It is Finished

John 19:16-42.

We now come to the final act of Sacrificial giving by our Lord and Saviour.

His final words sum up the completion of His earthly mission to provide the Redemptive Sacrifice, set up a new covenant for ALL of mankind and to complete the fulfillment of OT prophecy.

What we hope to gain from todays study is a better understanding of the impact of Christ’s sacrifice and the finality of His death on the Cross, as that sacrificial lamb.

Realizing, that, because of the Divine sacrifice, we, as Christ’s followers, no long need to live under the guilt, burden or shame of our sinful nature.

Through Christ, we can live in forgiveness and freedom.

We hope to reach the conclusion that Christ’s death on the cross, while seen by the world at large, as a colossal defeat, was, and still is today,

The crowning achievement of God’s plan of redemption for all mankind.

With the intent of encouraging all followers of Christ to see the victory in Gods grace and to find rest and assurance in the completed work of salvation.

The exclamation point comes in one of Jesus’ final statements from the cross, “It is Finished.”

The work had been completed and as we accept this precious gift of salvation, we are freed from the burden of the guilt and shame of our sin.

We can then look forward to eternal life in Christ as the final result of God’s grace.

So lets begin,

We start with...

1- A DISPUTED PROCLAMATION

John 19:16–22 ESV

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Pilate’s late, better than nothing rebuke of the High Priests comes in the form of the placard placed on the cross.

A place where traditionally the crimes against the condemned prisoner are listed.

Pilates has inscribed, “Jesus of Nazareth. The King of the Jews”

Whether intentional or not, we will never know, but in a single moment, Pilate mocks the High Priests and Jews in the crowd-

Yet at the very same time revealing the truth of the matter in a very clear way- In spite of the intended mockery,

Jesus was, and is, the King of the Jews

There is no mistaking the distinct nature of the Sovereign Lord.

The inscription faithfully reveals Jesus’ identity.

Fulfilling the prophecies of their coming Messiah, the Divine Kingship of our Servant- King shines bright through the darkness.

That light still shines bright in an ever darkening world.

Having it written in the three dominate languages of the region, made sure everyone got the message.

This identifies Jesus as more than just a local or regional royal monarch, But the Supreme King who’s influence is already spreading beyond Judea and spilling over into the rest of the know world of the first century.

Jesus spoke of having “other sheep” not yet in the fold. He spoke of the Good Shepherd, dying for His flock.

This multi-lingual inscription then looks ahead to Peter’s great revelation on the rooftop dream in Caesarea as he meets with Cornelius in Acts 10.

It sees the emergence of the Greek speaking church in Antioch of Acts 11.

Where this group of new believers first became known as Christians.

Pilate, in his stubborn refusal to change what was written, is declaring that Jesus was and is the King of this World.

2- Compassionate to the Last Moment

John 19:23–27 ESV

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

While the other Gospels record a more detailed account of the journey from the Roman court to Golgotha hill including:

The lashing of the crossbeam on Jesus’ beaten and bloodied back

The agonizing walk down the Via Dolorosa, “The Way of Suffering”

The taunting crowds and our Saviour finally collapsing- Not able to complete the route without the help of Simon of Cyrene.

Luke also records in Ch 23, Jesus speaking to the women standing alone the roadside, offering the condemned men a narcotic drink of wine to numb the sense, Jesus not having any of that.

He tells the women to Luke 23:28-31

Luke 23:28 ESV

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children...”

John, however, keeps his narrative to the bare minimum.

His focus being on the fact that now Jesus is being lifted up, as predicted, on the main road outside of Jerusalem

So that all of Israel can now see its King.

John now shifts the focus to those at the foot of the cross.

John notes that the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ clothes fulfills the prophecy of

Psalm 22:18 ESV

they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

The fact that the inside tunic was “seamless” flows with Jewish tradition of not mixing fabrics in the making of such garments- This was forbidden by the Mosaic Law, as noted in Deut 22.

John is meticulous in naming those present at the cross.

A careful study across all four gospels reveals that his mother Mary’s sister, Jesus’ aunt, could very well be the mother of the “Sons of Zebedee” of Matt 27.

James and John were to become prominent leaders of the early church.

And it makes sense, then, for Jesus to entrust the care of His own earthly mother to them as they were His cousins.

Understanding that the rest of Mary and Josephs children abandoned Jesus early on and Joseph is no longer in the picture, it makes perfect sense for Jesus to place the care of His mother in the hands of the only earthly family He has left.

