It is Finished

Jesus will make seven statements from the cross. John’s account of the crucifixion contains three of them. The first statement is to ensure his mother is cared for. The second statement is a recognition of thirst. It is the third statement – “It is finished” – that signals the end of his life. But it’s more than just the end of his life. “It is finished” is his way of saying that the work he came to do had been completed. Speaking of Jesus, Peter writes, “’He himself bore our sins’” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The death of Jesus was sufficient. According to the Hebrew writer, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him”. (Hebrews 9:27-29).

Passage: John 19:16-37