John 19:23-30 “It is finished!”

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for MY clothing they cast lots.” Therefore 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 then 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!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. 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. John 19:23-30

Background

Jesus’ battle that tested the extent of His obedience and His capacity for forgiveness continued until it is finished. This episode looks at Jesus’ physical/mental/spiritual suffering and His poverty in the final hours of His life. Jesus’ suffering differs from that of the thieves who were crucified with him in that He carried not only His own pain, but the curses of poverty and thirst of humanity. The thieves suffered and died justly for their own crimes. But Jesus suffered in innocence in exchange for the forgiveness of humanity. The thieves’ suffering is justified which results in their own death. Jesus’ suffering is a redemptive act resulting in justification for humanity’s salvation. Through His suffering, He took full responsibility for humanity’s sin against God in exchange for man’s reinstatement as God’s children.

Observation

1.  “They divided My outer garments among them, and for MY clothing they cast lots.” Jesus’ only possession: His inner and outer clothing were taken from Him signifying the utter poverty at His time of death. Jesus died naked was part of the shame that He bore for our sins.

2.   He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” Seeing her sorrow Jesus honoured His mother by consigning her into the care of John, His beloved disciple.

3.  “I am thirsty.” The final minutes of Jesus dying in thirst is striking for the One who is the water of life. Thirst represents a state of constant lack of what is needed for abundant living. What Jesus was experiencing was beyond physical dehydration, but a deathly desperation for life itself.

4.  “It is finished!” This word on Jesus’ lips was significant. These words were the consummation of 33 years of life that was lived out in perfect obedience in order to save humanity from everlasting hell and destruction. Every word that He spoke, every road that He travelled, every prayer that He uttered, every tear that He shed was for the souls of man. When He said, “It is finished” (as opposed to “I am finished”), He meant the redemptive work on His part was completed; it is “paid in full”. He took sin for the people (2 Corinthians 5:21) and had suffered the penalty of God’s justice which sin deserved.

Truth

1.  Jesus’ poverty destroyed the curse of poverty over the children of God. Jesus at the time of His death lost all things, even the clothing on His back. This is significant because He took the curse of poverty upon Himself so that His children may be freed and become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says,

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Jesus’ sacrifice gave God’s children inheritances both on earth and in heaven. Proverbs 15:6 says, “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.” No longer do they feel powerless, as one being enslaved by others. But as the Spirit of sonship indwells them, they arise in the love of the Father and receive the inheritance due them. As God’s children grow in character and in confidence, working wisely and diligently, they begin to grow in wealth and riches.

2.  Jesus took our curses of thirst giving us life and hope through the Spirit. Jesus spent His final moments in thirst. This is significant as it connoted Him taking upon Himself the thirst of humanity; a depraved life of hopelessness, fear, loneliness and bondage of sin. The pleasures of the flesh, material possessions and power cannot give man what he needs to live an abundant life. But the Spirit of Christ is water that satisfies the thirst of man giving him life and peace. Jesus’ thirst resulted in rivers of living water flowing within our hearts. Jesus said,

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

This living water, which is the Spirit brings perpetual peace, joy, love, hope and faith. As the children of God receive the Holy Spirit, they begin to live life abundantly and never thirst again.

3.  Those who love God no longer need to fear punishment but a certainty of eternal glory. Jesus’ proclamation, “It is finished” is significant in that His suffering had paid in full the redemption of humanity. Hence, the devil and the natural elements of the world can no longer hold us bondage; the devil has no authority over God’s children. We are free to live life in righteousness, in joy and prosper in everything we do.

Application

1.  We must change the way we think: from a scarcity mindset to a prosperous mindset; from a helpless and victimised mindset to a victorious mindset. We must always expect God to provide the resources when we needed them. We must always think that all things are possible when we put our minds to it.

2.  We must not let our failings affect our relationship with God. Our failings may cause us precious time and pain, but they will never change God’s love towards us. Christ’s work has forever completed our adoption as sons before God.

Dear Lord, I thank You and praise You again and again for Your work of sacrifice. Now, I have complete control over my future because of the cross. I give my life as a sacrifice to the course of building Your Kingdom on earth. I will use my ability and riches towards this course. Bless and enrich me and my family, my church and my nation and cause us to walk in the ways of Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.