John 19:28-30
Sermon preached on June 4, 2006 by Laurence W. Veinott. ©
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Other sermons can be
found at http://www.newlifeop.org/.
Leonardo
Da Vinci once said, (From movie, Beautiful Dreamer- 'Smile,
Brian Wilson')
"Art is never finished, only abandoned."
I think what he meant by that is that is that he never felt that any of his work was perfect and that he was unable to make it perfect. No matter how hard or how long he worked at it, he would still see flaws and defects in it. No matter how great the masterpiece, it fell short of perfection. And he didn't just see that in his work, but also in the work of others. For him perfection in his work was an unattainable goal.
What our text shows us is that such was not the case with Jesus and His work. On the cross Jesus shouted for all to hear that His work was finished, complete in every way. We read, (John 19:28-30)
"Later,
knowing that all was now completed,
and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled,
Jesus said,
'I am thirsty.'
A jar of wine vinegar was there,
so they soaked a sponge in it,
put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant,
and lifted it to Jesus' lips.
When he had received the drink,
Jesus said,
'It is finished.'
With that,
he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
The main
truth we should see is that
through
His suffering Jesus has done everything required to save
us.
What a
remarkable Savior we have in Jesus! His work on our behalf
was perfect and complete. Notice how John begins this
section,
"Later,
knowing that all was not completed,
so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus
said…"
Even
though Jesus was suffering intensely, John wants us to
understand is that Jesus was totally aware of what was
required of Him and that He drank the cup the Father gave
until it was finished. In a very real way, Jesus was in
control of the situation. (Leon Morris) He knew when
everything was completed. He knew what the prophecy
required Him to say. He knew when it was time to breathe
His last and give up His Spirit. On the cross, Jesus wasn't
totally passive, He wasn't someone who was totally
controlled by pain and suffering. No, quite the contrary,
Jesus was in such control that He made sure that He did
everything that was required to save us. Nothing was left
out—not one second of suffering was missed, not one
prophecy was left unfulfilled, not one saying was missed.
Here we see Jesus awaiting the moment when everything will
be fulfilled. He was in complete control. C.K.
Barrett writes,
(John, p. 552-553)
"From first to last in this passion narrative, Jesus is in control of all the takes place. The whole train of events is set in motion by him, and at the appropriate moment he will terminate it."
Remember how in the Garden of Gethsemane He got up and went to meet those coming to arrest Him? Remember how He told Peter to put away His sword, how He told Peter that the Father would immediately put at His disposal twelve legions of angels? Remember how before chief priests and Pilate He often refused to answer. Remember how He refused to come down from the cross and save Himself? All through His suffering, Jesus was in control. He stayed there until He was finished drinking the cup of wrath the Father had given Him.
At this point on the cross Jesus knew when everything was completed. He had suffered for the sins of His people and had made atonement for them. His work was finished. He had saved His people.
But someone might raise an objection. John Calvin writes,
"But how can He say that all things were accomplished when the chief part was still lacking, that is, His death? I reply: John includes what was soon to follow. Christ had not yet died, not yet risen again. But He saw that there was nothing to prevent Him advancing to death and resurrection."
We should understand how appropriate it was for Jesus to say this just before He died. There is much significance in it.
Jesus wanted to make a statement to everyone, to men, angels and demons—that His suffering had a purpose, a goal—and that He completed that goal.
Mark's gospel tells us that after Jesus received the drink, (Mark 15:37)
"With a
loud cry,
Jesus breathed his last."
The cry
most probably consisted of the words, "It is finished." The
reason He asked for the drink was so that He could shout
out the words, "It is finished."
B.W. Johnson writes,
"This is a cry of triumph. He had won the victory and had reached the end of his cruel pathway. It betokens a deep sensation of relief, relief from a crushing burden, rest after agonizing toil. The work of redemption was wrought. He had said, 'I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!' His baptism of suffering was now over."
But there is more than that in His cry. By this Jesus was declaring that His great goal had been reached. D.A. Carson writes,
"In the Greek text, the cry itself is one word, tetelestai (cf. notes on v. 28). As an English translation, It is finished captures only part of the meaning, the part that focuses on completion. Jesus' work was done. But this is no cry of defeat; nor is it merely an announcement of imminent death… The verb teleo from which this form derives denotes the carrying out of a task, and in religious contexts bears the overtone of fulfilling one's religious obligations. Accordingly, in the light of the impending cross, Jesus could earlier cry, 'I have brought you glory on earth by completing (teleioœsas; i.e. by accomplishing) the work you gave me to do' (17:4). 'Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them eis telos'—not only 'to the end' but to the full extent mandated by his mission. And so, on the brink of death, Jesus cries out, It is accomplished!"
Jesus had completed His work. He had completed everything that the law required. He had fully endured the wrath of God that was due to our sins, that the curse due to our sins had been taken away and that He was the victor. So Jesus cries out, "It is finished."
Matthew Henry writes,
"This loud voice shows that he attacked our spiritual enemies with an undaunted courage, and such a bravery of resolution as bespeaks him hearty in the cause and daring in the encounter. He was now spoiling principalities and powers, and in this loud voice he did, as it were, shout for mastery."
