It is finished
observations on the last words of Christ (Part 2)
John 19:28-30 ~ terry phillips
December 23, 2018
It is finished
This is a time of year, of course, that we focus much of our attention on the coming of the Son of God into the world as a newborn babe. Even the account that was just read from Luke's gospel is a tremendously encouraging thing, and it's very familiar to each of us, obviously, it's not something that we haven't heard before, it’s something that is very familiar to us. The fact that the eternal Word was made flesh, and actually dwelt amongst sinners is a very uniquely profound mystery. It's a great joy as well. We may not fully understand it, we don't comprehend its details, but what a joy it is to contemplate.
I remind you this morning that the most significant aspect of God's Christ coming into this world is the reason for which He came. That's what counts. That's what really matters, isn’t it? So much of the world looks at this scene of the Lord Jesus – they see the baby in a manger and that becomes their only focus. Their focus sort of ends after that, it doesn't go any deeper than that. And we recognize that Jesus didn't come to warm our hearts, as there's this picture portrayed for us of His being born in very humble circumstances. As you recall, the angel made it clear when he revealed to Joseph the fact that Mary, his betrothed wife was going to have a son made it clear why, why the son of God was coming into the world, that He might save His people from their sins. This is the reason.
The culmination of this overriding purpose is confirmed in our Lord's final words on the cross. “It is finished.” That's why Jesus came. I remind you of these verses that we began to look at last time. Verse 28 of John 19 – “After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, 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. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine He said, “it is finished” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
We continue to contemplate these words this morning together. “It is finished.” Jesus says, truer words have never been spoken. More profound truth really cannot be contemplated, then the truth contained in these three simple words, the implications of these words are staggering. Childlike faith finds fullness of joy, blessed comfort and an abounding hope in the Lord's statement, as He submitted His spirit to death. We took some time, last time, couple of weeks ago, as we were contemplating this passage to try to make; we began to make some observations regarding this statement, the Lord makes because it seems to me that this is one of those statements – it’s simple, it's concise, and yet there is more there than at first might meet the eye. We have a tendency to sort of pass over these things fairly quickly. Assuming that we know all there is to know about what is being said. There were several observations I want to remind you of just by way of review this morning.
The first observation we made is – that we noticed there is a deliberate resolve that is evidenced in the Lord statement here – “it is finished” Jesus says. Everything the Lord did, everything that He said was appropriate for the moment and perfectly so. Jesus had demonstrated – you think of so many times – His concern for the temporal needs of those around Him. So many times, He often reached out and dealt with those needs in miraculous ways. With great compassion. But in spite of all the opposition in spite of all the opportunities that the Lord had to serve those who were in need – this was the thing that was on His mind. That's why, eventually, it came to that point where He was teaching His disciples, and reminding them, and instructing them, telling them this is where I'm heading. This is what's going to happen. This is the ultimate goal and then He sets His face resolutely to go to Jerusalem, so that when Jesus comes to the end of His suffering and the time for Him to yield up His spirit, He can say these words – “it is finished.”
The second observation that we noticed last time, and that is – that we cannot help but recognize the clear implication of a previous beginning. “IT is finished.” What is finished? Something that was begun before-hand. And as we looked at last time, I'm not going to spend a lot of time and review, but just to remind you of this fact that; that which is been finished on the cross by our Lord and our Savior is that which had been purposed even from before the beginning of time. I remind you, of one of the passages we looked at in second Timothy 1:9 – “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” There's a clear implication here of a previous beginning. It was beginning that occurred even before the foundations of the earth.
A Third observation that we made regarding the Lord statement, and that is – that we notice in the Lord's words, the divine expectation of accomplishment. as we said before, as Jesus utters these words, He does not do so in the context of surprise, or of relief – that He really wasn't sure that He would be able to get it done, that it would actually be accomplished. He's making a statement of this fact that that which is accomplished was purposed from long-ago, ages past, eternity past and the implication here is that God fully expected this to be accomplished. There's no element of surprise here, there's no, there's no sort of sitting on the edge of your seat. God is not anxiously awaiting to see if this is going to work out. It's an amazing thing when you think about the certainty of this. you think of – and we won’t take the time – to think of how many statements are made in the Scriptures before this took place, before these words are finished, before these words are uttered by the Lord. How many statements are made in the past tense, as though this had already occurred? In fact just before, just before the Lord's arrest, you remember those last words in the 16th chapter of John's Gospel, we looked at not all that long ago. He said, He assured them – “in the world you have tribulation, but take courage” – He doesn’t say, I hope to overcome the world. I'm about to overcome the world. He says, “I have overcome the world.” And that's not a unique statement, a unique instance you see this often throughout the Scriptures. This moment was anticipated by God, and it was expected by God. Everything leading up to it had been focused upon this been an accomplished reality. Recall there in Romans chapter 3, where were told about God in His forbearance – “Passing over sins previously committed.” How is it that God is forgiving sins for Old Testament saints? For hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus uttered these words? Because of the certainty of it being accomplished. There's a Divine expectation of accomplishment when Jesus says, “it is finished”. An expectation has been realized, and as we said last time – it’s a definable expectation. It's definitive, it's clear. There's no doubt about what it is that Jesus has finished here. He's finished all that has been written about Him in the prophets. He has finished the work that the Father has given Him to do in atoning for our sins, He is about to finish it in that last breath, as He gives up His life to death.
