It Is Finished!

John 19:28-42

It Is Finished

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Jesus Buried in Joseph's Tomb

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Jesus fulfilled the scriptures as it was written for Him to fully accomplish, took a last drink of sour wine (Psalm 69:21) after declaring He was thirsty, and then said loud and clear, “It is finished!” and gave up His spirit and bodily life on that cross of suffering and shame for our sin.  He hung there until it was time for the Jews to prepare for the Sabbath and Pilate ordered the soldiers to speed up the death of the King and the two criminal subjects on each side who hung with Him.  They did this by breaking their legs to keep them from pushing up to be able to breathe and prolong their suffering and death, but when they were to break the legs of Jesus, they noticed a lifeless body hanging there (likely not paying attention when Jesus loudly gave up His spirit) and they pierced His side instead that the scripture which the Romans had no knowledge of would be fulfilled from Psalm 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10, 13:6 as it was written long ago.  Psalm 22:17 also was seen to transpire as they did not break the legs bones of Christ Jesus either.  When they pierced His side the fluids and blood came out signifying that the lungs and heart had given out and proved He was dead and they did not need to speed up the already completed process as with the other two.  It is amazing to see how everything that God set in motion before Jesus stepped down into the world made by Him (Colossians 1:16) happened just as it was told and recorded for us to look back on to acknowledge His handiwork of redemptive work on the cross to atone for our sins Himself and reconcile all who trust in His work and who Jesus is (John 6:29) as He had been telling us all along!  They then buried Jesus in a tomb carved out of stone much like that which Lazarus had walked out of before at the word of the Lord commanding life out of the grave; soon Jesus would do the same, just for Himself to give us hope of our own resurrection on the final day of judgment!  Faithful and believing Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple, provided the brand new tomb in a beautiful garden area, and faithful Nicodemus who had heard of the need to be born again in a spiritual transformation (John 3:7) provided the burial spices as the equivalent of modern day embalming.  There Jesus lay until the morning of the third day.  The work of redemption was finished!  This is the account of hope springing eternal by the work done by Jesus the Christ on the cross of the curse of the Law condemning all to judgment as we hear the echo of His voice through time, “It Is Finished!”  The proof of it would follow shortly.