John 19:28-30
28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
29 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.
30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Introduction:
One Word:
In the original Greek language of John’s Gospel,
there is only one word for this final saying of Jesus
To translate it into English, we have to use three words
but when it was spoken, it was only one word, Tetelestai,
So much meaning, an ocean of meaning
In this single word, “Finished”
It needs so many more words to explain the context and meaning
of this one word, “Finished”
ONE WORD
And it so aptly captures the entire saving work of Christ
Its meaning is so great, I can’t do it justice here today
Its meaning is so deep, we cannot entirely understand it all
But I’m going to try…
1: “Finished”
Finished, It is Finished…
I want you to imagine the tone in which Jesus uttered this word,
-Do you think he said it dejectedly (say dejectedly)
-Do you think he said it with a sense of relief, as if he was glad that things were over (say with relief)
-Do you think it somehow barely uttered it out of his mouth as the final gasp and cry of someone defeated? (say it worn out)
-Do you think he was merely telling the crowd that that was it for him, death was at hand (say It’s over…)
Or, do you think this here is a punctuation mark, and a shout of victory? (say as a victorious shout!)
“Finished”
I believe it was a Victory Cry
I believe it was uttered with a loud voice.
There is nothing of anguish about it, there is no sorrow in it
It is the cry of One who has completed a tremendous task,
He knows death is near
He gives us the example death prayer of
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,”
Then he shouts his life’s last expression in that one word, “Finished.”
I believe he was saying, “Mission Accomplished”
“Complete” “Done” “Finished” “Accomplished” “Victorious” “Conquered” - - and “We Won The Victory!”
2. Praise Him For It Is Finished
We should praise Him bc He finished it
He started it. And He finished it.
Think of how many things we start
And then think of how many things we finish
Treadmill Illustration here …
New Diets, Exercise Regimens… etc
And in life, we start out running like Champions
But soon we slack on the pace
And we fall exhausted on our Course
But God is not like us
He finished what he starts!
And we should praise Him for it
He finished His life work
It was a work He began as a child
In the Temple at the Age of 12, He told His earthly parents
I must be about my Father’s business
He knew there was task, work to be done
He persevered through the struggles
Persevered through the pains, was tempted in all ways like us
For 33 years
It cost Him effort, humility, blood, sweat and tears
And now it was going to cost His life
It said He was obedient, even unto the death of the Cross
He finished the Rescue Mission that he embarked on
No matter the stakes, He stood in the Gap
He stood in our Place, Suffered on our Behalf
And He Finished what He came to do!
He finished exactly - EXACTLY - what He came to do
He left nothing unfinished
Even when we finish things, it never turns out EXACTLY
How we wanted it, does it?
There was no one who He meant to spend time with
That He failed to do
There was no one who He meant to call on
That He failed to do so
No one that He needed ministered to, needed healing
But ran out of time
No sermon that needed preached, that He didn’t preach
No prophecy that needed fulfilled, that wasn’t
Nothing that He just slopped over
Nothing that He put a 50% effort into
Nothing done in a careless manner
He Finished EXACTLY what He came to do
Illustration: Workmanship Illustration here
Man’s Workmanship is many times flawed
You may like something
But you open it up… Upon further examination
And the inside is flawed
Or it doesn’t last very long
Something about the construction breaks down
But if you examine the Master’s work right through,
If you begin at Bethlehem and go on to Golgotha,
You can look magnify and study out every portion of it,
The silent as well as the spoken part,
From His birth in a Manger, to the Cross at Calvary
You will find that it is finished, completed, perfected
Among all lives that have been lived
Among all works that have been done
There is none like Jesus!
Crown him! Crown him!
And Praise Him
Because He has Finished!
We should praise Him
We should celebrate in Him
We should rejoice in Him
Because He finished what He came to do!
And He does all things good!
3. It Means: Victory
What did it mean when He said, “It is Finished” ?
It means: Victory
Victory over life, Victory over Sin, Victory over the Enemy,
Victory over Death, It means Victory!
When Jesus said,“It is finished,”
The Church’s ultimate victory was secured
“Finished!” By that one word he declared that he had broken
the head of the old dragon
The old serpent has been crushed, his head is bruised,
Just like the prophecy said it would
And through Jesus Christ we have the Victory
You and I still have battles yet to fight
But if we stay on the Lord’s Side
He will fight our Battle’s - - And He has already won!
He specializes in bringing Victory out of hopeless situations
He took the Shame of The Cross
And made it a symbol of Victory & Hope,
He took the Darkness of Man’s Sins
Just to Showcase the Grace & Mercy of God
No one but Jesus could win such a great and mighty Victory
And He has offered it to you and me!
I don’t care what you are facing today
You can have the Victory in Jesus
Because He has Finished His Work!
4. Finish Work In Us
Understand, if He finished His work on Earth
He will finish His work in you…
If He has undertaken a job so large as coming to this World Stepping Down From His Throne, Taking on Flesh,
Being Born of a Woman, Live and Teach and Minister for 33 years
Die A Criminal’s Death to Take Away The Sin of the World
And He didn’t Quit - - Angels could’ve taken Him - He Finished It
Then we can know that He will Finish what He started in us!
Jesus even spoke to this when He said,
Who would begin to build a tower without first counting the cost
The Lord does not merely start a wonderful work in us
He finishes what He starts.
God is constantly striving to work in us,
And He will complete it
This is a comfort for those who are think their wheels are spinning
God will bring you through… He will take you through…
And He will complete His work in you!
God is going to finish what He started in you!
Do you sometimes feel as though you aren’t making progress?
When God starts a project, he completes it!
When you are discouraged,
Remember that God won’t give up on you
He promises to finish the work he has begun
When you feel incomplete, unfinished,
Or distressed by your shortcomings,
Remember be confident in God’s promise and provision
Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing
That God is working something Greater in you!
5. It Means: Paid In Full
John 19, our text, It’s nearly 3:00 PM
He’s been on the Cross for 6 hours
He knew His mission was coming to an end
It was almost finished
To fulfill the prophecy of the OT, He becomes thirsty on the Cross
There is a jar of sour wine near, so they dip a sponge on a branch
Lift it up to the Cross
When Jesus had tasted it
He said It is Finished
Then he bowed his head
And released His spirit
His last words so powerful, And so poignant
His last human utterance, It is complete
Tetelestai, the Greek Word is an Accounting term
Accountants of the Day used the Word
That means “Paid in Full”
Paid In Full, It is Finished
And when He uttered those words
With His arms outstretched
We have the picture of one arm, reaching back thru time,
To very the first sin in the Garden
All the way back. All the way forward. Gathered up all the sin.
One arm reaching back all the Centuries to dawn of Man
And the other, forward thru all the Centuries of Man
Through countless seasons and sunsets
Gathering every lie
Gathered every murder, every cheat, every robbery
Stretched his arms wide, Gathered every perverse action
Gathered every wrongdoing, every injustice,
He brought into himself,
The sins of criminals, Sins of abandonment, Sins of the forsaken
He gathered it all
No sin too hideous, didn’t leave any of it behind
He gathered every wrong that Sin has ever done,
Every hurt, every pain that sin has ever caused
He gathered every debt that Sin ever made
And when he gathered it all up
He screamed It is Finished!
Paid In Full
Your Bible says, He was made to be sin, Who knew no sin
That we may have the righteousness of God in Him!
And at that moment
Sin held a Zero Balance
For everybody before and everybody since!
HE PAID THE DEBT
He didn’t push it off to the side
Didn’t do some slick accounting maneuver
Didn’t do a balance transfer
He PAID IT! IN FULL!
Jesus Paid It All
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a Crimson Stain
He washed it White As Snow
Sing it together as we stand today…
Conclusion:
If Jesus has finished His Work
Let us be ever more convinced today, to finish our work
Paul said,
I have FOUGHT a good fight,
I have FINISHED my course!
I have KEPT the faith
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
How many are resolved today to FINISH their Course??
Let’s pray…