We talked just a little bit about the implications of this last time, implications are indeed profound, are they not? the Lord utters this statement in anticipation of this fact that our sins are covered. Our sins are fully atoned for. This has all kinds of implications for us. We looked at some of them last time. This fact that we are no longer under sins power, we’re no longer enslaved. “Even so, we can consider ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” I’m reminded of the passage there first Peter chapter 2 verse 24. Speaking of him – “bearing our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” The anticipation of what the Lord would accomplish has enormous implications and as we said last time even far beyond what you and I can contemplate in the here and the now. Just those three, first three observations by way of a brief review. I want to conclude with several other observations this morning. If we could.
There's a fourth observation I would like to consider together this morning, and that is - that we can contemplate in the Lord's words here, a transcendent finality in this declaration. A transcendent finality. I think all of us would acknowledge these are not unique words. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, how many times has that statement or statements similar to it been uttered, in this world by each of us? Who knows how many times. Little projects we’ve started or some major thing that we've gone through and we say, finally, I'm done. It's over, it's finished. The words themselves are not special. Not in and of themselves. We declare something to be finished quite frequently, and many times when we do so, it’s really only finished for a short period of time and may times it’s something we have to do again. Or even in the case of the most important and significant things in our lives that we come to that place of accomplishment, where we can say, that's done, that part of my life is over, it’s finished, it’s completed – it doesn't reach beyond this life. It only has temporal implications. Our influence, even the influence of the most influential people in this world is limited to the temporal sphere of existence.
Think about all the important people that you can study throughout history, people who have been great philosophers, people who have wielded all kinds of influence on the world politically, intellectually, scientifically, think of all the people whose names are so well-known, who’ve made some remarkable discoveries. But all of that, all of it combined has no shelf-life whatsoever in eternity. When these words are uttered by our Savior, it's very different than when I say I finished something. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, at the close of His suffering as He bows His head in death, these words possess an utterly unique implication and power. Very different, when Jesus utters these words in this context. Obviously to mankind as a whole, these three words are of no significance whatsoever. What does the world care about what Jesus of Nazareth said on the cross as He was dying? It’s of no consequence to them. They treat it as though it means nothing.
I was reminded, I thought about it as I was thinking of this – you recall before Paul's defense before Festus and Agrippa, and Festus is describing to Agrippa – you know, this man's situation is interesting, you might want to hear it. He says in Acts 25 verse 18 – “And when the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not as such crimes as I was expecting, but that they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.” That's pretty much it. That's how the world views Jesus - A certain dead man. Some people assert to be alive. You can read in those words his disdain for Christ. Who is Jesus? What does it matter? I thought it would be some big deal they were bringing to me. To the world, these words mean nothing, they’re meaningless. But to those who have tasted the kindness of the Lord, to those of us who come to Christ to as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, to those who put their trust in Christ and Him alone for deliverance from their sin – these words are more precious than anything and everything this world has to offer us. Our Savior, bearing our sins. There He is, bearing my sin on that cross and as He bows His head in death, He says, “it is finished!” What could be more significant to you and I?
When Jesus came to this moment of completion, He made a declaration of transcendent finality. When Jesus said, “it is finished”, what He was talking about, is it’s finished, not only for the here and the now. This has enormous implications spreading throughout all of eternity past, present and future. It’s a very significant point, this matter that we are looking at right now. It stands in stark contrast to the temporal context in which these same words are so often spoken by mere mortals. This is a point that is emphasized repeatedly and emphatically in the New Testament. I just want to remind you of several passages because I do think this is important. In fact, it ought to be one of the most precious of truths to you and I. Paul says in Romans chapter 6 verse 10, by inspiration of the Spirit of God. He says, “For the death that He died, He died to sin” – and the next few words are so important – “once for all.” This isn’t always emphasized in every passage in respect to the atoning work of Christ, but it is, many, many times. “Once for all.”
