Trevor
S Ferguson
August
6, 2014
John
19:30 (KJV): When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is
finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
INTRODUCTION
The gospels record seven sayings of Christ from the
cross. These words were spoken despite great suffering and highlight the
selflessness of Christ as He wrought salvation for humanity. The seven sayings are:
(1) Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke
23:34)
(2) Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me
in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
(3) Woman, behold thy son: behold thy mother (John
19:26-27)
(4) My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me, (Matthew
27:46 and Mark 15:34)
(5) I thirst (John 19:28)
(6) It is finished (John 19:30)
(7) Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit (Luke
23:46)
The seven sayings have been variously designated as: (1) The
word of forgiveness; (2) The word of salvation; (3) The word of love; (4) The
word of spiritual suffering; (5) The word of physical suffering; (6) The word
of triumph and (7) The word of committal. Regardless as to how one classifies
these sayings, they show that Jesus in his humanity endured great suffering in
securing salvation for mankind. They also show that even in the midst of his
suffering Jesus was willing to step into His Divinity as He ministered to the
repentant thief on the cross, and that in all this Jesus was cognizant of his
earthly mission which was to secure salvation for man by paying the price for man’s
redemption.
The sixth word from the cross – “It is finished” – signifies the accomplishment of this divine
purpose. Jesus had successfully completed His divinely appointed task and had
now paved the way for man to be reconciled to God. Today I want us to reflect
the meaning of what Jesus had accomplished, as we look at the story of man’s
redemption. How did we get to that point? What exactly did Jesus accomplish?
What does all of that mean for us today?
EXPOSITION
Anyone who has been to Sunday school knows the story of
Adam and Eve, how they sinned after being deceived by the devil and how sin has
been passed on to the entire human race. What is less known, however, is that
even while God was meting out punishment for Adam and Eve, and for the serpent,
He interspersed in it a promise of redemption for mankind.
The promise of redemption is given in Genesis 3:15, which
says: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed
and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This pointed to the future when the seed
of the woman, now revealed to be Jesus Christ, would crush the head of the
serpent, while the serpent would bruise His heel. Victory for the woman’s seed
was guaranteed, but it would come at a price. He must be ‘bruised’. He would
have to suffer physical pain and distress but in doing this He would achieve
victory.
We recall also that the sin of Adam and Eve brought with
it the death penalty – both physical death and spiritual death. Physical death
in that all human beings will die, unless they are alive and translated at the
time of Christ return and spiritual death in that we are separated from fellowship
with God unless we receive salvation and thereby forgiveness of sins. But, in
order to receive forgiveness of sins, blood had to be shed, as illustrated in
God’s slaying of an animal to atone for Adam’s sin and the statement in Hebrews
9:22 which tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission
(of sins).
In the Old Testament, the Jewish people conducted an elaborate
system of sacrifices and offerings in order to obtain forgiveness of sins, but
these sacrifices offered only atonement or covering for sin and had to be
repeated on at least a yearly basis. These animal sacrifices were only a
temporary covering for sin. The animals were merely a substitute, because the
death penalty was really on mankind. We were sentenced to die! In order for
this death penalty to be removed, there needed to be another sacrifice - one
that could pay the price for the sins of all humanity once and for all. No
human being could fit this bill. If any of us were to be put to death then it
would be just payment for our own sins. In order to have a true substitutionary
death there needed to be one that had no sin. In that there was no man that was
sinless, God decided that He would have to pay the price on our behalf, but in
order to do this God had to become a man.
Enter Jesus Christ!
Galatians 4: 4-5 relates the situation quite well – “But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law …” Jesus
came to redeem mankind! He came to pay the price for our sins; He came to give
us the hope of salvation; He came to give us access to God. But in order for
this to be accomplished Jesus had to endure the cross. Isaiah caught the vision
and recorded it in Isaiah 53: 2-5:
“For he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no
form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we
should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
The good news is that Jesus’ death on the cross was the
sacrifice that once and for all paid the full price for man’s salvation and
opened up the way for man to have full fellowship with God. Jesus’ words in
John 19:30 is testament to that accomplishment. The statement translated as “It
is finished” in English comes from a single Greek word ‘TETELASTAI’ which means
“it is accomplished,” “it is fulfilled,” or “it is paid in full.” According to
the Bible Knowledge Commentary
ancient receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning
“paid in full.” This word on Jesus’ lips
was therefore very significant. When He said, “It is finished”, He meant His
redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for humanity and had suffered
the penalty of God’s justice which sin deserved. Jesus’ death was therefore the
final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. With His death, the complex Old Testament
sacrificial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon himself. We can now freely
approach God because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Those who believe
in Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection can have a hope of life eternal and
will escape the death penalty that comes from sin. Let us never forget however
that the price paid for our redemption, involved agony, pain and death. With
Jesus having paid such a great price, it is only appropriate that we accept the
gift He offers to us and trust him for salvation.
CONCLUSION
I will close with two passages from the book of Hebrews
which will serve both as a warning and an instruction.
Hebrews 2:1-3 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them
slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression
and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if
we neglect so great salvation; …”
Hebrews 10:19-23 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he
hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And
having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
Jesus has paid a great price for our salvation. He has
finished His work. The rest is up to us.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord, today is the
best day to do so. Why don’t you put your trust in him? Repent of your sins;
ask for water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ; God will fill you with the
Holy Ghost and you will be on your way to heaven!
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