To the last of His moments before His death, Jesus is showing the utmost compassion and care for those closest to Him.

If this isnt a lesson for us to learn from and model in our own lives, I dont what better example we could ever find.

We should be encouraged to reflect the same type of care and compassion for our families and our friends and neighbors in our communities as a way of modeling our faith as a living testimony.

3- IT IS FINISHED

John 19:28–30 ESV

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A 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. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus’ final words from the cross are held to be some of the most sacred in all of Scripture.

Jesus’ last two utterances from the cross are both profound and prophetically fulfilling.

Recorded only in John’s Gospel, is, “I thirst”

Fully aware of the totality of Scripture, Jesus’ thirst has little to do with the hot Middle Eastern sun beating down on Him, or His nearing death, from blood loss and dehydration.

We read in

Psalm 69:21 ESV

They gave me gall for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

John’s mention of the Hyssop branch the soldiers used is in direct correlation to the first Passover, where the hyssop branch was used to brush the lambs blood on the Door frame of the Israelites homes in Egypt.

And finally… “It is Finished”

What John had hinted at across his entire Gospel, Jesus now completes.

He has now completed the mission He had been sent to earth to accomplish.

Make no mistake, Jesus is not a victim here, but simply faithfully completing the plan of Salvation set in place by God the Father.

We must read this last statement, not as some lament, as in, “Finally it is over”

But “It is accomplished” Mission complete.

It is a statement of victory, not defeat.

We can, today rest in that completed victory.

Confident in the knowing that our Salvation is secured.

4- MORE PROPHECY FULFILLED

John 19:31–37 ESV

Since 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. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Normally, in a Roman crucifixion, the body’s remained on the cross for days, as a show of the strength and power of the Empire.

Extra Biblical historical writings document how predatory birds would feed on the flesh of the condemned for days.

I mention this only to highlight that, in spite of all the brutality exhibited by the soldiers and the High Priests, they were still concerned about their High Holy day of the Sabbath.

The High Priest had just killed their eternal King and they were more interested in appearances then the atrocity they had just committed.

Historical records and recent archeology has reveal that the Romans did indeed break the legs of the crucified if they lingered too long.

This act removed the prisoners ability to push his body up to a somewhat standing position in an effort to breath.

Thus their lungs filled with water and blood and they drowned in their own body fluids.

Jesus was spared this final humiliation by having released His eternal spirit from His earthly body already.

The piercing of the spear by the soldier into Jesus’ side only adds validity to the physical punishment that our Lord endured on our behalf.

Although much has been made of the spilling of our Saviour’s blood and water in modern preaching, we must caution not to read into what John is actually writing about.

The wording of the text suggests that John was an eyewitness to this event, as he was for the rest of the final scene.

His focus was to point out the reality that Jesus, the man, had truly died on the cross.

5- THE DEVOTION OF THE DISCIPLES

John 19:38–42 ESV

After 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. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now 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. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Lastly we see that two disciples of Jesus, one, Joseph of Arimathea, unknown til now and Nicodemus, who we were introduced to in Ch 3, step up to claim the body of the Messiah.

Drawing from all four gospels is enlightening in regards to these two men.

This Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin which made him a resident of Jerusalem, according to Matthew 27, he was wealthy, it also explains why he had a tomb just outside the city walls.

Nicodemus, we know visited Jesus by night and was perplexed by the idea of having to be Born again.

It is noted across the gospels that these men, although followers of Christ, were more afraid of retribution from the Sanhedrin.

As John notes in

John 12:42–43 ESV

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

What could be seen as finally coming to grips with reality, these two men do risk the wrath of the High Council in their actions.

They both risk becoming “ceremonially” unclean by handling a corpse during the Passover festival.

By using his own tomb with its implied status and prestige, Joseph does risk his political and religious career.

The amount of spices provided for by Nicodemus was also very expensive.

And reminds us of the excessive amount of wine at the wedding at Cana, marking Jesus first stepping into the public eye.

The one the Sanhedrin tried to humiliate as a common rebel and disgraced with a public execution between to thieves, is now being buried with honors and reverence befitting the King that He truly is.

The open and public display of belief exhibited by Joseph and Nicodemus should serve as inspiration for all of us to live open and committed lives for Christ.

The death of Christ assures us that Jesus holds the power to change hearts and lives, even today.