I remind you of the passage there in first Peter chapter 3, first Peter chapter 3 verse 18 – “For Christ also died for sins, once for all.” And then, if you would want to turn with me to Hebrews. There are a number of verses that I want to just remind you of in the book of Hebrews, in this respect. Hebrews, chapter seven, verse 27 – “Who does not need daily,” – speaking of Christ here – “like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did, once for all when He offered up Himself.” And then if you turn over to Hebrews, chapter 9. Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 12 – “And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place” – here we see this phrase again – “once for all.” The 26th verse of the same ninth chapter – “Otherwise He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” “Once” – notice this – “at the consummation of the ages.” To me, this is the really the apex of this truth, this 26th verse of Hebrews chapter 9. “The consummation of the ages”, you talk about a finality that transcends this life, here it is. Something happened one time at the consummation of the ages, and it has eternal significance.
Go down two verses, verse 28 – “so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many.” Going on to chapter 10, verse 10. “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.” Verse 12 – “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” Verse 14 – “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Are these not tremendous statements? Statements of a reality that transcends this life. It isn't limited by death, It isn’t limited by the confines of a dying world. There is a transcendent certainty in these words, and it provides a bedrock foundation upon which we can fully rely. It doesn’t matter how rough things get in this world, doesn't matter how difficult things may get, doesn't matter how much we may doubt. We may worry, we may fret about it, we may question it, we may not be able to understand it. But here's the truth, here's a statement of fact by the Son of God, as He gave up His life on our behalf – “It is finished.”
Many may scoff at this reality, many, many, especially amongst the religionists of the world, attempt to directly deny the Lord statement here – you ever thought about this? What about those who seek to add one or another kind of good works, ritual, whatever it may be, so that they might make themselves right before God. Wait a minute, you can't have it both ways. There's either one sacrifice for sins, for all time or there's not. Or there's one sacrifice and the need for a little bit more. This to me, is a wonderful truth. The statement of something so profound, a transcendent certainty. I love the concept of a transcendent certainty. Don't you? Don’t you get tired of the things that are always changing in this world? Just about the time you find something you feel like you can really kinda set your foot on and count on, it’s gone. It's changed, somethings happened. That store’s out of business, that person’s phone numbers gone, whatever it may be – not so with the Lord.
A fifth observation would like to make this morning and that is – that there are worldwide implications to the statement. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, it's not simply a reality that applies to one segment of the planet. Now, it seems to me, that this is an area where we are exceedingly arrogant. There's a tendency for us to have very little appreciation for the preciousness of this truth. We tend to assume that for God to be fair, it is understood that He would have to offer salvation to all of the nations and not just Israel. I think if many, if not most of us were honest before the Lord, we have to acknowledge that's the way we think. So, the fact that this salvation has been provided, that it’s not just finished for the Jews, but for us as Gentiles as well - it's not really that big a deal to many of us, if not most of us it seems to me. We just expect it. Surely God couldn’t be fair if He didn't offer it to us as well. This is simply wrong. It's pure arrogance on our part to impose our tainted sense of fairness upon an eternal God, who alone is righteous and just in all that He does. God did not see fit to make known the gospel in general, up to the point of Christ to anyone but Israel. There were instances where He made the gospel known to Gentiles, but they were very isolated and very few. We could also just turn this upside down, if you will, and say, Israel showed the same kind of arrogance, did they not? In their minds, they couldn't imagine a God who is righteous and just, who would offer this to anybody but them. When Jesus is teaching there, in Luke chapter 4, and He's teaching, and people, we’re told, are literally just dangling on His words, amazed at what He says. But when He brings up this fact that a Gentile leper was healed by Elijah. What happens? It says the crowd goes into a rage and they try to kill Him on the spot. You and I need to be very careful that we would not be arrogant and that we would not just assume that God would have to offer salvation to us to be fair, but He has offered to us because He's merciful, and Oh, so very merciful!
I remind you, even in our study of John's Gospel, how often we see this truth demonstrated, brought to our attention. What does the Baptist say when he sees Jesus coming to him in verse 29, of chapter 1? “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” If you're a Jew, listening to this statement you're not happy with it at this point in time. This is not something that you rejoice in at all. In fact, it’s very possible it makes you angry, and yet you see the Lord emphasizing this time and again. In His discourse with Nicodemus, that verse that has meant so much to millions of God's people – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Or remember the passage in the 10th chapter of John's Gospel. When Jesus puts a tremendous emphasis on this fact, in this matter of Him being the Good Shepherd, laying down His life for the sheep. And this matter of this fact that He has other sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold, I must bring them also and they shall hear My voice, and they shall become one flock with one Shepherd.”
