For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
For {G1063} I say {G3004} unto you {G5213}, that {G3754} this {G5124} that is written {G1125} must {G1163} yet {G2089} be accomplished {G5055} in {G1722} me {G1698}, And {G2532} he was reckoned {G3049} among {G3326} the transgressors {G459}: for {G2532}{G1063} the things concerning {G4012} me {G1700} have {G2192} an end {G5056}.
For I tell you this: the passage from the Tanakh that says, ‘He was counted with transgressors,’ has to be fulfilled in me; since what is happening to me has a purpose.”
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”
For I say unto you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in me, And he was reckoned with transgressors: for that which concerneth me hath fulfilment.
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Isaiah 53:12
Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. -
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. -
Luke 23:32
¶ And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. -
Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree: -
Acts 13:27
For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [him]. -
Acts 13:29
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took [him] down from the tree, and laid [him] in a sepulchre. -
John 19:28
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Context
This verse is spoken by Jesus to His disciples during the Last Supper, just before His arrest and crucifixion. It is a pivotal moment where Jesus prepares His followers for the profound suffering and apparent defeat He is about to undergo. He emphasizes that these impending events are not accidental or unexpected but are the deliberate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. He is consciously walking into the very role prophesied for Him, thereby giving divine meaning to His suffering and death.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "he was reckoned among the transgressors" is a direct quotation from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) version of Isaiah 53:12. This prophecy was literally fulfilled during Jesus' crucifixion when He was crucified between two criminals (Mark 15:28; Matthew 27:38). The Greek word translated "have an end" is telos (τέλος), which implies more than just a stopping point. It conveys the idea of a goal, a fulfillment, a completion, or a consummation. Thus, Jesus' suffering and death were not a tragic accident but the purposeful and necessary fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.
Practical Application
This verse offers profound insights for believers today: