Sermon Central
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It Is Finished Series
Contributed by Claude Alexander on Apr 10, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: What was finished? What was this mission that was now finished? Why did Jesus come? Let's look at how Jesus defined his mission -- and later, how his apostles understood it.
It is Finished!
John 19:28-30 reads, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
What was finished? What was this mission that was now finished? Why did Jesus come? Let's look at how Jesus defined his mission -- and later, how his apostles understood it. We read about His commission to "preach the Gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18, 43), "to bring life" (John 10:10b), "to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8b), "to bring fire upon the earth," (Luke 12:49), "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). But each of these seems like a means or aspect of the ultimate purpose and that is : to save us from our sins.
Consider these purpose statement verses:
"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
Look again at the passage. It is remarkable in how it repeats one singular idea -- completion, fulfillment, finishing.
"Later, knowing that all was now completed (teleo), and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (teleioo), Jesus said, "I am thirsty" ... When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished (teleo)." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:28, 30)
It is clear from Matthew and Mark that just before Jesus breathed his last, he "cried out again in a loud voice" (Matthew 27:50, cf. Mark 15:37). John gives us the content of this loud cry: "It is finished!"
Those who are defeated go out with a whimper, but the victor announces his victory loudly and broadly: "It is finished!" The victory shout of Jesus echoed across the small flat hilltop and to the world beyond. It is finished!
Let's reflect for a few moments on the man who spoke those words from the cross, "It is finished!"
What made Jesus uniquely different from any other man who was ever executed on a Cross?
Jesus chose to go to the cross and die for mankind. John 10:11, 15, 17, 18 makes it clear that Jesus chose to die for His sheep. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep . . . I lay down my life for the sheep . . . . For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
You can't get much clearer than that. This is the way Jesus explained His own death.
Peter, preaching his finest sermon on the day of Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead declared in Acts 2: 23– 24; 3:18 God's grand plan of redemption. "Just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power . . . . But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled."
Now at the cross the body of Jesus was dehydrated from the hot Jewish midday sun and physical suffering during the six hours He hung on the cross. He revealed the burning physical thirst when He said, "I thirst." A sponge was filled with cheap sour wine and placed on a hyssop branch and shoved up to his lips. Jesus sucked some of the wine to sooth his fevered raw burning throat. He then gathered up his strength and gave a victorious shout,
What did the incarnate Son of God say that is so important?
Let it be clearly and emphatically stated that Jesus did not say, "I am finished." He did not say, "I am done––it is all over with Me; men will have to bring their own merit as a supplement to Mine in order to be saved" . Jesus said "It," not "I." "It is finished!"
