It Will Come to Pass

           

Picture a cold, dimly lit prison cell in 1536. A man, gaunt from months of confinement, wraps himself in a thin cloak. His name is William Tyndale, and he’s about to pay the ultimate price for one unshakable belief: that the Bible is God’s perfect, error-free Word and that everyone, even the common ploughboy, should be able to read it.

Tyndale had dared to do what was illegal in England at the time: translate the Bible into English. The Church feared that if ordinary people read the Scriptures for themselves, it would undermine their control. But Tyndale believed the exact opposite. He once said to a clergyman, “If God spares my life, I will cause a boy that drives the plough to know more of the Scripture than you do.”

He was convinced not only that the Bible should be accessible, but that it could be trusted down to the smallest word. That it was free from error because it was God’s Word, not man’s invention. Tyndale wasn’t just translating a book; he was defending its perfection. He pored over ancient manuscripts, working with such accuracy that much of his language still lives on in our Bibles today.

Eventually, Tyndale was betrayed, arrested, and condemned. On the day of his execution, he was tied to a stake, strangled, and then burned. But before he died, he cried out with his last breath: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!”Within just a few years, his prayer was answered. The King authorized an English Bible, much of it based on Tyndale’s work.

Why does that matter for us today? Because it reminds us that this Book we hold in our hands came to us not casually, but at great cost. Men like Tyndale believed every word of it was worth translating, worth defending, worth dying for. He didn’t believe it contained some truth,he believed it was the truth (Source: Christian History Institute).

Acts 13 records a sermon of Paul preached at Pisidian Antioch. In the introduction Paul narrates the history of Israel to his audience. He points out  to them that the expected messiah, a descendant of David, was Jesus; “from this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:22-23). The Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah said he would descend from David's line (2 Sam.7:12-16; Isa.11:1).

Jesus was born into King David’s family line (Rom.1:3).The genealogies (Matt. 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38) trace Jesus' ancestry back to David, a fulfilment of these prophecies. The God of Israel raised up a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1: 69). “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”(Luke 1:32-33).

The coming of Jesus is seen as the culmination of God's redemptive plan, which was always intended to begin with Israel and extend to all nations (Gen.12:3). The promise of a Savior is rooted in numerous Old Testament prophecies, such as Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 says “for to us a child is born...Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom...from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this”. These prophecies were given centuries before Jesus' birth, demonstrating God's sovereign plan and the continuity of His redemptive work throughout history. Despite the passage of time, God fulfils His promises.

Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel (Acts 13:24-25). The Old Testament prophesied a forerunner to the Messiah. in Isaiah 40:3  we read “a voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Malachi 3:1 says ““I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty”.

An angel had said to John the Baptist’s father Zechariah  that “John will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. He will be called a prophet of the Most High. He will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him” (Luke 1:13-17,76).

John the Baptist fulfilled these prophecies. He was the prophesied forerunner to the Messiah. The ministry of John is recorded in Matthew 3:1-11 and Luke 3:2-16. His ministry involved calling people to repentance and baptizing them as a sign of their commitment to God. John's baptism was a public declaration of a changed heart. John baptized people pointing forward to the One who was to come.

As John was completing his course, he said “who do you suppose I am?” (Acts 13:25) Scripture pictures a life of ministry like a race set out by God. John the Baptist had a God-given lane, announced even before his birth. John's "course" signifies his life's work and purpose. John was completing his divinely appointed mission. Like David (Acts 13:36), John's “course” ended when his purpose was fulfilled. They both fulfilled their God-given mission during their lifetime and then rested.

John's role was temporary and preparatory, leading to the arrival of Jesus.  Jesus said “John was a lamp that burned and gave light…I have testimony weightier than that of John; For the works that the Father has given me to finish, the very works that I am doing” (John 5:35-36). When John completed his course Herod silenced him. When Jesus completed his work on earth Pontius Pilate sentenced him to death.

Paul told the elders of the Ephesus church “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me (Acts 20:24). Near the end of his life Paul wrote his last epistle, in the epistle he wrote “the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:6-7). “Do not mortals have hard service on earth? Are not their days like those of hired laborers?” (Job 7:1)

As John was completing his work, he said: ‘who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie (Acts 13:25). The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering if John might possibly be the Messiah (Luke 3:15). He confronted their assumptions so they will shift their gaze from the herald to the King.

John emphatically denied being the Messiah, reinforcing his role as a forerunner(John 3:27-29). He told the crowd “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt.3:11) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie (mark 1:7).

In the cultural context of the time, untying sandals was a task reserved for the lowest servants. John felt unfit to perform even this humble task for Jesus. By stating he is not worthy to do it, John's acknowledged his own subordinate role. He emphasized the supreme greatness and holiness of Christ. Despite multitudes flocking to him (Matthew 3:5-6 ), he views himself beneath the lowest servant status when compared with Christ.

The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb” (Acts 13:26-29).  

Jerusalem was the religious center of Jewish life. The scriptures that prophesied about Jesus were read every Sabbath. Acts 15:21 observes, “Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” The religious leaders were responsible for interpreting the Scriptures. The truth was proclaimed to them weekly, yet they did not recognize Jesus. This highlights the irony of their lack of recognition.

Jesus had pointed to them that “the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:37-40).

The people and rulers of Jerusalem were well-versed in the Scriptures, yet they failed to recognize the fulfillment of the prophecies. The very words predicting Jesus' coming were read every Sabbath but not comprehended. The people were regularly exposed to the very scriptures that foretold the coming of the Messiah. Despite this, they failed to connect these prophecies with Jesus.

This highlights the danger of religious routine. Regularly hearing the Scriptures without understanding or applying them can lead to spiritual blindness and condemnation. A person becomes vulnerable to deception. Without a solid grounding in the Word, it is easy to be misled by false teachings or societal pressures. The Bible serves as a spiritual compass; without it, a person is easily swayed by popular, yet destructive, cultural narratives.

Lack of Scriptures understanding can lead to misunderstanding of God's character. This often leads to bitterness, anxiety, or despair when trials set in. People who do not know the promises and sovereignty of God may conclude that He is absent or indifferent during suffering. Poor or lack of understanding of the scriptures leads to spiritual stagnation resulting in a loss of inner peace, joy and direction. We must engage with God's word actively and prayerfully seek to understand its implications for our daily lives.

The Jewish leaders, despite their intense scrutiny, could not find any legitimate reason under Jewish law to sentence Jesus to death. The religious leaders scoured every accusation they could invent, yet nothing stuck. Even the hurried midnight trial in Matthew 26:59-60 failed to secure credible witnesses. They handed Jesus over to Roman authority (mark 15:1). But even Pilate could not find basis for a charge against Him (John 19:6). Jesus was sinless; the Lamb without blemish and without spot( 1 Peter 1:19).

The events of Jesus' life and death were not random but were the fulfilment of God's plan as revealed through the prophets. The prophets had searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the spirit of Christ in them was pointing... (1Peter 1:10-11). Every step of Jesus’ passion matched prophetic detail. Isaiah 53 predicted silent suffering and being “numbered with the transgressors.” Psalm 22 foretold mockery and pierced hands.

Jerusalem’s people and leaders, though blind to their own Scriptures, unwittingly carried out God’s redemptive plan. Their sinful choices became the very means God used to accomplish redemption. Their ignorance led to condemnation, but that very act fulfilled centuries-old prophecies read aloud each Sabbath. God’s Word proved true, Christ’s mission was accomplished. The word of God is accurate and reliable. The future predictions will happen exactly the way it says and that is a promise.