March 10, 2009 - It Is Finished

Meditation on John 19

On the cross, before Jesus gave up His spirit, He said, "It is finished!" (v. 30 NKJV) The mission He was sent by the Father was finally accomplished, He had said to Nicodemus that He must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so that "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:15) He had also said to His disciples, "And I. if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." (John 12:32)

Yes, through His death on the cross, our penalty of sin is paid for and the way of salvation for mankind is finished. We do not need to do anything except to receive it. Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled on the cross, "Because He poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intersession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)

Therefore the account of John carefully documented the death of Jesus, "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (v. 34) When a person was still alive, only blood would come out from the wound. So the water indicated that Jesus was already dead. Later on when Nicodemus came to wrap Jesus' body with about a hundred pound of a mixture of myrrh and aloes and bound it in strips of linen, it was again a proof that Jesus' body was dead and immovable.

It was finished. The Scriptures was fulfilled. Now we wait for the resurrection.