It is finished

John 19:16b-42

Key verse 30a

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”

Introduction:

This passage shows Jesus’ crucifixion very vividly. The author, John who identified himself as the disciple whom Jesus beloved, was the reliable witness by standing just beneath the cross together with several women. However he could later convince others to put their firm faith and take root in Jesus through the Scriptures. May the Lord help us to examine this passage and come out like him as a powerful testimony sharer and a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

1. Read verses 16b-24. Why was Jesus crucified in the middle of the two others in Golgotha? (Isaiah 53:12) What does the sign (“Jesus of Nazareth” “King of the Jews”) mean? (19-20) Why did chief priests protest? (21) How did the soldiers’ deeds fulfill the scripture? (24; Psalm 22:18)

Read verses 16b-24. 

  So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”  22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”So this is what the soldiers did.

Why was Jesus crucified in the middle of the two others in Golgotha? (Isa 53:12) 

 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors

Golgotha: the place called skull- it is the meaningful area throughout history. 

a) For instance, in Genesis 22 God commanded Abraham to go to the mount of Moriah to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. 

He had to make a three day trip from Beersheba to Moriah (the hill portion of Jerusalem). 

b) According to the original desire and at God’s right time, Solomon built the temple in the same area.

c) Golgotha is slightly located to the north compared to Moriah and temple (according to map)

Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

First, Crucifixion is one of the worst method of executions that human beings had ever made. 

The victim was stripped naked. Iron spikes were driven through the wrists (median nerve) and feet, splitting the bones to cause the most excruciating pain directly on nerves. 

The victim was then raised up from the ground and left to die slowly. Sometimes death would not come for several days. 

The body would be left on the cross to be eaten by vultures. Notably, the author does not say the detail, rather he simply writes, “Here they crucified him...”

Second, Jesus was not alone. Luke calls the two men “criminals” (Lk 23:32); Matthew and Mark call them “robbers” (Mt 27:38, Mk 15:27). 

These nameless men were human beings. They were not innocent. But they probably didn’t think they deserved to die, at least not like this. 

As the soldiers stretched out their arms and picked up the nails, these men might have thought “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” 

They couldn’t believe that this is how their lives would end. Perhaps they prayed, “O

God, stop this from happening. I promise that if you save me now, I’ll be good for the

rest of my life.” 

God didn’t stop it. The nails went in, and the crosses went up. God didn’t save his Son Jesus either. The cross of Jesus went up too, right in the middle between the two criminals.

Third, The words “Jesus in the middle” are quite revealing. These words show that

Jesus died as a criminal. He participated in human suffering. Jesus did not deserve to suffer like a criminal.

Yet Jesus entered into the sinful humanity. Jesus had fellowship with tax collectors, wayward women, and others rejected by society. 

Fourth, Jesus went up on a cross and had “crucifixion fellowship” with two thieves.

One of the two thieves mocked Jesus. But the other was convinced that Jesus was innocent. He understood that Jesus was not a man. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:42-43). 

Fifth, “Jesus in the middle” shows us that, no matter why we are suffering, the holy Son

of God completely stays with us and understands our suffering. 

What does the sign (“Jesus of Nazareth” “King of the Jews”) mean? (19-20) 

“Jesus of Nazareth”

Mattew 2:19-23.

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 

23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through he prophets: “He twill be called a Nazarene.” (HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Psalm%2022.6"PsalmHYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Psalm%2022.6" 22:6, HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Psalm%2022.13"13; HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Psalm%2069.10"69:10; HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2049.7"IsaiahHYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2049.7" 49:7;HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2053.3"53:3; HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Micah%205.1"MicahHYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Micah%205.1" 5:1). 

Nazareth held the Roman garrison for the northern areas of Galilee. Therefore, the Jews would have little to do with this place and largely despised it. 

In HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%201.46"JohnHYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/John%201.46" 1:46, "And Nathanael said to him, 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'" to overcome his prejudice. 

In HYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2011.1"IsaiahHYPERLINK "http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2011.1" 11:1 it says, "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." 

In Hebrew, the word for "branch" is netzer, "NZR" which letters are included in NaZaReth. 

 “King of the Jews” 

First, Jesus was a good shepherd for God’s people. Jesus healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind. He preached the good news of the kingdom of God. He became the Father of orphan-like people. 

Second, “The King of the Jews” is also the title of the promised Messiah. The Jews were eagerly looking forward to the coming of this king. But when he came, they rejected him. 

In their sin and spiritual blindness, they crucified him. Now this king was on the cross, shedding his blood for the sins of the world. But he was still their King.

Third, John the apostle received a vision from God about what was actually going on in heaven. 

Revelation chapter 5:6, 11-13 read;

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne,

encircled by the four living creatures and the elders“ “Then I looked and heard

the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand

times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and

wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every

creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in

them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and

glory and power, for ever and ever!’ Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the

elders fell down and worshiped” 

Why did chief priests protest? (21) 

They had hard time in accepting Jesus as the King of the Jews or the Messiah.

How did the soldiers’ deeds fulfill the scripture? (24; Ps 22:18)

Ps 22:18 They divide my garments among them 

   and cast lots for my clothing.

2. Read verses 25-30. Who stood near the cross? (25) How did Jesus take care of his mother? (26,27, Lk 2:35) What does Jesus’ cry, “I am thirsty,” reveal about him? (28) What does Jesus mean “It is finished”?