The Lord is pointing this out, and it's an absolute wonder. It should be a wonder. John chapter 12, verse 32 – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself”, not just Jews. There are implications, worldwide implications to the Lord’s statement here that it is finished. It's not just finished for one group of people. You recall the passage there in Romans chapter 11, where Paul is emphasizing this whole matter of the Jew’s unbelief results in the Gentiles having salvation proclaimed to them. The gospel is brought to them, and here you have the illustration of a wild olive branch being grafted in to the natural olive tree. And the warning there for Gentiles is – don’t be conceded, but fear. I’m going to skip down to verse 32 in the 11th chapter – “For God has shut up all in disobedience, that He might show mercy to all” I just ask you this morning to consider the mercy of the statement that the Lord makes on the cross. Mercy to so many.
A six observation that I would like to bring to your attention this morning. There's much more we could say on any of these points, but I'd like to bring it to close this morning. The sixth observation that I want to make this morning, and that is – that there is divine satisfaction cross. “It is finished.” God is satisfied. The Father is well pleased with the Son, who willingly laid down His life that God might pour out the fullness of His wrath for our sin until His justice was satisfied, in full. And when Jesus says, “it is finished”, God is satisfied. He's not almost satisfied, He’s not almost all the way satisfied, He’s satisfied. its finished. It's over, it's completed. These words remind us of other statements, it seems to me, as you think back on the Lord's ministry and those times when there's a voice from heaven itself, as God's says, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased.” I think of the Lord's declaration earlier on in John's Gospel, you recall, there in the eighth chapter. When Jesus makes this statement – “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” You see a continual perfection in Christ as He’s pleasing. He's doing things, always doing, everything He does is pleasing to the Father. But most importantly, is this final act. This work of redemption. You recall in John's Gospel, the 12 chapter, and we’re told that Jesus says, He acknowledges in verse 27 – “Now, My soul has become troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” Look at the perfection of the Son in these statements. As bad as this was going to be for Him. It doesn't matter. This is the purpose for which He came, and He recognizes the importance of the Father being glorified in it. And what does the Father respond? A voice out of heaven – “I have both glorified it” – past tense – “and will glorify it again.”
I remind you of the passage in the upper room discourse, in chapter 13. I don't know if you remember when we were going through this passage and the 31st and 32nd verses, when Judas has gone out to betray the Lord. He says in verse 31 – “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him immediately.” Remember the beginning of the Lord's prayer to the father, chapter 17, verse one – “These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up His eyes to heaven.” This is the moment it's, it's here. What is Jesus anticipating? Agony, yes, but even more important, glory. He said – “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee.” There’s divine satisfaction in the cross. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, it’s finished. God is satisfied, and God is glorified. Not just satisfied, He's glorified. Remember we talked about this fact when we were talking about that first verse and in John 17. This is the glory of God. This is the moment in time on the cross when we see more extensively than anywhere else – the character and the nature of Almighty God, and it’s displayed in graphic detail. Can't be denied. And in the respect to the Lord's faithfulness in accomplishing this, you see these phrases. For example, in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 10 – “For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and through Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the Author of their salvation through His sufferings.” Christ is perfected, the Son of God is perfected, God is glorified. Hebrews chapter 5, verse nine – “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” What's the verse before it say? – “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered, having been made perfect.” Chapter 7, verse 28 – “For the law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law appoints a Son made perfect forever.” What a marvelous thing, “It is finished.” There is divine satisfaction in the cross. The Father is glorified, the Son is glorified, the Son is made perfect as our great High Priest, God is pleased, God is honored. God is glorified to an extent that we’lll have to wait till we get to eternity to see, just how greatly God is glorified. There’s no wonders, there's no question in my mind as to why the picture that we see of Christ and His revelation to John, to the beloved disciple John, is a picture of a Lamb almost exclusively. The Lamb of God. What glory, what divine satisfaction in the cross.
One final, brief observation concerning these words. And that is - these words assure us of an ultimate victory. It is finished. There may be questions in our minds, many times as we go through this life as to whether or not we're going to experience finally, any fullness of triumph. This life beats us down, many times. We fail, we get discouraged, sometimes we doubt, we question, is this really going to end up the way I'm hoping? And the answer is – “it is finished.” You can count on it. It’s a certainty, absolute certainty. I remind you of the passage in Romans chapter 8, a passage we've looked at many times and we ought to look at many times. Verse 31 – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Skipping down to verse 37, In that same chapter – “But in all these things” – and these things can be any level of persecution you want to plug-in – “in all these things we overwhelmingly conqueror through Him who loved us.” Its finished, it’s a certainty.
