Bible Strands
Matthew 26:56
But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to the armed crowd immediately after asking why they came to arrest a daily teacher. The moment occurs right before His captors lead Him to the house of Caiaphas.
The words — The Greek phrase πληρωθῶσιν αἱ γραφαὶ (plērōthōsin hai graphai) translates literally to "may be fulfilled the Scriptures." Jesus uses this declaration to state that His arrest directly realizes prophetic writing.
The thread — The scattering motif appears in Zech 13:7, where the shepherd is struck, and John 16:32, where Jesus predicts the disciples will go their own ways. Mark 14:50 records the identical outcome that all disciples deserted Him and fled.
Why it lands — The text states that events are unfolding to fulfill prophecy before noting the disciples' flight. It asks a reader to recognize that divine purpose operates through human abandonment and to stop expecting the same loyalty in moments of crisis.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Cross-references
- Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
- John 16:32 “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
- Mark 14:50 Then everyone deserted Him and fled.
- Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
- 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
- Matthew 26:54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”
- Lamentations 4:20 The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
- Matthew 26:24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
- John 18:15 Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
- Acts 1:16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.