 

Read verses 25-30. 

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 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.

Who stood near the cross? (25) 

his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby,

How did Jesus take care of his mother? (26,27, Lk 2:35) 

Luke2:35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Jesus was mindful of his mother who was suffering from the extreme pain.

What does Jesus’ cry, “I am thirsty” reveal about him? (28) 

So far he was silent like a lamb being slaughtered. 

He opens his mouth and says, “I am thirsty.” No doubt, he had been thirsty for hours. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth (Ps 22:15). His words shows Jesus’ humanity. His suffering was real.

It was due probably to his dehydration and distressed physical condition. 

What does Jesus mean “It is finished”?

It is not easy to finish our race by accomplishing what we have to do in our lives. But there is one person who truly finished the race. He is Jesus.

Jesus ended his life with a loud cry, “It is finished.” It was his shout of victory. Jesus declared to the whole world that his earthly mission was accomplished. 

He declared that all the sins of the world were completely paid in full.

It is finished! It is passive sentence. Jesus interpreted what he had done from God’s point of view or from the scriptural point of view.

This final remark of our Lord Jesus is well fit in this passage in light of fulfilling all the Scripture regarding completion of God’s salvation work. 

Although he had to go through excruciating pain and suffering like cardiac rupture, still at the last moment, he cried out with the last blow of his strength to reveal the completion of God’s salvation work. 

May the Lord help us to follow his good example in saying the same at the last moment of our lives rather than uttering a unbelieving word or a mere word of unfulfilled dream. 

3. Read verses 31-37. Why didn’t the soldiers break the legs of Jesus despite the request of the Jews? (31-33) What did the sudden flow of blood and water mean? (34) Why was the writer’s testimony true? (35) How do these things fulfill the scripture? (36, 37)

Read verses 31-37. 

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

Why didn’t the soldiers break the legs of Jesus despite the request of the Jews? (31-33)

Jesus died earlier than usual due to his extreme suffering at the trials.

How was the sudden flow of blood and water mean? (34)

I think that it is the most shocking scene to the author and it turned him into a powerful witness of Jesus’ physical death. 

When the author wrote this book around AD 85, already almost half a century passed by after Jesus’ death. But like those who had gone through a Iraq war can never forget the horrible scene and have hard time to overcome post traumatic syndrome Jesus never forgot the scene. 

No sooner had he seen the sudden flow of blood and water from Jesus’ body, he was shocked and never forgot it in his life time. 

When the author wrote this book, he was being urged to protect the faith of believers who were losing their faith. 

Gnostic view was gaining popularity and they claimed that Jesus did not have physical body at the time of crucifixion. But John had to witness and convince others to maintain their faith, revealing that Jesus died in his body which was shown through sudden flow of blood and water.

In brief, the evaluation from modern day Medicine may support Jesus’ physical death:

  

The gospel of John describes the piercing of Jesus' side and emphasizes the sudden flow of blood and water. 

Some authors have interpreted the flow of water to be ascites from an stomach. 

However, the Greek word plvra, or pleura used by John clearly denoted the ribs. 

 Although the side of the wound was not designated by John, it traditionally has been depicted on the right side. 

Most likely a large flow of blood would be more likely with a perforation of the distended and thin-walled right atrium or ventricle or great vessels.

 Therefore, the water probably represented serous pleural and pericardial fluid, and would have preceded the flow of blood and been smaller in volume than the blood. 

Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed.

The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggests the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. 

One popular explanation has been that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. 

It’s associated with hypovolemia and hyperemia.

These then could have dislodged and embolized into the coronary circulation and thereby produced an acute transmural myocardial infarction. 

Rupture of the left Ventricular free wall may occur.

The actual cause of Jesus' death may have been multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemie shock, exhaustion asphyxia, and perhaps acute heart failure.

However, the important feature may be not how he died but rather whether he died. 

Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted.

The spear pierced between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium as well as heart and thereby ensured his death. 

Why was the writer’s testimony true? (35) 

It was true indeed because he was the person who have seen it and confirmed with his naked eyes!

How do these things fulfill the scripture? (36, 37)

Verse 36-

 Numbers 9:12

 Exodus 12:46 

 Psalm 34:20

Verse 37-Zechariah 12:10

4. Read verses 38-42. Who buried Jesus? (38,39) How were Joseph and Nicodemus changed by Jesus’ death? (38,39) Find how many times the scripture has been fulfilled throughout this passage.

Read verses 38-42. 

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Who buried Jesus? (38,39)

Joseph and Nicodemus

How were Joseph and Nicodemus changed by Jesus’ death? (38,39) 

They changed drastically in this passage.

Joseph became bold and overcame his shyness and fear. Nicodemus also came out to day light to confess his faith by his actions!

Find how many times the scripture has been fulfilled throughout this passage.

This passage is based on factual description by the author called John. So in terms of fulfilling the scripture, almost each and every verse was the fulfillment of the book. 

In conclusion,

Jesus died on the cross according to the scripture and obeyed to His Father to the end. 

John became a witness about all these. He carefully and vividly described what had happened according to the scripture. Jesus’ death was not ended up in misery, but in great victory in fulfilling God’s promise that had been planned from Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 12:1-3. May the Lord help each of us to have absolute faith and vision in our God of living. Amen. 

One word: It is finished!