First Corinthians chapter 15, a favorite passage of God's children. Verse 54 – “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory”. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory” – how? – “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The whole thrust of this chapter is His victory over death. You and I are going to be partakers, we already are partakers of His victory because is not waiting to be finished. It is finished. Let’s bow together in prayer as we close this morning.
I remind you this morning that the most significant aspect of God's Christ coming into this world is the reason for which He came. That's what counts. That's what really matters, isn’t it? So much of the world looks at this scene of the Lord Jesus – they see the baby in a manger and that becomes their only focus. Their focus sort of ends after that, it doesn't go any deeper than that. And we recognize that Jesus didn't come to warm our hearts, as there's this picture portrayed for us of His being born in very humble circumstances. As you recall, the angel made it clear when he revealed to Joseph the fact that Mary, his betrothed wife was going to have a son made it clear why, why the son of God was coming into the world, that He might save His people from their sins. This is the reason.
The culmination of this overriding purpose is confirmed in our Lord's final words on the cross. “It is finished.” That's why Jesus came. I remind you of these verses that we began to look at last time. Verse 28 of John 19 – “After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, 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. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine He said, “it is finished” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
We continue to contemplate these words this morning together. “It is finished.” Jesus says, truer words have never been spoken. More profound truth really cannot be contemplated, then the truth contained in these three simple words, the implications of these words are staggering. Childlike faith finds fullness of joy, blessed comfort and an abounding hope in the Lord's statement, as He submitted His spirit to death. We took some time, last time, couple of weeks ago, as we were contemplating this passage to try to make; we began to make some observations regarding this statement, the Lord makes because it seems to me that this is one of those statements – it’s simple, it's concise, and yet there is more there than at first might meet the eye. We have a tendency to sort of pass over these things fairly quickly. Assuming that we know all there is to know about what is being said. There were several observations I want to remind you of just by way of review this morning.
The first observation we made is – that we noticed there is a deliberate resolve that is evidenced in the Lord statement here – “it is finished” Jesus says. Everything the Lord did, everything that He said was appropriate for the moment and perfectly so. Jesus had demonstrated – you think of so many times – His concern for the temporal needs of those around Him. So many times, He often reached out and dealt with those needs in miraculous ways. With great compassion. But in spite of all the opposition in spite of all the opportunities that the Lord had to serve those who were in need – this was the thing that was on His mind. That's why, eventually, it came to that point where He was teaching His disciples, and reminding them, and instructing them, telling them this is where I'm heading. This is what's going to happen. This is the ultimate goal and then He sets His face resolutely to go to Jerusalem, so that when Jesus comes to the end of His suffering and the time for Him to yield up His spirit, He can say these words – “it is finished.”
The second observation that we noticed last time, and that is – that we cannot help but recognize the clear implication of a previous beginning. “IT is finished.” What is finished? Something that was begun before-hand. And as we looked at last time, I'm not going to spend a lot of time and review, but just to remind you of this fact that; that which is been finished on the cross by our Lord and our Savior is that which had been purposed even from before the beginning of time. I remind you, of one of the passages we looked at in second Timothy 1:9 – “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” There's a clear implication here of a previous beginning. It was beginning that occurred even before the foundations of the earth.
A Third observation that we made regarding the Lord statement, and that is – that we notice in the Lord's words, the divine expectation of accomplishment. as we said before, as Jesus utters these words, He does not do so in the context of surprise, or of relief – that He really wasn't sure that He would be able to get it done, that it would actually be accomplished. He's making a statement of this fact that that which is accomplished was purposed from long-ago, ages past, eternity past and the implication here is that God fully expected this to be accomplished. There's no element of surprise here, there's no, there's no sort of sitting on the edge of your seat. God is not anxiously awaiting to see if this is going to work out. It's an amazing thing when you think about the certainty of this. you think of – and we won’t take the time – to think of how many statements are made in the Scriptures before this took place, before these words are finished, before these words are uttered by the Lord. How many statements are made in the past tense, as though this had already occurred? In fact just before, just before the Lord's arrest, you remember those last words in the 16th chapter of John's Gospel, we looked at not all that long ago. He said, He assured them – “in the world you have tribulation, but take courage” – He doesn’t say, I hope to overcome the world. I'm about to overcome the world. He says, “I have overcome the world.” And that's not a unique statement, a unique instance you see this often throughout the Scriptures. This moment was anticipated by God, and it was expected by God. Everything leading up to it had been focused upon this been an accomplished reality. Recall there in Romans chapter 3, where were told about God in His forbearance – “Passing over sins previously committed.” How is it that God is forgiving sins for Old Testament saints? For hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus uttered these words? Because of the certainty of it being accomplished. There's a Divine expectation of accomplishment when Jesus says, “it is finished”. An expectation has been realized, and as we said last time – it’s a definable expectation. It's definitive, it's clear. There's no doubt about what it is that Jesus has finished here. He's finished all that has been written about Him in the prophets. He has finished the work that the Father has given Him to do in atoning for our sins, He is about to finish it in that last breath, as He gives up His life to death.