Jesus' work had cosmic ramifications. Henry probably bases his words on Colossians 2:13-15, which reads,
"When
you were dead in your sins
and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,
God made you alive with Christ.
He forgave us all our sins,
having canceled the written code,
with its regulations,
that was against us
and that stood opposed to us;
he took it away,
nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities,
he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross."
Thus it
seems that in one sense, Jesus' cry, "It is finished," was
a cry of victory over the powers that stood against us,
that were determined to put us into hell. He disarmed them
and made a public display over them. He was shouting His
cry of victory over them.
Jesus' cry also had significance for
the
people who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus.
It would
not have been appropriate for the Son of God to suffer and
die and for people to think that His suffering was to no
purpose, or in vain, or to think that He had died
disillusioned and frustrated. So Jesus makes a statement
for all to hear—to point them to the significance of
His work on the cross.
When Jesus died God wanted everyone nearby to see things
that pointed to the glorious nature of Jesus' work. For
example, Matthew's gospel tells us that when Jesus died,
(Matthew 27:51-53)
"At that
moment the curtain of the temple
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open
and the bodies of many holy people
who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs,
and after Jesus' resurrection
they went into the holy city
and appeared to many people."
When
Jesus died extraordinary things happened and people knew
that Jesus was truly the Son of God. We see this in
the
centurion and some
of the other soldiers. Matthew 27:54 says,
"When
the centurion
and those with him who were guarding Jesus
saw the earthquake and all that had happened,
they were terrified, and exclaimed,
'Surely he was the Son of God!'"
The
darkness, the earthquake and Jesus' words convinced them.
Thus we see that there was significance to those
events.
The
curtain in the temple that was torn in two
was between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The
Most Holy Place symbolized God's presence. Only once a year
the high priest was allowed into the Most Holy Place. But
the curtain was torn in two- from top to bottom. That meant
that man was no longer separated from God. We have been
brought near by the work of Jesus. The curse of sin and the
barrier that it created has been done away with. We now
have free access into God's presence. The book of Hebrews
explains much of this. It compares the Old Testament
priesthood with that of Jesus and shows how that of Jesus
is superior in every way. The Old Testament priests had to
enter the earthly tabernacle, every year, with the blood of
bulls and goats. Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary once
for all, not with the blood of animals, but with His own
blood and now He has sat down at the right hand of God. So
the way to God's presence is now open to us. The curse of
sin has been done away with. The barrier that kept us from
God has been taken away. John
Calvin writes,
"For… Christ, the true and everlasting Priest, having abolished the figures of the law, opened up for us by his blood the way to the heavenly sanctuary, that we may no longer stand at a distance within the porch, but may freely advance into the presence of God."
As we read in Hebrews 4:14f,
"Therefore,
since we have a great high priest
who has gone through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold firmly to the faith we profess…
Let us then approach the throne of grace
with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need."
The
earth shaking at the
death of Jesus is also a sign of great significance. Leon
Morris suggests that it signifies that what happened when
Jesus died was 'earth-shaking'.
Matthew Henry says
that this denotes,
"The glorious achievements of Christ's cross. This earthquake signified the mighty shock, nay, the fatal blow, now given to the devil's kingdom. So vigorous was the assault Christ now made upon the infernal powers, that (as of old, when he went out of Seir, when he marched through the field of Edom) the earth trembled, Judg. v. 4; Ps. lxviii. 7, 8. God shakes all nations, when the Desire of all nations is to come;"
Perhaps there's a link to Romans 8:19f,
"The
creation waits in eager expectation
for the sons of God to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to frustration,
not by its own choice,
but by the will of the one who subjected it,
in hope that the creation itself
will be liberated from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom
of the children of God."
In other
words, the earth could have been testifying that it sees
its liberation coming.
We also read that
the tombs broke open and many
were raised to life. John
Calvin writes
about this,
"This was also a striking miracle, by which God declared that his Son entered into the prison of death, not to continue to be shut up there, but to bring out all who were held captive."
Leon Morris adds, (Pillar, Matthew)
"the raising of the saints shows that death has been conquered."
Thus we see that great things happened when Jesus died. They were the result of Jesus work being completed.
Thus it was altogether appropriate that these great events be preceded by an declaration of accomplishment from Jesus.
Leon Morris writes, (John, p. 815)
"Jesus died with the cry of the Victor on His lips. This is not the moan of the defeated, nor the sigh of patient resignation. It is the triumphant recognition that He has now fully accomplished the work that He came to do."
This is how the Scripture represents it. It is the consistent testimony of Scripture that Jesus saves completely. Jesus did not come to make salvation a possibility for us- to put us in a condition where we could effect our own salvation, contribute something to it. No, Christ came to save and He actually saves. We see this taught in Revelation 5 where we see the four beasts and the twenty-four elders praising the Lamb on the throne. They sing,
"You are
worthy to open the seals,
because you were slain
and with your blood you purchased men for God..."
