Title: The Victory of the Victim (6)
Series: The Sayings of Jesus on the Cross
Author: Jonathan McLeod
Text: John 19:30
Finished
When completing a project, do you ever announce, "It's finished"?
Those words-"It's finished"-can mean different things depending on how you say them or how successful or unsuccessful the project was.
Sometimes "It's finished" can express relief. You're just glad to be done.
Sometimes "It's finished"-if said angrily or sarcastically-can indicate disappointment. As you say those words you feel like throwing your hammer at something.
And then there are times when "It's finished" is a cry of victory.
The sixth saying of Jesus on the cross is found in John 19:30, where Jesus says, "It is finished." What did Jesus mean when he said, "It is finished"?
Let's unravel the true significance of those words.
The Sixth Saying
The word "finished" is also found in verse 28. Jesus knows that all is now "finished." And then he says, "I thirst" (v. 28). Perhaps a drink would help him utter his final words.
Matthew, in his Gospel, says that after Jesus was given the sour wine to drink, he "cried out again with a loud voice" (27:50; cf. Mark 15:37). Matthew doesn't tell us what Jesus said, but perhaps this loud cry was, "It is finished."
What Is "It"?
Let's consider that little word "it." What is "it"? What was finished?
1. "It" could partly refer to Jesus' life.
After Jesus said, "It is finished," he "bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (v. 30).
2. "It" primarily refers to the work Jesus was sent to earth to do.
Jesus prayed, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished [i.e., finished] the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4). Up to this point, Jesus had done everything the Father gave the Son to do. The only thing left to do was die by crucifixio ...
Series: The Sayings of Jesus on the Cross
Author: Jonathan McLeod
Text: John 19:30
Finished
When completing a project, do you ever announce, "It's finished"?
Those words-"It's finished"-can mean different things depending on how you say them or how successful or unsuccessful the project was.
Sometimes "It's finished" can express relief. You're just glad to be done.
Sometimes "It's finished"-if said angrily or sarcastically-can indicate disappointment. As you say those words you feel like throwing your hammer at something.
And then there are times when "It's finished" is a cry of victory.
The sixth saying of Jesus on the cross is found in John 19:30, where Jesus says, "It is finished." What did Jesus mean when he said, "It is finished"?
Let's unravel the true significance of those words.
The Sixth Saying
The word "finished" is also found in verse 28. Jesus knows that all is now "finished." And then he says, "I thirst" (v. 28). Perhaps a drink would help him utter his final words.
Matthew, in his Gospel, says that after Jesus was given the sour wine to drink, he "cried out again with a loud voice" (27:50; cf. Mark 15:37). Matthew doesn't tell us what Jesus said, but perhaps this loud cry was, "It is finished."
What Is "It"?
Let's consider that little word "it." What is "it"? What was finished?
1. "It" could partly refer to Jesus' life.
After Jesus said, "It is finished," he "bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (v. 30).
2. "It" primarily refers to the work Jesus was sent to earth to do.
Jesus prayed, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished [i.e., finished] the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4). Up to this point, Jesus had done everything the Father gave the Son to do. The only thing left to do was die by crucifixio ...
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