We talked just a little bit about the implications of this last time, implications are indeed profound, are they not? the Lord utters this statement in anticipation of this fact that our sins are covered. Our sins are fully atoned for. This has all kinds of implications for us. We looked at some of them last time. This fact that we are no longer under sins power, we’re no longer enslaved. “Even so, we can consider ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” I’m reminded of the passage there first Peter chapter 2 verse 24. Speaking of him – “bearing our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” The anticipation of what the Lord would accomplish has enormous implications and as we said last time even far beyond what you and I can contemplate in the here and the now. Just those three, first three observations by way of a brief review. I want to conclude with several other observations this morning. If we could.
There's a fourth observation I would like to consider together this morning, and that is - that we can contemplate in the Lord's words here, a transcendent finality in this declaration. A transcendent finality. I think all of us would acknowledge these are not unique words. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, how many times has that statement or statements similar to it been uttered, in this world by each of us? Who knows how many times. Little projects we’ve started or some major thing that we've gone through and we say, finally, I'm done. It's over, it's finished. The words themselves are not special. Not in and of themselves. We declare something to be finished quite frequently, and many times when we do so, it’s really only finished for a short period of time and may times it’s something we have to do again. Or even in the case of the most important and significant things in our lives that we come to that place of accomplishment, where we can say, that's done, that part of my life is over, it’s finished, it’s completed – it doesn't reach beyond this life. It only has temporal implications. Our influence, even the influence of the most influential people in this world is limited to the temporal sphere of existence.
Think about all the important people that you can study throughout history, people who have been great philosophers, people who have wielded all kinds of influence on the world politically, intellectually, scientifically, think of all the people whose names are so well-known, who’ve made some remarkable discoveries. But all of that, all of it combined has no shelf-life whatsoever in eternity. When these words are uttered by our Savior, it's very different than when I say I finished something. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, at the close of His suffering as He bows His head in death, these words possess an utterly unique implication and power. Very different, when Jesus utters these words in this context. Obviously to mankind as a whole, these three words are of no significance whatsoever. What does the world care about what Jesus of Nazareth said on the cross as He was dying? It’s of no consequence to them. They treat it as though it means nothing.
I was reminded, I thought about it as I was thinking of this – you recall before Paul's defense before Festus and Agrippa, and Festus is describing to Agrippa – you know, this man's situation is interesting, you might want to hear it. He says in Acts 25 verse 18 – “And when the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not as such crimes as I was expecting, but that they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.” That's pretty much it. That's how the world views Jesus - A certain dead man. Some people assert to be alive. You can read in those words his disdain for Christ. Who is Jesus? What does it matter? I thought it would be some big deal they were bringing to me. To the world, these words mean nothing, they’re meaningless. But to those who have tasted the kindness of the Lord, to those of us who come to Christ to as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, to those who put their trust in Christ and Him alone for deliverance from their sin – these words are more precious than anything and everything this world has to offer us. Our Savior, bearing our sins. There He is, bearing my sin on that cross and as He bows His head in death, He says, “it is finished!” What could be more significant to you and I?
When Jesus came to this moment of completion, He made a declaration of transcendent finality. When Jesus said, “it is finished”, what He was talking about, is it’s finished, not only for the here and the now. This has enormous implications spreading throughout all of eternity past, present and future. It’s a very significant point, this matter that we are looking at right now. It stands in stark contrast to the temporal context in which these same words are so often spoken by mere mortals. This is a point that is emphasized repeatedly and emphatically in the New Testament. I just want to remind you of several passages because I do think this is important. In fact, it ought to be one of the most precious of truths to you and I. Paul says in Romans chapter 6 verse 10, by inspiration of the Spirit of God. He says, “For the death that He died, He died to sin” – and the next few words are so important – “once for all.” This isn’t always emphasized in every passage in respect to the atoning work of Christ, but it is, many, many times. “Once for all.”
