Finished
John 19:28-42
28After
this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the
Scripture), “I thirst.” 29A jar full
of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a
hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the
sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31Since it was the day of
Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the
Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their
legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32So the
soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been
crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he
was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34But one of the
soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and
water. 35He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and
he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36For
these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his
bones will be broken.” 37And again another Scripture says, “They
will look on him whom they have pierced.” 38After these things
Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the
Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave
him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39Nicodemus also,
who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and
aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40So they took the body
of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom
of the Jews. 41Now in the place where he was crucified there was a
garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42So
because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand,
they laid Jesus there.
This text is so simple and straightforward. John tells it
almost like a news report. The most important event in the history of the world
takes place and there are no words to adequately describe the scope of what has
happened. Our Creator God intervenes into our broken world with the one action
that will bring us life and most of the population simply moves through their
day like it was a regular Friday. It was anything but.
In truth, God didn’t need our reaction or intervention into
His work. Jesus’ death on the cross fulfilled a promise that had been made
5,000 years earlier to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). We are not players in our
own salvation. It is the work of Jesus alone that brings about our rescue. We
don’t choose it, we don’t ask for it, and we don’t help with it. Just as Adam
and Eve were not present for the creation of the world, so we are not necessary
for Jesus to finish His work of salvation. He doesn’t need any helpers. And yet
the price for our sins is paid in full and Jesus is able to say “It is finished.”
These are big words and actually have legal and fiduciary implications. There
was a debt owed by one party and now that debt has been paid completely. Sin no
longer owns us and there is no interest to be paid on the loan. For centuries
we have been trying to add our actions and good works to help God out with our salvation.
This is a waste of time. You don’t owe any interest on the debt. It’s all been
paid. There aren’t enough good works you can do that will help God save you.
They aren’t necessary because Jesus’ death was enough.
I think we need to read these words often and with great
intention. They are of vital importance to each one of us for in the death of
Christ we find everything that we need – everything. We’ve read them so often
that they can begin to lose their luster for us. That is tragic. When Jesus
said “It is
finished” our lives had just begun.
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