PROPHECY GIVEN - PROPHECY FULFILLED
Psalm 69:20,21 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
Prophecy was and still is a major reason in my belief that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah. Even if his resurrection could have been falsified, there are still many prophecies fulfilled affirming that he was the promised Messiah. Many were out of his control, and some were even done by his enemies. For me there is little doubt that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but that he was the promised one that God told Abraham would come through him to bless all the earth. (Gen 12:3)
Today I will only talk about the fulfilled prophecies that God spoke through King David. I am sure that David had no idea that it would be God’s only begotten Son that would go through all this but it was just the same. Chances are David assumed that it was himself that was being written about, but I don’t think that he actually had gall for food and vinegar to drink. David certainly had many sorrows and some caused by himself, but nothing like what Jesus would experience especially spiritually and regarding the cross where he bore the sins of all humanity.
In a way it is funny how God will prophesy through someone, and it can have a temporal, universal or even both in application. It can be for one person or more. It can be for the present or the distant future. What we do know is that if God said it he meant it and it will happen sooner or later. It is up to us to look for the promise of God to come about. But even more so we must be willing to receive it and to act upon it if there is something required of us. To this very day the Jews still set a chair and a table setting for Elijah to come announcing the Messiah at their Passover meal. In Matthew 11:11-15 Jesus even told them, “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who want to come. He who has ears, let him hear.” While they had ears and understood very well what Jesus was saying, and they knew that John had pointed out that Jesus was the Son of God that had come to take away the sins of the world, they rejected John being the promised Elijah and what he said about Jesus. They didn’t believe Jesus then and they still do not believe it now. The strange thing is they are still thinking that this prophecy still needs to be fulfilled when it already has. We must look for God’s prophecy, but we must also accept it and act on it as well. It is not enough to hear the word, we must do what it says!
Looking at today’s verse we see that it was prophesied that Jesus would be scorned and his heart broken. This prophecy was fulfilled in Luke 22:43,44 where it says, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” To be scorned is to be treated with contempt, looked down upon, mocked, laughed at, and literally rejected. Wasn’t this what we see as Jesus was take before the Sanhedrin and Pilate? Didn’t the Jews say, “Let his blood be upon us and our children’s children? (Matt 27:25) Do you remember what it was like at the cross of Jesus? They spit on him and mocked him telling him to come down if he was the son of God. When he didn’t come down they said that he saved others, but couldn't save himself. It is no wonder Jesus heart was broken as he thought about the cross in the garden of Gethsemane!
Verse 20 of today’s verse points out that he looked for sympathy and comforters, but none could be found. Where were his disciples when he was arrested and as he hung on the cross. Only John, Jesus mother and a few other women were there for him. The Jewish religious leaders were there. They knew scripture better than you and I do, but they refused to accept what they saw before their very eyes. Prophecy was once again fulfilled but rejected.
Psalm 69:21 prophesied that they would give him gall and vinegar for his thrust. In Matthew 27:34 & 48 we see that the soldiers wanted to give Jesus wine mixed with gall, and then later put a sponge on a stick and filled it with vinegar to give Jesus. How would the common Roman soldiers know prophecy given to King David almost 1,000 years before Jesus was taken to the cross? Even if they did know it why would they care to fulfill it? They wouldn’t! It is as simple as prophecy given, prophecy fulfilled whether anyone wants to believe it or not! I believe it!
John 15:20 says, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” This was prophecy for everyone that gives their heart to Jesus. If you haven’t been despised and rejected by family, friends, co-workers, the world, you will be.
In II Cor 12:10 the apostle Paul tells of his hardship associated with Jesus as being considered an honor to bear for Jesus.No one likes to be persecuted, abandoned, scorned and mocked, but we are no great than our master! He did it for us! We can do it for Him!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please help us to remember that they are not doing these things because of us, but rather because of you. Please help us not to take it personally, so we don’t let anger, bitterness and resentment take hold of our heart. Help us to be strong, courageous, not discouraged or terrified. Please help us to bear your cross and die to self so that we might live for you. We love you Jesus.