I remind you of the passage there in first Peter chapter 3, first Peter chapter 3 verse 18 – “For Christ also died for sins, once for all.” And then, if you would want to turn with me to Hebrews. There are a number of verses that I want to just remind you of in the book of Hebrews, in this respect. Hebrews, chapter seven, verse 27 – “Who does not need daily,” – speaking of Christ here – “like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did, once for all when He offered up Himself.” And then if you turn over to Hebrews, chapter 9. Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 12 – “And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place” – here we see this phrase again – “once for all.” The 26th verse of the same ninth chapter – “Otherwise He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” “Once” – notice this – “at the consummation of the ages.” To me, this is the really the apex of this truth, this 26th verse of Hebrews chapter 9. “The consummation of the ages”, you talk about a finality that transcends this life, here it is. Something happened one time at the consummation of the ages, and it has eternal significance.
Go down two verses, verse 28 – “so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many.” Going on to chapter 10, verse 10. “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.” Verse 12 – “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” Verse 14 – “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Are these not tremendous statements? Statements of a reality that transcends this life. It isn't limited by death, It isn’t limited by the confines of a dying world. There is a transcendent certainty in these words, and it provides a bedrock foundation upon which we can fully rely. It doesn’t matter how rough things get in this world, doesn't matter how difficult things may get, doesn't matter how much we may doubt. We may worry, we may fret about it, we may question it, we may not be able to understand it. But here's the truth, here's a statement of fact by the Son of God, as He gave up His life on our behalf – “It is finished.”
Many may scoff at this reality, many, many, especially amongst the religionists of the world, attempt to directly deny the Lord statement here – you ever thought about this? What about those who seek to add one or another kind of good works, ritual, whatever it may be, so that they might make themselves right before God. Wait a minute, you can't have it both ways. There's either one sacrifice for sins, for all time or there's not. Or there's one sacrifice and the need for a little bit more. This to me, is a wonderful truth. The statement of something so profound, a transcendent certainty. I love the concept of a transcendent certainty. Don't you? Don’t you get tired of the things that are always changing in this world? Just about the time you find something you feel like you can really kinda set your foot on and count on, it’s gone. It's changed, somethings happened. That store’s out of business, that person’s phone numbers gone, whatever it may be – not so with the Lord.
A fifth observation would like to make this morning and that is – that there are worldwide implications to the statement. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, it's not simply a reality that applies to one segment of the planet. Now, it seems to me, that this is an area where we are exceedingly arrogant. There's a tendency for us to have very little appreciation for the preciousness of this truth. We tend to assume that for God to be fair, it is understood that He would have to offer salvation to all of the nations and not just Israel. I think if many, if not most of us were honest before the Lord, we have to acknowledge that's the way we think. So, the fact that this salvation has been provided, that it’s not just finished for the Jews, but for us as Gentiles as well - it's not really that big a deal to many of us, if not most of us it seems to me. We just expect it. Surely God couldn’t be fair if He didn't offer it to us as well. This is simply wrong. It's pure arrogance on our part to impose our tainted sense of fairness upon an eternal God, who alone is righteous and just in all that He does. God did not see fit to make known the gospel in general, up to the point of Christ to anyone but Israel. There were instances where He made the gospel known to Gentiles, but they were very isolated and very few. We could also just turn this upside down, if you will, and say, Israel showed the same kind of arrogance, did they not? In their minds, they couldn't imagine a God who is righteous and just, who would offer this to anybody but them. When Jesus is teaching there, in Luke chapter 4, and He's teaching, and people, we’re told, are literally just dangling on His words, amazed at what He says. But when He brings up this fact that a Gentile leper was healed by Elijah. What happens? It says the crowd goes into a rage and they try to kill Him on the spot. You and I need to be very careful that we would not be arrogant and that we would not just assume that God would have to offer salvation to us to be fair, but He has offered to us because He's merciful, and Oh, so very merciful!
I remind you, even in our study of John's Gospel, how often we see this truth demonstrated, brought to our attention. What does the Baptist say when he sees Jesus coming to him in verse 29, of chapter 1? “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” If you're a Jew, listening to this statement you're not happy with it at this point in time. This is not something that you rejoice in at all. In fact, it’s very possible it makes you angry, and yet you see the Lord emphasizing this time and again. In His discourse with Nicodemus, that verse that has meant so much to millions of God's people – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Or remember the passage in the 10th chapter of John's Gospel. When Jesus puts a tremendous emphasis on this fact, in this matter of Him being the Good Shepherd, laying down His life for the sheep. And this matter of this fact that He has other sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold, I must bring them also and they shall hear My voice, and they shall become one flock with one Shepherd.”
