11. That the Lord’s fulfilling all of the Law means that He fulfilled the whole of the Word, is apparent from passages which say that He fulfilled the Scripture, and that all was accomplished. As for example, the following:
(Jesus) went into the synagogue...and stood up to read. Then He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the contrite of heart, to preach freedom to captives and sight to the blind..., to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” After closing the book..., He said..., “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)
You search the Scriptures...; and these...testify of Me. (John 5:39)
...that the Scripture may be fulfilled, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” (John 13:18)
...none of them has perished except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12)
...that the word might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost not one.” (John 18:9)
...Jesus said to (Peter), “Put away your sword in its place.... How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” ...All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. (Matthew 26:52, 54, 56)
The Son of man...goes away as it is written of Him..., that the Scriptures may be fulfilled. (Mark 14:21, 49)
So the Scripture was fulfilled which said, “He was reckoned with the impious.” (Mark 15:28, cf. Luke 22:37)
...that the Scripture might be fulfilled..., “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (John 19:24)
After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.... (John 19:28)
...when He had received the vinegar, Jesus said, “It is finished (that is, fulfilled)!” (John 19:30)
...these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “His bones were not broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” (John 19:36-37)
And so on elsewhere where passages in the Prophets are cited and they do not say at the same time that the Law or Scripture had been fulfilled.
[2] That everything in the Word was written about the Lord, and that He came into the world to fulfill it, is also something He told His disciples before He went away, with these words:
(Jesus said to His disciples,) “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” Moreover, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:25-27)
Furthermore:
(Jesus said to His disciples,) “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44-45)
That the Lord in the world fulfilled the whole of the Word, even to its least particulars, is apparent from these words of His:
...assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will not pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
From this it can now be clearly seen that the Lord’s fulfilling all of the Law does not mean that He fulfilled every one of the commandments in the Decalogue, but that He fulfilled the whole of the Word.
