“It is finished!”

John 19: 30

30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Introduction:

Scholars believe that the 7 powerful Statements, Jesus made during six agonizing hours of His crucifixion, are all being made during the central act of redemption!

Have you ever noticed that No single Gospel records all seven sayings but fit the remarks into a commonly accepted order.

Example:

Jesus’ first three remarks were made between 9:00 a.m. and noon (Mark 15:25).

• First, He asked forgiveness for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).
• Second, Jesus promised the penitent thief he would meet the Lord in paradise that very day (Luke 23:43), giving us insight into what happens following believers’ deaths.
• Third, Jesus made provision for the care of His mother by John (John 19:26–27).

Observation:

Jesus’ last four statements were spoken between noon and 3:00 p.m., the final hours before His death (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44).

• His fourth statement was a cry of isolation, quoting Ps. 22:1 in Aramaic (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). This statement arose not so much from His own physical pain, but the anguish of solitarily taking upon Himself the sin of the world.
• His 5th statement is one of physical agony when Jesus acknowledged His thirst (John 19:28).
• After being given a sour drink, Jesus made His sixth statement, “It is finished” (John 19:30), a cry of victory, not defeat. Jesus was not finished, but redemption was complete.

Notice:

The ugly scene of suffering has been accomplished in this verse, they have beat him, whipped him, accused him, spat on him and hung him on the cross to die as a criminal!

There are two things happening in this verse;

1. God is taking care of the sin debt of man through the sacrificial offering of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
2. Jesus as that lamb is publicly declaring the work that was assigned to him is complete

“IT IS FINISHED.” [Tetellastai]

Notice:

The word proclaimed by Christ is a powerful one, “tetellastai”. It has several implications.

In the Greek it means, it is finished, it stands finished and will always be finished. (The Sins of the past, present and the future)

Because he uses such a strong word we can conclude that all of the old testament prophecies that were waiting to be fulfilled, have now been accomplished!

Notice:

This word was a common word used by every day people during this time;

• Servants used it to give an account for their labor to their Masters. (They would say Tetelistai~I have completed the task assigned to me ~it is finished)
• When a priest would examine an animal for sacrifice and found it to be the perfect offering, they would say Tetellastai! [It was faultless, and that’s where this word would apply.]
• When an artist finished a picture or a manuscript they might say “tetellastai” it is finished!
• When Merchants paid a debt in full, they would signify by saying “tetellastai” it is finished!

Application:

1. The picture that you see here is that of a suffering servant completing the work that his father sent him to do! [“tetellastai”]!
2. The work that you see here is that of the HIGH Priest SUBMITTING HIMSELF as the Perfect LAMB of God found faultless for the sacrifice. [“tetellastai”]!
3. The work that you see here is “The perfect work” of the Artist of our salvation …declaring He is finished with his master-piece! [“tetellastai”]!
4. The work that you see here is the work of the Merchant of our souls, purchasing man back from the auction block of Slavery… [“tetellastai”]!

Verse 30. [It is finished]

This is the Cry of Victory from the Victor’s Voice!

• It is finished, the sufferings and agonies of redeeming man are over.
• It is finished, the work long contemplated by the prophets and saints, is done.
• It is finished, the toils in the ministry, the persecutions and mockeries, are over, and man is redeemed.

(Can I get a witness?)

(1.) It is finished, the malice and hatred of his persecutors is now done

(2.) It is finished, that is, the assignment of his Father concerning his sufferings has been fulfilled;

(3.) It is finished, all the prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished and answered.

(4.) It is finished, the ceremonial law is abolished, the wall of partition is taken down, The Mosaic economy is dissolved

(5.) It is finished, sin has been whooped by the bringing in of an everlasting righteousness.

• It is finished, The Lamb of God is sacrificed to take away the sin of the world, and it is done, Heb 9:26.

Application:

The storm is over, the worst is past; all his pains and agonies are at an end, and he is going to paradise, entering the joy set before him.

Let all of us that suffer for Christ, and with Christ, comfort ourselves with this, that just a little while and we too shall say, It is finished.

 

(7.) It is finished, his life was now complete, he was ready to breathe his last, and now he is no more in this world,

Observation:

It is finished, The sin of humanity was branded with an eternal curse, yet because of the Divine it loses its sting.

• It is finished, God reconciled the world to himself by the death of his Son, by his death, the curse was placed on the Only Begotten.
• It is finished, The earthly judges are condemned by their Victim.
• It is finished, The great and last enemy is itself wounded unto death.
• It is finished, The Seed of the woman bruises the serpent’s head when that Seed receives the bruise in its own heel.
• It is finished, The Passover-Lamb is slain. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.
• It is finished, The prince of this world is cast out. And the Victory cry has been proclaimed! Tetellastai!

The Bible says…..

And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Notice:

In the final cry of victory, the Victor does an amazing thing before our eyes. He prostrates His Head.

The word Bowed down…is the greek word Klino…It means to lay it low or to bow down….

It’s the picture of the one who finishes the race with fist in the air and head on the chin…It’s the victors BOW….

With this statement, John declared that Jesus bowed his head and “delivered” (paredōken) his spirit.

For the Johannine evangelist this picture of the dying Jesus is extremely powerful. Jesus, the obedient agent of God, died in a spirit of reverence with the bowed (klinas) head.

Note:

He gave up HIS SPIRIT! Reverently!

This implies He was in Control, He wasn’t violated, His Spirit wasn’t taken from Him, HE did not loose His Spirit…As the Victor HE gave His Spirit Up!{The Humility of the Victor is incredible in this text!

• He knew he was victorious,
• He lived victoriously
• He served Victoriously
• He died Victoriously
• Everything about His was Victorious, even in death, Jesus was the Victor!

Application:

• Here we see that the believer ought to also conclude our living in the victor’s stance!
• We ought to have victorious living in the kingdom of God
• We ought to be willing to die the victors death by the power of God
• We ought to be willing to live victoriously in Christ
• Our lives should be lived with the victors Bow, humbly submitting our hearts and minds to the One who has all power!

Conclusion:

There is a challenge in these words today, there is a picture for us as we live unto God and die to the things of this world, and we too should be finished with a sinful mentality

• We too should be finished with the works of the flesh
• We too should be finished with the hatred of our brother
• We too should be finished with trying to do life on our terms
• We too should be finished with living in opposition with God
• We too should be finished with satisfying the flesh
• We too should be finished with the cares of the world
• We too should be finished living a carnal life
• We too should be willing to GIVE UP OUR LIFE UNTO God

“tetellastai”….Lets be finished with living like pagans

“tetellastai”…Lets be more like Him in every area of this life