Christ
purchased men for God. He actually saved them. His work was
sufficient. Christ did all that was necessary for our
salvation. In Hebrews 9 the new covenant is contrasted with
the old. In the old the high priest had to enter the Most
Holy Place every year with the blood of bulls and goats.
But Christ, we are told, appeared once to do away with sin
by the sacrifice of Himself. He did not appear in the
earthly tabernacle, but in the heavenly one. He did not
appear with the blood of animals, but with His own
blood.
Hebrews 9:28 tells us
that Christ,
"was
sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many people."
In
Hebrews 10:10 we are
told that
"we have
been made holy
through the sacrifice of
the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
In
Hebrews 7:25 we are
told that because Jesus lives forever, He,
"is able
to save completely
those who come to God through Him...."
D. A. Carson writes,
(Pillar Commentary, John)
"One of the best summaries of the significance of Jesus' death, a little poem by S. W. Gandy, is particularly appropriate here, because it mirrors John's use of irony to help his readers see:'He hell in hell laid low; Made sin, he sin o'erthrew; Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so, And death, by dying, slew.'"
Now what does this mean for us?
The first lesson is
you cannot and should not try to add anything to Jesus' work.
Jesus work was perfect. He was sacrificed once to take away our sins. He has done that. It has been accomplished. We can't add to it. We are saved by the work of Jesus. He suffered for our sins. He died for them. He rose again for our justification. John Calvin writes on Jesus' words, "It is finished."
"Now this word of Christ is most memorable, for it teaches that the whole accomplishing of our salvation and all the parts of it are contained in His death." "everything contributing to men's salvation is in Christ and is not to be sought elsewhere."
Your faith should be centered on Jesus alone. In Him we find everything we need for salvation. Nothing is lacking. Nothing can be added to it. His work is complete, perfect. You can't contribute to your justification. As Paul said to the Galatians in Galatians 5:2,
"Mark my
words!
I, Paul, tell you that
if you let yourselves be circumcised,
Christ will be of no value to you at all."
And as
we read in
Hebrews 10:12-14,
"But
when this priest had offered
for all time one sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God.
Since that time he waits for his enemies
to be made his footstool,
because by one sacrifice
he has made perfect forever
those who are being made holy."
Calvin
continues,
"If we give our assent to this word which Christ pronounced, we ought to be satisfied with his death alone for salvation, and we are not at liberty to apply for assistance in any other quarter; for he who was sent by the Heavenly Father to obtain for us a full acquittal, and to accomplish our redemption, knew well what belonged to his office, and did not fail in what he knew to be demanded of him. It was chiefly for the purpose of giving peace and tranquility to our consciences that he pronounced this word, It is finished. Let us stop here, therefore, if we do not choose to be deprived of the salvation which he has procured for us."
So don't trust in your own works to save you. Don't combine your own works with faith in Jesus. It's not 99% by faith and 1% by works. No, it's 100% by the perfect work of Jesus. Rest in Christ alone for salvation.
Secondly, for Christians, what joy these words should bring you.
"It is finished!" Are there greater words for a sinner to hear? William Hendriksen writes,
"Throughout his earthly sojourn and especially on the cross he had suffered the wrath of God against sin so as to deliver his people from it and to merit for them everlasting salvation. The task had been brought to completion."
Our sins have been paid for. He has kept the law perfectly for us. He has defeated death and all our enemies. It is finished. We are His. He is ours. As Paul asks at the end of Romans 8—what can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus? The answer is nothing. Not life, not death, not the present, not the future, no power or might. It is finished. We are Christ's.
Thirdly, also for Christians,
when you suffer, when you're in the utmost trouble, when you're in the utmost pain—follow Jesus' example.
We have seen that while He was on the cross Jesus was in control. He knew when everything was accomplished. He knew what the Scripture required. So He spoke the words, "I thirst." He knew when the time came to give up His Spirit.
What this means for you is that when you suffer, don't be a baby about it. Don't lose all sense of decorum. Don't lose your head. Don't listen to nonsense. You'll remember that in the midst of Job's suffering, his wife said to him,
"Are you
still holding on to your integrity?
Curse God and die!"
In the
most horrible suffering trust God. Rest in Him. Control
what you think and how your react to your suffering. At
such a time draw close to Jesus. He knows what such
suffering is like. As we read in
Hebrews 4:15-16,
"For we
do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are—yet was without sin.
Let us then approach
the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Lastly,
for those of you who are not Christians, you should realize
that Jesus could finish His work of paying for the sins of
His people,
but you
will never be able to finish paying for your sins.
The
payment for sin is death, death in all its fullness. Jesus,
because of who He was, truly God and truly man—was
able to endure the wrath of God for our sins and satisfy
that wrath. He was able to do it in a limited time and
secure life for His people.
If you try to pay for your sins yourself, you will suffer
for them forever and ever. Even if you suffer 10 billion
years, you will never reach the point where you will be
able to say, "It is finished." No. You will never, ever
hear those words. The second death is the lake of fire,
where, (Mark 9:48)
"their
worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched."
Go to
Jesus now. Trust in Him. Look to Him and His perfect work.
Ask Him to save you. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:28,
"Come to
me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest."