By John 19:28-30
After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, till the very last moment; Jesus was consumed with fulfilling all of the scriptures. Jesus knew that there was one last scripture that he needed to fulfill before he accomplished his task; Psalm 69:21.
Instead, they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
This is amazing! Jesus is near his dying breath and scripture is consuming his mind. He is scanning his mind for every place he knows the scriptures speak of him. “Oh yes, there is one more” Jesus thinks. “I need to be given vinegar to drink before all is accomplished.” So Jesus looks down at his offenders and gasps that “he is thirsty.” Do you think they could spare even a drop of water for him – no; but they do have some vinegar. Will that help thirst? Not really that stuff is nasty!
As Matthew Henry says, Jesus does not now lift his head to heaven to strain to take each breath like others who are crucified. He declares with triumph, “It is finished!” And bows his head as if going to sleep.
Here is what Matthew Henry says of the phrase “it is finished.”
What he said, and we may imagine he said it with triumph and exultation: It is finished. It is finished, the hatred and enmity of his persecutors had now done their worst. It is finished, the purpose and command of his Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. He had said when he began his sufferings, Father, thy will be done, and now he said with pleasure, It is done. It is finished, the ceremonial law was abolished. The substance had now come, and all the shadows were done away with. It is finished, sin is finished, and transgression brought to an end. The lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world and it was done. It is finished, his sufferings were now finished. The storm was over, the worst was past, and he was entering the joy set before him. Let all who suffer for Christ and with Christ comfort themselves with the assurance that in a little while they too will say, “It is finished.” It is finished, his life was now finished, and he was ready to breathe his last. We must all come to such a point soon. It is finished, the work of human redemption and salvation had now been completed, a fatal blow given to the power of Satan, and a fountain of grace opened that will always flow he that began a good work will perform it; the mystery of God will be finished (Revelation 10:7).
If Jesus was consumed till his dying breath with fulfilling scripture; shouldn’t we concern ourselves with it as well? We can not fulfill prophecy, but we can and should seek to fulfill God’s preceptive will for His children.
- How should the knowledge that Jesus fully accomplished your complete redemption move you to live in this world?
- It is time to cling to the promise yet again…
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
Leading Family Devotions 