Young Adults' Group

The Certainty Of Fulfilment

by Pastor Mark
November 18, 2021

Getting excited about fulfilment

As we learn about the certainty of our faith in preparation for Christmas, a key focus is the idea of fulfilment. Many prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ were recorded in the Old Testament. It is exciting to read that all those prophecies concerning His first coming were fulfilled in the gospel accounts.

The writer Luke wrote about fulfilment in his introduction to his gospel account, “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us.” (Luke 1:1) How should we understand this idea of fulfilment?

The perfective idea

Luke used the Greek word “plērophoreō”, which means to “carry out fully”. He wrote this word in the Greek perfect tense. Pastor Charles taught us that this tense does not describe an action that was done and that was simply it. It represents an action that was completed but has continuing ramifications and significance. There are continuing effects that make the action truly meaningful. How should we understand this perfective idea in fulfilment?

Appreciating the perfective idea in the fulfilment of prophecy

1. Prophecy revealed

A significant prophecy concerning the Messiah’s birth was revealed to the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isa 7:14) It is one of many prophecies that Isaiah received about Christ.

2. Fulfilment of the event

When Mary conceived and bore the baby Jesus, it was not just an event in history (Matt 1:22,23, Luke 2:7). This was one of “those things” that Luke highlighted as having been fulfilled (Luke 1:1). Not only was there the fulfilment of prophecy, but the significance and effects of the birth of Christ also continued.

3. Ramifications

The perfect tense indicates that there were post-event effects. The fulfilment of prophecy had purposes, results and ramifications, which continued to the Lord’s adult life and ministry. Luke wrote later that when Jesus began His ministry, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Him and anointed Him to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted and more (Luke 4:17–19).

These were the ramifications that followed the fulfilment of the birth of Christ. They had far reaching effects. Let us stand in awe of the perfective idea of the fulfilment of prophecy.

Among us

Luke also wrote, “those things which have been fulfilled among us.” (Luke 1:1) Why did he write “among us” when he was not there to see for himself all that happened to Christ? It had to do with the ramifications of the fulfilment of prophecy. The effects of the fulfilment of prophecy continued to the extent of impacting Luke.

As we consider the ramification of the fulfilment of prophecy, we can be so much more certain of our faith. Let us not allow any doubt or unbelief to get the better of us. Let us be uplifted in our faith as we find tremendous certainty in the perfective fulfilment of the prophecies of Christ this Christmas.

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