"It is Finished" John 19.28-30

Understanding the Death of Jesus

"Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 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. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:28-30, NIV.

One of Mozart's greatest works is his Requiem. Written at the end of his life when he was pressed with other work and in poor health it contains some of his most sublime music. Yet he did not complete it. He died leaving instructions to his friend to finish it off.

But Jesus at the end of his life knew that all was completed. "It is finished!" he cried out as he died.

1. What was completed at his death?

All that he came to do is the simple answer. "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34, NIV. Later as he prayed to his Father he said, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." John 17:4, NIV.

What was this work which the Father gave Jesus to do? Three images help us understand his world-changing task. In John's gospel Jesus is described as the Lamb of God, as the good shepherd and as the one who overthrows the evil ruler of this world.

1.1 The Lamb of God

" The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29, NIV.

John the Baptist is telling us about a sacrificial lamb. A lamb provided by God whose death takes away sin.

1.2 The Good Shepherd

" The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10,11, NIV.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."" John 10:14-18, NIV.

This strange passage tells us that the shepherd will give his life for the sheep. Not under pressure, not because he couldn't avoid it, but willingly by his own choice. Abundant life, life to the full is directly related to the death of the shepherd for the sheep.

1.3 The Overthrower

" Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." John 12:31-33, NIV.

Part of Jesus' job was to get rid of the ruler of the world, the devil. Chasing out the world's evil ruler would happen as an act of judgement. Now, instead of following the prince of the world, people would be drawn to Jesus as their ruler. The astounding thing is that it was his death on the cross that drove out the evil ruler and drew people to himself.

So what was the job that he completed?

Sin was taken away. Life to the full was available. The world's evil ruler was removed. People were drawn to Jesus.

2. How did Jesus bring this job to its completion?

The amazing thing is that it was Jesus' death which took away the sins of the world. It was his death which brought fullness of life to his sheep. It was his death which overthrew the ruler of the world. This astounding paradox is at the heart of Christianity.

It is no wonder that at his death, Jesus cried out "It is finished!" It was his death which completed the work. Without Jesus' death the job his Father sent him to do would not have been done. It would have been an unfinished job.

3. What his death accomplished.

3.1 Forgiveness

Jesus took our sins on himself. He took responsibility for our guilt. He died in our place so that we could go free. So that our sins would not be counted against us.

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24, NIV.

This was a gracious act of God who put Jesus forward as our substitute.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV.

The result is that our sins are not counted against us. Just as David said,

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1,2, NIV.

What a liberating gift! How wonderful to know that God has removed our sin and guilt. That every day we can go to bed knowing that all our sins have been forgiven.

3.2 Abundant life

Life is what humans want. But where can it be found? Are we born with it? Or is there more to life than that? Jesus knew that real life consisted in knowing God

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3, NIV.

The death of Jesus allowed us into relationship with God again. It gave us permission to relate to God as pardoned sinners. Without pardon we cannot know God or be friends with him. Jesus' death removed the obstacles that stood between God and us, that is our sin and guilt. It cleared the way for God to relate to us as reconciled children. Now we can experience the abundant, flourishing, powerful, exhilarating life that God pours into us every day.

3.3 Freedom from the rule of the devil

History shows us the long standing power of evil in the world. Everywhere people have lived, evil has corrupted their lives and messed up the wonderful and beautiful things they do. Secular history has been at a loss to explain this. But the bible is clear that it is the result of the entry of evil into the world. At first through the presence of Satan and then through submission of humans to his deceits.

Satan tries to deceive us and lure us away from what is right. And then he loves to offer us futile ways of getting right with God. Any way will do - religious, secular, as long as it does not work. In the end his goal is to accuse humans of sinning. To get God to agree that the sinners deserve eternal death. But the death of Jesus removed the grounds of Satan's accusations. He has nothing now to point at in us.

Because of Jesus' death we can be forgiven and counted by God as innocent. Even by tempting us to sin he cannot remove us from the people whom God regards as holy. His power is broken. Now we can live under a godly ruler who helps us live in company with God. Jesus' rule offers hope to the world - rescue from evil is certain. His rule offers hope for us to live God's way.

4. How can this benefit me?

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31, NIV.

• Believe Jesus is the Son of God; the Christ who came to give his life for you.

• Believe in Jesus- put your trust in him. Believe he can take away your sin, give you life to the full, rescue you from the power of sin.

• Give up ignoring him. Give up running your life yourself. Give up trying to do right by God yourself.

• Ask forgiveness. Ask Jesus to take away all your sin and guilt. Ask for the full divine life. Ask to know and be known by God himself.

• Commit yourself to following Jesus, loving and obeying him. Decide to give yourself body and soul; to do whatever he wants.

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:15, NIV.

A sermon by Dale Appleby