The Lord is pointing this out, and it's an absolute wonder. It should be a wonder. John chapter 12, verse 32 – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself”, not just Jews. There are implications, worldwide implications to the Lord’s statement here that it is finished. It's not just finished for one group of people. You recall the passage there in Romans chapter 11, where Paul is emphasizing this whole matter of the Jew’s unbelief results in the Gentiles having salvation proclaimed to them. The gospel is brought to them, and here you have the illustration of a wild olive branch being grafted in to the natural olive tree. And the warning there for Gentiles is – don’t be conceded, but fear. I’m going to skip down to verse 32 in the 11th chapter – “For God has shut up all in disobedience, that He might show mercy to all” I just ask you this morning to consider the mercy of the statement that the Lord makes on the cross. Mercy to so many.
A six observation that I would like to bring to your attention this morning. There's much more we could say on any of these points, but I'd like to bring it to close this morning. The sixth observation that I want to make this morning, and that is – that there is divine satisfaction cross. “It is finished.” God is satisfied. The Father is well pleased with the Son, who willingly laid down His life that God might pour out the fullness of His wrath for our sin until His justice was satisfied, in full. And when Jesus says, “it is finished”, God is satisfied. He's not almost satisfied, He’s not almost all the way satisfied, He’s satisfied. its finished. It's over, it's completed. These words remind us of other statements, it seems to me, as you think back on the Lord's ministry and those times when there's a voice from heaven itself, as God's says, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased.” I think of the Lord's declaration earlier on in John's Gospel, you recall, there in the eighth chapter. When Jesus makes this statement – “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” You see a continual perfection in Christ as He’s pleasing. He's doing things, always doing, everything He does is pleasing to the Father. But most importantly, is this final act. This work of redemption. You recall in John's Gospel, the 12 chapter, and we’re told that Jesus says, He acknowledges in verse 27 – “Now, My soul has become troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” Look at the perfection of the Son in these statements. As bad as this was going to be for Him. It doesn't matter. This is the purpose for which He came, and He recognizes the importance of the Father being glorified in it. And what does the Father respond? A voice out of heaven – “I have both glorified it” – past tense – “and will glorify it again.”
I remind you of the passage in the upper room discourse, in chapter 13. I don't know if you remember when we were going through this passage and the 31st and 32nd verses, when Judas has gone out to betray the Lord. He says in verse 31 – “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him immediately.” Remember the beginning of the Lord's prayer to the father, chapter 17, verse one – “These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up His eyes to heaven.” This is the moment it's, it's here. What is Jesus anticipating? Agony, yes, but even more important, glory. He said – “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee.” There’s divine satisfaction in the cross. When Jesus says, “it is finished”, it’s finished. God is satisfied, and God is glorified. Not just satisfied, He's glorified. Remember we talked about this fact when we were talking about that first verse and in John 17. This is the glory of God. This is the moment in time on the cross when we see more extensively than anywhere else – the character and the nature of Almighty God, and it’s displayed in graphic detail. Can't be denied. And in the respect to the Lord's faithfulness in accomplishing this, you see these phrases. For example, in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 10 – “For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and through Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the Author of their salvation through His sufferings.” Christ is perfected, the Son of God is perfected, God is glorified. Hebrews chapter 5, verse nine – “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” What's the verse before it say? – “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered, having been made perfect.” Chapter 7, verse 28 – “For the law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law appoints a Son made perfect forever.” What a marvelous thing, “It is finished.” There is divine satisfaction in the cross. The Father is glorified, the Son is glorified, the Son is made perfect as our great High Priest, God is pleased, God is honored. God is glorified to an extent that we’lll have to wait till we get to eternity to see, just how greatly God is glorified. There’s no wonders, there's no question in my mind as to why the picture that we see of Christ and His revelation to John, to the beloved disciple John, is a picture of a Lamb almost exclusively. The Lamb of God. What glory, what divine satisfaction in the cross.
One final, brief observation concerning these words. And that is - these words assure us of an ultimate victory. It is finished. There may be questions in our minds, many times as we go through this life as to whether or not we're going to experience finally, any fullness of triumph. This life beats us down, many times. We fail, we get discouraged, sometimes we doubt, we question, is this really going to end up the way I'm hoping? And the answer is – “it is finished.” You can count on it. It’s a certainty, absolute certainty. I remind you of the passage in Romans chapter 8, a passage we've looked at many times and we ought to look at many times. Verse 31 – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Skipping down to verse 37, In that same chapter – “But in all these things” – and these things can be any level of persecution you want to plug-in – “in all these things we overwhelmingly conqueror through Him who loved us.” Its finished, it’s a certainty.
First Corinthians chapter 15, a favorite passage of God's children. Verse 54 – “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory”. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory” – how? – “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The whole thrust of this chapter is His victory over death. You and I are going to be partakers, we already are partakers of His victory because is not waiting to be finished. It is finished. Let’s bow together in prayer as we close this morning.
