Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 23:32-49; John 19:28-30 "THE SIXTH WORD: "IT IS FINISHED" John 19:30"
Day 328 – Luke 23
Text: Luke 23:32-49; John 19:28-30
THE SIXTH WORD: “IT IS FINISHED” John 19:30
In John’s Gospel, the author wrote about how Jesus was conscious of all the things that took place during the last six hours of His life. He wrote,
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things
were now accomplished, that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled…
He said, “It is Finished!”
John 19:28, 30
This passage is truly intriguing, in more ways than one! Three thoughts must be given deeper consideration:-
1. “All things were now accomplished…” John 19:28
What does this phrase really mean? Let us consider the following ideas:-
a) God required Someone to be able to endure “the suffering of death”. There must be Someone who was able to “taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus had accomplished that.
b) God required Someone to face Satan and fight him as Man, and to emerge victorious. The devil had for a long time controlled many “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15). Jesus had to battle him and win this conflict. The only way was to face death totally unafraid. Jesus partook of flesh and blood that “through death, He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
We have noted only two out of “all things” that had been accomplished by Jesus! The list of things Jesus had accomplished would require us to study all the things that were recorded as His works (Cf. John 5, where Jesus appealed to His works as the things that bore witness concerning His Divine Messianic Identity).
2. “That the Scripture might be fulfilled…” John 19:28
Throughout the life of Jesus, there was exquisite consciousness of fulfilling all the demands of the Scriptures! On one occasion, Jesus said,
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law
or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy
but to fulfil.”
Matthew 5:17
In order to bring redemption for mankind, Jesus had to fulfil all that the Law and the Prophets had prophesied! That was no small feat! Every aspect of His life must fulfil the strict requirements of the Law and the Prophets, or He would not be able to function as our Redeemer.
From the birth of Jesus, to the very last hour of His life, Jesus must not break any of the laws of God! Jesus had reviewed His life on the cross, and He knew that He had fulfilled all that God had required of Him.
The Scriptures had to be fulfilled, and He, Jesus had accomplished just that. All Scriptures were fulfilled by Jesus!
3. “It is Finished!” John 19:30
This is one single word in the Greek Text. This word was also found in many ancient business documents. When a person had paid his debt, this word “It is finished” is written on the document. The debt is declared “Paid in Full”.
This was what Jesus cried out, as He completed His work for our redemption. He had successfully fulfilled every demand contained in the Law and the Prophets. He had been Perfect, even as His Father in Heaven was Perfect. He had remained untouched by sin! He had defeated the Devil in every sense of the word!
“It is finished” – what a victory cry that was! He had defeated the power of the devil. He had gained victory over sin. He had satisfied the legal requirements of God’s Laws!
THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEATH OF JESUS
The theology of the Apostle Paul was strongly Christological, and rightly so. The writings of all the other New Testament writers particularly featured the significance of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us consider some of these applications of the significance of Christ’s death.
“In Him, we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins…”
Ephesians 1:7
“Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements
that were against us, which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way,
Having nailed it to the Cross,
Having disarmed principalities and powers,
He made a public spectacle of them,
Triumphing over them in it.”
Colossians 2:14-15
“He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
And as it is appointed for men to die once,
But after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once
To bear the sins of many!
Hebrews 9:27-28
“It is finished!” This was Christ’s victory cry! Is His victory personally applied in your life? Do you have faith in Jesus?