One kind foretold that Jesus would die due to the disbelief of the people (Isa. 53). Another kind foretold that the people would believe in and honor Jesus as the Messiah and help him to accomplish God’s Will in glory (Isa. 9, Isa. 11, Isa. 60); (Luke 1:31).
When Jesus died on the cross due to the disbelief of the people, only the prophecies of the first kind were fulfilled. The prophecies of the second kind were left unfulfilled until the Second Coming of Christ. 1.6 Gospel Passages in Which Jesus Spoke of His Crucifixion as if It Were Necessary There are several passages in the Gospels in which Jesus spoke of his suffering on the cross as if it were necessary for salvation. For example, when Peter heard Jesus’ prediction of his imminent crucifixion and tried to dissuade him, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me” (Matt. 16:23).
Why did Jesus chastise Peter so harshly? In truth, when Jesus spoke these words, the disbelief of the chosen people had already frustrated Jesus’ efforts to complete the providence of salvation both physically and spiritually. By that time, Jesus had resolutely determined to accept the fate of the cross (Luke 9:31) as a condition of indemnity to open the way for at least the spiritual salvation of humankind.
Peter’s dissuasion could have hindered Jesus from paving the way for spiritual salvation through the cross. For this reason, Jesus rebuked him. A second example is Jesus’ last words on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus did not utter these words to mean that through the crucifixion he had completely accomplished the providence of salvation. |