What Happened on the Cross?

Intro

Welcome GFC again; We are close to wrapping up our sermon series “When in Doubt”

Doubts and questions supplied by you!

Today our question is, “What Happened on the Cross?”

Not just a rundown of the story, but what it actually means to us

Doubt = Sure, Jesus died, but what impact does that have? What did His death accomplish? How does this impact my relationship with God?

Thank Carlee for reading John 19:16-30 and pray

It is Finished!

We will start at the end of our passage

Re-read John 19:30.

This is why we gather on Good Friday: to remember the death of Jesus

Not just that He died, but that He died willingly for the sins of the world

He “gave up his spirit;” it was not taken from Him

In the Garden of Gethsemane we see the struggle, on the cross we see the obedience (not my will, but your will be done)

The last words of Jesus (according to John) are important: It is finished!

3 words, packed with meaning, power and signficance

What did Jesus mean when He cried out in this way?

For us, finished often means something is over (ceases; ends)

Think of an experience that was boring, uncomfortable, that you wanted to end

For my wife and I, we think “it is finished” after every workout

Jesus would certainly have had aspects of this in mind; extreme suffering

He bore his own cross (v. 17)

Explain carrying the cross member only; acknowledge absence of Simon the Cyrene

He was crucified between two criminals (v. 18)

Even though He was perfect and sinless; acknowledge absence of interaction with the others

He was mocked and shamed by a sign meant to ridicule an entire peopel (v. 19-22)

Even though it was true! Pilate meant this as an insult to Jesus and all of the Jews (“king” shamed and dying on a cross)

His belongings were divided up as He was dying (v.23-24)

He felt the need to look after His mother knowing she would need support (v. 25 - 27)

His last item to eat or drink was sour wine (v. 28 - 29)

Yet, while Jesus certainly desired His suffering to end, that is not the full sense of His meaning when He says “It is finished.”

In this instance, the word “finished” meant something different

Telos = finished = completed; accomplished; perfected

Difference in mindset after working out: I have accomplished something worthwhile; the completing a degree and graduating; fulfilling all the requirements on a project at work, etc.

Mission acccomplished! There is nothing left lacking; it is perfectly complete

What did Jesus accomplish? We see Him explain more fully in John 17:4-5 what He meant when He said, “it is finished.”

Read John 17:4-5.

Jesus stepped down from glory to accomplish the work that Father gave Him to do on earth

And now longs to return the glory shared with the Father

Jesus Accomplished the Mission of Salvation

What was this mission? Jesus accomplished a specific, long-existing mission of salvation by the Father

It is fair to say that this plan is eternal (in the mind of God even before the Fall)

But the mission played itself out in human history

Creation -> Fall -> Abraham (all nations will be blessed) -> prophets (Messiah) -> Jesus (save people from their sins)

I love Simeon’s prophecy just after the birth of Christ (cf. Luke 2:29-32)

Jesus is salvation; THAT is His mission, and that plan was in place for a looong time

John uses very specific fulfillments of Scripture to show the big picture of the mission of Jesus

Connection = word used to “fulfill” Scripture in v. 28 = telos (complete and accomplish)

John 19:23-25 (fulfilled and quotes Psalm 22:18)

Guards split everything 4 ways; last tunic was seamless, so they cast lots

Refer to my boys playing “R/P/S” for which screen to use

John 19:28-29 (fulfilled Psalm 69:21 “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”)

A cheap, sour wine ofter used by guards; defies conventional odds that it would be given to Him

Both Psalms were written by David a thousand years before Jesus (his descendant)

John invites us to read these words as prophecy, and proof of God’s plan in motion long before the cross

He Did This For YOU

The beautiful truth is that this long-existing eternal plan of salvation was accomplished through a love for you personally

Cf. John 15:13.

What an honour to be considered a friend of Jesus, and someone that is worth dying for

Not because of how good we are, but to what extent we are loved

When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He also declared that our salvation has been completed and secured

Cf. Hebrews 10:14.

For all time; for all people, Jesus has “perfected” us

Any guesses on the word used for “perfected?” Telos! It is finished

Share my story with my Mom during her last days; what Jesus has done is enough; it is full and complete

Your salvation is complete/full/perfected. You cannot add to it or take anything away

Conclusion

So, what really happened on the cross?

Jesus fulfilled and accomplished God’s saving mission for you

Trust that this mission is big and eternal

Trust that this mission is personal and intimate

Trust that Jesus has done enough to give you the assurance of salvation

Trust in the last words of Jesus: “It is finished”

Pray and transition to communion (invite up Terry Hiebert)