Continuing in the book of John, I have been amazed to see the glory of Christ in all that transpired during His trial and crucifixion. John, by the Holy Spirit, tells us how Christ was never helpless, but He suffered willingly to pay the penalty for the sin of man. What I have begun to notice as I have studied the book of John more closely is that Jesus is declared God in every single paragraph, and how God had worked all things to make the crucifixion happen, as was the determined plan before the foundation of the world.
Jesus, being fully God as well as fully Man, knew what He was going to experience before He came near the cross. That may not sound that interesting, but looking at history, only One who had a perfect knowledge of the future could have predicted that. Jerusalem had been run by the Jewish authorities throughout history. The Sanhedrin would enforce the law, and if anyone broke that law, they were to be punished. This punishment even included death, depending on the crime. The preferred method the Jewish people used was stoning. When Rome took control of the city, they allowed Jerusalem to be autonomous when it came to their government. That is, as long as they were peaceful. Rome kept a governor to look after the city, but the Sanhedrin had the authority overJerusalem.
Many of the Jews did not appreciate the Roman presence for a variety of reasons, and many tried to lead an insurrection. When this occurred, Rome took away the Jews’ right to govern themselves completely. They could no longer punish people by giving them the death penalty, only Rome could inflict that punishment. What is amazing is that this happened roughly around 30 AD, just in time for Christ to be crucified. All throughout the Old Testament, in the prophecies concerning the Messiah, they spoke of how the Messiah would be crucified on a cross. There is no possible way that anyone could have predicted that, unless God had told them. There was no way for Christ to know what he was going to experience a long time before His crucifixion what He was to experience, unless He is God.
We can rejoice in the fact that Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled, and they were not fulfilled by accident. They were all a part of God’s plan, and God wanted us to know about them. We have the Word of God that has been inspired by God. We can trust His Word. We also put our trust in someone who was not a mere man. Jesus Christ was fully Man and fully God. He knew what He came to do in dying for sinners from the beginning. It is Him we rely on.