6. The necessary fulfilment of prophecy. —
According to the ordinary view, it is the nature of the future event that determines the nature of the prophecy. But often in the Gospels it is the nature of the prophecy that is regarded as deter- mining the nature of the future event. This con- ception is specially characteristic of the First and Fourth Gospels, but it is not peculiar to them.
In St. Matthew, Christ is born of a virgin at Bethlehem, is named Jesus, sojourns in Egypt, resides at Nazareth, migrates to Capernaum, heals the sick, speaks in parables, enters Jerusalem riding an ass, is deserted b.y the disciples, is betrayed and put to death, ' that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet ' (iVa TXr.puHr, to frMy ^to to'C Kupiov hiU, Tou T/!of /,T0!/ xiyovroi, k.t.x. : SO, with slight variations of phrase, 122 213- 2;) 817 1217 1335 21-1 2&-> ; cf. 2"> 131^- 15 2631 27S). Similarly, St. John regards the blindness of Israel as the result of a pro- phecy of Isaiah (1239, referring to Is 6") ; the betrayal of Jesus as happening ' that the scripture (i.e. Ps 41^) might be fulfilled ' (no. y, '/px(fyi TXr,puitiy,) ; the prevalent hatred of Jesus as coming ' to pass that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law [viz. in Ps 3.5I-* 69-*], They hated me without a cause.' See also Jn 1712, where 'the son of perdition' perishes 'that the scripture might be fulfilled ' ; 192-*, where the casting of lots is necessitated by the prophecy, ' The.\- parted my garments among them ' (Ps 221!*) ; 193S, where the piercing of Christ's side takes place to fulfil Ps 3420, and the refraining from breaking His legs to fulfil Ex 12« ; cf . also 189 and 269. For Synoptic parallels see Lk 242S. 44.
Without entering deeply into the philosophy of the question, we may point out that the two views in question do not necessarily exclude one another. We may suppose that God has a plurality of motives for cau.sing or allowing events to happen, and that when events have been predicted by a duly accredited prophet, one of His motives in causing or allowing them to happen, is to maintain the credit of the prophet. This, at any rate, seems to be the view of the Evangelists, who esteem prophecy so highly that they regard a prediction once uttered by a prophet as (in a sense) placing God under a moral obligation to fulfil it. Jesus Himself, on several occasions, acknowledged the obligation of fulfilling the ancient prophecies (see Mt 26'^3 16=' 21^ Jn 19-«, etc.).
7. The necessity of means to ends. — The ' musts ' of Christ, of which there are numerous examples in the Gospels, generally refer to the necessity He was under (in order to fulfil the purpose of His Incarna- tion) to do or to Slitter certain things. His original purpose to become incarnate, and to redeem the world, was freely chosen (Ph 2'', 2 Co 8" etc.) ; but the choice once made, a whole series of experiences (many of them painful and humiliating) became necessary.
As a child of twelve, He was already conscious, according to one interpretation of Lk 2*9 (see RVm), of the necessity of being about His Father's business, and the same idea frequently recurs during the ministry. Almost at the beginning of it He declares to Nicodemus that His purjiose to give eternal life to believers can be achieved only by His death : ' As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must (Ssi) the Son of Man be
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lifted up' (Jn 31'').* He frequently declared the necessity He was under of working during the appointed time — ' We must (hi'i) work the works of him that sent me, while it is day : the night Cometh, when no man can work ' (Jn 9-1) ; ' Howbeit I nuist (hii ) go on my way to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following, for it cannot be (oCx libi'x^Tx,) that a prophet perish out of Jeru- salem ' (Lk ISSS) ; ' Jly nieat is to do the wUl of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work' (Jn 4^^, cf. 5i"- 1^ etc.). His visit to Zacchaius was determined by a redemptive purpose (Lk 195 ' to-day I must (hu) abide at thy house.' From the time of Peter's confession at Ca;sarea Phiiippi. intimations of the necessity of the Passion and Resurrection become more frequent ; 'From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must (in) go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up ' (ilt 1621) ; ' but first must (iii) he suffer manv things, and be rejected of this generation ' (Lk 172*) ; ' Behoved it not (oix ihit) the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory ? ' (2426).
Corresponding to Christ's obligation of doing and siitt'ering all that is necessary for man's salvation, is man's obligation of appropriating (if he would be saved) the necessary means. Frequent stress is laid upon the latter obligation in the Gospels : see, e.g., Mt 4" (the necessity of repentance), 18* (of conver- sion), 22^' (of love), Jn 3^ (of baptism), 6^ (of the Holy Supper), 15^ (of abiding in Christ), etc.