-resurrection teaching on suffering's necessity. |
| Lk 24:44 | "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." | The comprehensive fulfillment of all OT Scriptures. |
| Acts 2:23 | this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God... | God's foreordained plan for Jesus' crucifixion. |
| Acts 3:18 | But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. | Divine fulfillment of prophetic suffering. |
| Acts 4:27-28 | For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus... to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. | God's sovereign hand behind hostile human actions. |
| Acts 13:29 | When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross... | Fulfillment of Scripture even in death and burial. |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | For I delivered to you as of first importance... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. | Christ's death and resurrection according to Scripture. |
| Jn 18:11 | So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given Me?" | Jesus' willing submission to God's painful plan. |
| Mt 26:39 | My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will. | Jesus' complete submission to the Father's will in Gethsemane. |
| Mk 14:49 | "but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures." | Parallel account emphasizing scriptural fulfillment. |
| Lk 22:53 | "But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." | The allowed temporary triumph of darkness as part of the plan. |
| Rom 1:2 | which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures... | God's salvation plan rooted in Old Testament prophecy. |
| Heb 9:22 | And almost all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. | The necessity of bloodshed for atonement. |
| 1 Pet 1:10-11 | As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come... inquired and searched... as they predicted the sufferings of Christ. | Prophets' foretelling of Christ's sufferings. |
| Rev 1:1 | The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, things which must soon take place... | God's sovereign plan for future events also. |
Matthew 26 verses
Matthew 26 54 Meaning
Matthew 26:54 reveals Jesus' resolute commitment to God's preordained plan, emphasizing that His suffering, arrest, and ultimate sacrifice are not arbitrary events but rather the divinely necessary fulfillment of ancient prophetic Scriptures. It underscores the unalterable nature of God's will and the absolute certainty of His word being brought to pass. This statement affirms the coherence of salvation history, where every event aligns with divine decree.
Matthew 26 54 Context
Matthew 26:54 occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane during Jesus' arrest. Following Judas's betrayal kiss and the arrival of the temple guard and Roman soldiers, Peter impulsively draws a sword and cuts off the ear of a high priest's servant. Jesus immediately rebukes Peter, commanding him to put away his sword (Mt 26:52). Jesus then asserts His ability to summon twelve legions of angels for protection (Mt 26:53). In this verse, He justifies His refusal of human intervention, or indeed supernatural intervention outside God's prescribed method, by stating the overarching necessity for the Scriptures to be fulfilled concerning His suffering and arrest. This moment highlights Jesus' deliberate submission to God's divine plan, even when it leads to immense suffering, in stark contrast to human resistance driven by zealous but misguided loyalty. The entire chapter focuses on the betrayal, arrest, and initial stages of Jesus' trial, framing these events as essential steps toward His crucifixion and resurrection, all fulfilling prophecy.
Matthew 26 54 Word analysis
- How (πῶς - pōs): An interrogative adverb. It signifies not a question of doubt about the way something is done, but rather a rhetorical question implying that any alternative action (like fighting back) would contradict divine necessity. It's asking, "In what manner, or by what means, then, could the Scriptures be fulfilled?" The implied answer is: "They couldn't, if I resist."
- then (οὖν - oun): A conjunction signifying consequence or logical progression. It links Jesus' immediate preceding statement (His power to summon angels, Mt 26:53) with the ensuing rhetorical question. It introduces the necessary conclusion based on divine revelation. "Given my power and yet my decision not to use it, then what follows must be this, so Scripture is fulfilled."
- could be fulfilled (πληρωθῶσιν - plērōthōsin): Aorist passive subjunctive from plēroō (πληρόω). Plēroō means to make full, complete, or accomplish. In theological contexts, it means to bring to full realization or completion that which has been foretold or intended by God. The passive voice ("be fulfilled") emphasizes that God is the primary agent ensuring the fulfillment, independent of human efforts or resistance. The subjunctive mood indicates possibility within a hypothetical context, here conveying necessity through a rhetorical question.
- the Scriptures (αἱ γραφαί - hai graphai): Literally "the writings." In this context, it refers to the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament. For Jewish audiences and Jesus, "the Scriptures" carried ultimate divine authority, containing God's revealed truth and His plan, including prophecies concerning the Messiah. This emphasizes the divine blueprint for Christ's suffering.
- that (ὅτι - hoti): A conjunction here introducing a substantive clause that explains what the Scriptures foretell. It states the content of the prophecy that must be fulfilled.
- it must happen (δεῖ - dei + γενέσθαι - genesthai):
- it must (δεῖ - dei): An impersonal verb meaning "it is necessary," "it is proper," or "it is divinely appointed." This is a crucial theological term in the New Testament, frequently used by Jesus and the Apostles to refer to divine necessity or divine compulsion, indicating that something must occur according to God's plan or righteous purpose. It highlights that Christ's passion was not an accident but a sovereign act of God.
- happen (γενέσθαι - genesthai): Aorist infinitive of ginomai (γίνομαι), meaning "to become," "to happen," "to take place." Combined with dei, it signifies the unavoidable occurrence of what has been predetermined.
- this way (οὕτως - houtōs): An adverb meaning "thus," "so," "in this manner." It points to the specific manner of Jesus' suffering, including His betrayal, arrest, and ultimate crucifixion. It indicates that the current events are precisely the mode through which the prophecies must be actualized.
Matthew 26 54 Bonus section
- This verse highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Jesus views the Hebrew Scriptures as a detailed script for His life and death, reinforcing His identity as the promised Messiah who fulfills all righteousness.
- The "necessity" (dei) implies God's moral and redemptive purposes. It was necessary not just because God willed it, but because only through His suffering and sacrifice could atonement for sins be achieved, satisfying both divine justice and love.
- This specific instance underscores Jesus' calm authority and ultimate control even as He is being taken captive. He is not a helpless victim but willingly walking into the fulfillment of His divine destiny.
- It serves as a counter-argument to any who might think God's plan can be thwarted by human action, either out of malice (Judas, the temple guard) or misguided zeal (Peter). While human agents are morally responsible, God's ultimate plan remains unfurled.
Matthew 26 54 Commentary
Matthew 26:54 stands as a profound declaration of divine sovereignty amidst human confusion and resistance. As Peter's sword represents human attempts to alter God's plan through force, Jesus' words reveal a profound truth: the events unfolding are not chaotic but an intricate fulfillment of centuries of prophecy. The rhetorical question, "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?" implies that there is no other path; any intervention, even divinely empowered, would violate God's unyielding purpose. The Greek term dei ("it must") conveys an absolute, divine necessity. Christ's passion was not a tragic accident but a central, predestined component of God's redemptive work. This verse illustrates Jesus' complete and willing submission to the Father's will, choosing suffering over avoidance to accomplish salvation. It reinforces that all of Christ's life, death, and resurrection were according to the Scriptures, highlighting God's faithfulness and the precise unfolding of His eternal plan for humanity's salvation.